Introduction:
In the history of the worship space, such as basilica type and centralized temple type in Christian churches are characterlized as symmetry and rotational symmetry has been used as a norm of the worship space. And they also have symmetrical section along the axis or point, such as gable roof and dome, that have highest point above them. In addition, the altar will be directed to the east where the sun rises until recently as a norm. In this norm, the priest pray to the direction of the sun rising in the morning, and received the evening light in his back from rose window in the Gothic churches. So that it seems to be possible to understand the natural light to produce a worship by the priest and laities around the altar. In such worship space, skylights which can be arranged at free position is plan is considered to be attached position within the normative spatial types. This study aims to clarify the day lighting methods in the worship space of contemporary religious buildings by their morphological characteristics as seen from the relationships between the form of the worship space and the arrangement of the skylights towards the altar.
Methods:
The worship spaces in the contemporary religious buildings built after 1950s were selected as cases to study. First, planar form of worship space were examined by its symmetry and proportion as refereing to the type of basillica and cetralized plan. In addition to this, the composition of chancel and nave, the arrangement of congregation's chair were also analyzed to know the direction created by theirarrangement. And sectional form of ceiling were analyzed by the axis along the altar and digonal axist of it.
Second, arrangement of skylight in plan was viewd. First, the orientation of altar was confirmed wether if they face to the east as its nome. Sectional form of skylights and planar arrangement of skylights were analyzed.
Third, based on all these results, we discussed the morphological characteristics of adopting day-light methods by the combination of sectional form of worship space as seen from the inclined direction of the ceiling and arrangement of skylights in worship space.
Results:
1) Symmetrical planar form at the worship space is still keeped as a nome. And deep proportion is the major in them. As the sectional form, flat ceiling and the ceiling inclined along the cross axis like dome are both major. The sectional shape can be characterized by the planar composition of chancel and altar, and the arrangement of congregation's chairs.
2) The major orientation of altar is still east in the four orientation even though the cases which don't face to east are more than half. Skylights which placed above chancel and nave are the major placement more than above chancel. By analayzed the combination between the area and the position toward to the periphery of whorship space, there are clear diferent relashinships between each sets.
3) The conclusion has came up with 6 adopting daylight methods by the combination of the sectional form of ceiling and lit area by skylights. There are some methods adopting to the original form of the worship space such as the basillica and centralized types. And some other methods to adopt new type of form of the worship spaces were founded, such as the sectional from inclined to the altar direction and the form with flat ceiling. And there are some methods which have different shape under the same types, especially by the placement of skylights.
