Which cross plan features equal-length arms?

Which cross plan features equal-length arms?

• A. Greek Cross
• B. Latin Cross
• C. Ambo
• D. Apse

Answer: (A)

Equal-length arms define a Greek cross, a cross plan where each arm extends the same distance from a central square to create perfect axial symmetry. This arrangement centers the intercolumniation and often emphasizes a dominant central space, sometimes crowned with a dome or vault at the crossing. The other features listed—an Ambo, a raised reading platform; and an Apse, a semicircular or polygonal termination of the building—are architectural elements, not cross plans, and they don’t define the overall geometry of the church’s layout. A Latin cross, by contrast, has a longer vertical arm, which breaks the equality of the arms. So the cross plan with equal-length arms is the Greek Cross.

Equal-length arms define a Greek cross, a cross plan where each arm extends the same distance from a central square to create perfect axial symmetry. This arrangement centers the intercolumniation and often emphasizes a dominant central space, sometimes crowned with a dome or vault at the crossing. The other features listed—an Ambo, a raised reading platform; and an Apse, a semicircular or polygonal termination of the building—are architectural elements, not cross plans, and they don’t define the overall geometry of the church’s layout. A Latin cross, by contrast, has a longer vertical arm, which breaks the equality of the arms. So the cross plan with equal-length arms is the Greek Cross.