Church Architecture

Helsinki Cathedral
1830-52 Architecture

Helsinki Cathedral is the main Evangelical Lutheran cathedral in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland. The Neoclassical building is located at Senate Square, the most popular square in the heart of the city. Because it was constructed in an elevated position, the building has dominated the city’s skyline ever since it was completed in the mid-19th century.

Holy Name Cathedral (Chicago)
Architect: Patrick Keely, Henry Schlacks, Charles Murphy, Joseph McCarthy
1874 -1915 Architecture

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Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago is the seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. Holy Name Cathedral replaced the Cathedral of Saint Mary and the Church of the Holy Name, which were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi
Architect: Archil Mindiashvili
1995-2004 Architecture

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Holy Trinity Cathedral, commonly known as Sameba is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It is the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world and one of the largest religious buildings in the world by total area. It can accommodate 10,000 people.

Commonly known as Tsminda Sameba, the imposing Holy Trinity cathedral sits on St. Elija’s hill in Tbilisi. A symbol of the country’s independence, it was completed in 2001.

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When we think of Christian architecture, we may picture towering cathedrals with intricate stained-glass windows, but the roots of this style are much more humble. The earliest Christian structures were not grand, but rather simple house churches. As Christianity grew, its places of worship grew in size and intricacy.

The transition from early Christian to medieval architecture paralelled societal and religious changes. The Romanesque style, characterized by its rounded arches and massive walls, was followed by the Gothic style with its pointed archs, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

Christian architecture has created some of the world’s most iconic structures. These buildings all share a common thread: they are physical manifestations of the Christian faith.

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