CROSSING (ARCHITECTURE)

A 'crossing', in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform (cross-shaped) church.
In a typically oriented church (especially of Romanesque and Gothic styles), the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.
The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower or dome. Because the crossing is open on four sides, the weight of the tower or dome rests heavily on the corners; a stable construction thus required great skill on the part of the builders. In centuries past, it was not uncommon for overly ambitious crossing towers to collapse.
A tower may be called a ''lantern'' if it has openings through which light from outside can shine down to the crossing.