Aisle - Church Architecture

Church Architecture

In church architecture, an aisle (also known as an isle, yle, or alley) is more specifically a passageway to either side of the nave that is separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns. Occasionally aisles stop at the transepts, but often aisles can be continued around the apse. Aisles are thus categorized as nave-aisles, transept-aisles or choir-aisles. A semi-circular choir with aisles continued around it, providing access to a series of chapels, is a chevet.

In Gothic architecture, the roofs of the aisles are lower than that of the nave, allowing light to enter through clerestory windows. In Romanesque architecture, however, the roofs are at roughly equal heights, with those of the aisle being only slightly lower than that of the nave. In Germany, churches where the roofs of the aisles and nave are the same height, such as St. Stephen's, Vienna, the Wiesenkirche at Soest, St. Martin's, Landshut, and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Munich are known as Hallenkirchen.

Confusingly when discussing overall design, architectural historians include the central vessel in the number of aisles. Thus the original St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Milan Cathedral, Amiens Cathedral, Antwerp Cathedral and Notre Dame de Paris are all described as having five aisles, meaning they have two side aisles either side of the central nave. In the United Kingdom, cathedrals generally only have one aisle on each side, with Chichester Cathedral and Elgin Cathedral being the only two exceptions.