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Writer's pictureSteve Baker PhD AIA

Modern Church Interior Design VS Traditional Church Interior Design

When you walk into a church, whether it’s modern or made hundreds of years ago, you likely expect what it’s going to look like, and it will generally meet that expectation. 


However, church design has shifted dramatically between modern and traditional design philosophies, and while tradition is at the core of the church building process, you’ll be surprised to see just how much it has been innovated over the years. 


Today, we’re going to compare modern church interior design vs traditional church interior design for you to have a better understanding of those innovations. 


God and Tradition are Still at the Heart of Church Design


Since the beginning of the church, God has been at the heart of the design phase. After all, it is a structure meant purely to bring people together in worship of the Lord. 


As time passed, traditions formed based around making that worship process more effective and highlighting core concepts of Christianity throughout the church’s design. 

Traditional church interior design.

Those concepts are not gone. They still dictate every decision made when designing a church, and in some cases, they even limit innovation for a time.


For example, many Catholic churches were hesitant to start including sound systems in their interior design, because they felt that it would break tradition and wasn’t necessary. 


So, while many things have changed, this is, and will always be, the core of church design. 


The Basics of Traditional Church Design


Traditional church design matches what you likely expect to see in a church


First, everything focuses on the main worship room. We’ll use Catholicism as an example since most other churches follow this tradition when it comes to their designs.The naive, where Catholics gather to worship, is the focal point of the church and the largest room. It is often rounded to ensure everyone is close to the church’s leadership and can hear clearly.


Every other feature, such as offices, recreational rooms, kitchens, basements, and similar things that are mostly part of modern design branches off from this focal point. Other traditional points include the presentation of the cross on the church’s roof. It’s oriented from East to West, and the church follows this orientation with its layout whenever possible. 


Even more obscure parts of the church are filled with symbology. The glass-stained windows depict The Holy Trinity and other concepts sacred to Christianity, and an overall sense of beauty is imbued into each feature of the church. 


Finally, the crucifix located in the naive must be visible to the entire congregation. It’s the focal point of the main room.These are the basic design concepts that are consistent across any traditional Catholic church, and they persist to this day in almost all cases.


Even other denominations tend to use these traditions in part or in full when designing their churches.


How Modern Church Design Has Innovated


While those traditions are the core of the church’s interior design, there have been plenty of innovative changes over the years, and a modern church goes far beyond that.The main philosophy that goes into innovative church design is that the enhancement needs to glorify God and bring the church closer to Him, or it needs to enhance the church’s ability to worship. 


Oftentimes, especially in the Catholic church where tradition is valued extensively, these changes have been debated before implementation. 


However, many have been deemed worthwhile and even considered improvements over traditional design standards. 


The implementation of technology is one of the main examples of this. As time has passed, the need to implement sophisticated sound systems, video capabilities, and similar multi-media systems has proven to be useful and worthwhile.

Implementing technology in modern church interior design.

As such, they’re staples in practically all churches. The interior design also needs to accommodate this.


IT rooms are now being constructed closer to the nave to facilitate the smooth operation of technical systems, along with easy access for specialists managing them.


Additionally, windows and décor are being reworked to provide sufficient space for setting up these systems, reflecting the growing importance of integrating technology into the design process.


Materials are also a huge part of the church’s innovations in interior design. 


While the past typically required traditional materials, modern churches have begun to leverage plenty of modern materials. For comfort, many churches are now carpeted with heavy-traffic carpet that looks and feels luxurious without wearing out quickly. This is in stark contrast to traditional flooring options. 


Foam is also heavily used in the design process. This allows costs to be cut dramatically, but there’s no sacrifice to the overall quality or visual appearance of the church.


This is often used for molding, facades, statues, and similar features that aren’t structural, but they do greatly enhance the appearance and level of detail in the church’s interior. 


Not only are there improvements to the materials used and enhancements to the church’s capabilities, but the modern church design process also implements new tools that aid in the design process. 


It’s still necessary for everyone working on the project to put in their best effort and create a structure worthy of congregating the masses but with tools such as laser scanning, much of the process can be streamlined to ensure each effort is being maximized.


This allows for far more precise planning, on-the-fly design changes, and 3D designing in real-time with a digital recreation of the actual interior of the church. 


What Does This Mean for Your Church’s Interior Design? 


What this means for you, if you’re trying to renovate your church’s interior or build an entire church from scratch, the modern method of interior church design isn’t as radical as you may think


All the core principles and traditions of traditional church interiors are there. The only difference is that modern advancements have been used to enhance the church experience further and create an environment that is even easier to worship in. 


Get Help Designing Your Church’s Interior


Whether you’re looking for a modern church interior design that incorporates as much capability as possible, or you want to ensure that your church remains traditional while renovating it, our church architects have you covered!


Contact Baker Architects today for a consultation.

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