Data collection of Catholic parish churches of Barcelona

Churches represent distinctive architectural landmarks present in towns and cities adhering to Western Catholic traditions. Notable examples include Milan's Duomo, Paris's Cathédrale Notre-Dame, and Barcelona's La Sagrada Família. The spotlight of this study is directed at Barcelona, where the architectural floor plans of 132 Catholic parish churches are examined collectively for the first time. Fig 01. The objective of this data collection is to underscore the unique architectural attributes defining these 132 individual structures.

Through comprehensive archival research and site visits, the floor plans are meticulously drafted using AutoCAD and Photoshop software, allowing for direct comparisons at a uniform scale. The churches are categorized based on their architectural features: 1) those with a directional spatial layout (encompassing subsets like single nave, single nave with chapels, two naves, three naves, three naves with chapels, and five naves -including basilica and Latin cross designs-); 2) churches featuring an expansive spatial design (including subdivisions like single nave, three naves, and Greek cross layouts); and 3) churches with a radial spatial configuration. Fig. 02

The findings reveal the prominence of churches with directional spatial designs (96 out of 132), spanning from uncomplicated single-nave arrangements to more intricate configurations with two, three, or five naves, often with additional side chapels. Predominant among these is the single-nave church style, mainly originating from the 20th century, with the exception of Sant Pacià (1876-81). Notably, there are numerous single-nave churches with side chapels, among which only Sant Cristòfol (2000) stands as a recent construction, and three-nave churches, with Santa Cecília (1963) being the only representative from the post-conciliar period. Furthermore, a single church with five naves, the ongoing Sagrada Família basilica (under construction since 1882), and one church with two naves, Sant Llorenç (1954-1963), are also evident.
Regarding expansive churches, the category encompasses older examples following a Greek cross layout, alongside more recent counterparts adopting rectangular geometries. Despite their lower numbers and floor plan diversity, the latter exhibit a wider array of section arrangements compared to directional churches.
Additionally, a grouping of fourteen parish churches adheres to a radial arrangement, spanning from diagonally distributed squares to rectangles divided into triangular geometries, all well-suited for urban integration.

Beyond these various classifications, the data collection methodology serves as a model applicable to investigations of diverse structures in different cities, extending beyond their religious or non-religious character.