Centralized-Plan Structure

a structure that is symmetrical in relation to the vertical axis in the center of the main chamber, whose dominant functional and artistic importance is expressed both in the plan (circle, square, polygon, or more complex geometric figure) and in the exterior of the building. The category includes many diverse structures, from wigwams and the yurts of the nomads to the religious, entertainment, exhibition, and industrial structures of the later 19th and 20th centuries (the circus in Sochi, 1971). In structures with centralized plans, the form usually directs the emotional perception of the viewer to the structure’s primary concept and function; such is most often the case with memorials and buildings for worship or entertainment. Such designs are especially common in the religious architecture of the Middle East and Far East and of Western and Eastern Europe.