A separating arch is an

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

, which, as

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

, separates the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

of a church from the side aisle, or an arch between two adjacent side aisles. It is found mainly in

hall church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an arc ...

es. A separating arch can be replaced constructively or emphasised decoratively by a . In this case one speaks - instead of a ''Scheidbogen'' - also of a ''Scheidrippe''.

Separating arches as elements of vaults and wall division

Separating arches delimit a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a nar ...

in the longitudinal direction. A pair of

transverse arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es and a pair of separating arches result in a

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

. With the belt arches as well as the pillars or columns at the four corners, the segmental arches form a vault field as the basic element of a vault. A wall supported by separating arch is called a separating wall.Wilfried Koch: ''Baustilkunde''. Prestel, Munich, 32nd edition 2014, , .

Separating arches as elements of vaults and wall division

References

Further reading