Aisle

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Typical physical characteristics

• Aisles are virtually always straight, not curved.
• Aisles are usually fairly long. An open space with three rows of chairs to the right and three to the left generally would not be considered an "aisle".

Width of various types of aisles

• Theatres, meeting halls, shops, etc., usually have aisles wide enough for 2-3 strangers to walk past each other without feeling uncomfortably close. In such facilities, anything that could comfortably accommodate more than 4 people side-by-side would generally be considered an "open area", rather than an "aisle".
• Supermarket aisles rarely are wide enough for 3 people to stand side-by-side.
• Factory work area aisles usually are wide enough for workers to comfortably sit or stand at their work area, while allowing safe and efficient movement of persons, equipment and/or materials.
• Vehicle aisles usually are quite narrow--wide enough for a large person to carry a suitcase in each hand but not wide enough for two people to pass side-by-side without touching. Usually, even without luggage one person must turn sideways in order for the other one to pass.
• Warehouse aisles normally are at least 8-10 feet (2.4-3 meters) wide, to allow use of mechanical loading equipment.

Note that spaces between buildings, e.g., rows of storage sheds, would not be considered "aisles", even if the same amount of separation would be considered an aisle in a warehouse.

Architecture

In architecture Architecture The term architecture can refer to a process, a profession or documentation.As a process, architecture is the activity of designing and construction buildings and other physical structures by a person or a computer, primarily to provide shelter.... , an aisle is more specifically the wing of a house, or a lateral division of a large building. The earliest examples of aisles can be found in the Basilica Ulpia Basilica ulpia The Basilica Ulpia was an ancient Roman civic building located in the Forum of Trajan. It was named after Roman emperor Trajan whose full name was Marcus Ulpius Traianus....  (basilica of Trajan), which had double aisles on either side of its central area. The church of St. Peter's St. Peter's Basilica The Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian language as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City....  in Rome Rome Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....  has the same number. Cathedral architecture In cathedral architecture, an aisle (also known as an isle, yle, or alley) is more specifically a passageway to either side of the nave that is separated from the nave by colonnade Colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, as in the famous elliptically curving colonnades that Bernini added to the fa?ade of The apostel Peter's Basilica in Rome, which embrace and define the Piazza.... s or arcade Arcade (architecture) An arcade is a passage or walkway covered over by a succession of arches or Vault supported by columns. In a Gothic architecture cathedral the arcade is the lowest part of the wall of the nave, supporting the triforium and the clerestory.... s, a row of pillars or column Column File:National Capitol Columns - Washington, D.C..jpgA column in structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through physical compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below.... s. Occasionally aisles stop at the transept Transept Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.'For the periodical go to The Transept.... s, but often aisles can be continued around the apse Apse In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault . In Romanesque architecture, Byzantine architecture and Gothic architecture Christian abbey, cathedral and church architecture, the term is applied to the semi-circular or polygonal section of the sanctuary at the liturgical east end beyond the altar.... . Aisles are thus categorized as nave-aisles, transept-aisles or choir-aisles. A semi-circular choir with aisles continued around it, providing access to a series of chapels, is a chevet. In Gothic architecture Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture.... , the roofs of the aisles are lower than that of the nave, allowing light to enter through clerestory Clerestory Clerestory is an architecture term denoting an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque architecture or Gothic architecture church , the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows....  windows. In Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which evolved into the Gothic architecture style beginning in the 12th century.... , however, the roofs are at roughly equal heights, with those of the aisle being only slightly lower than that of the nave. In Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... , churches where the roofs of the aisles and nave are the same height, such as St. Stephen's, Vienna Stephansdom St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Sch?nborn, Ordo Praedicatorum.... , the Wiesenkirche at Soest Soest, Germany Soest is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the Capital of the Soest . After Lippstadt, a neighbouring city, Soest is the second biggest city in its district.... , , and the Frauenkirche Munich Frauenkirche The Frauenkirche is the largest church in the Bavarian capital of Munich. Located in the city center at Frauenplatz 1, the Roman Catholic Church cathedral is a major landmark and a popular tourist attraction....  (Church of Our Lady) in Munich Munich Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg....  are known as Hallenkirchen Hall church A hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof.In contrast to a traditional basilica, which lets in light through a clerestory in the upper part of the nave, a hall church is lit through windowed side walls typically spanning the full height of the interior.... . Chichester Cathedral Chichester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Church of England Bishop of Chichester.... , Milan Cathedral Duomo di Milano Milan Cathedral is the cathedral church of Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Dionigi Tettamanzi.... , and Amiens Cathedral Amiens Cathedral The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens , or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete cathedral in France, with the greatest interior volume ....  all have five aisles, and Antwerp Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp The Cathedral of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic parish church in Antwerp, Belgium. The today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp was started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been 'completed'....  and Paris Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic architecture cathedral on the eastern half of the ?le de la Cit? in the 4th arrondissement of Paris of Paris, France, with its main entrance to the west....  have seven. Cordoba Cathedral Mezquita The Mezquita of Cordoba is a Roman Catholic cathedral and former mosque situated in the Andalusian city of C?rdoba, Spain. Originally built as a church, after the Muslim conquest the building was confiscated for use as a mosque and greatly expanded until it became the second-largest mosque in the world....  has nineteen aisles. In the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.... , cathedrals only have one aisle on each side, with Chichester Cathedral and Elgin Cathedral Elgin Cathedral Elgin Cathedral sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North is an historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. The cathedras of the early bishop of Moray alternated between the churches of Birnie Kirk, Kineddar and Spynie Palace....  being the only two exceptions. In Japan, the aisle in a Western-style or Christian wedding ceremony, as followed by the bridal procession, is called the "virgin road".

Supermarkets and retail stores

In supermarket Supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retailing#Retail types offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments.... s there are two types of aisles, food aisles and checkout aisles. Food aisles are where goods are displayed. At the end of food aisles may be found crown end displays, where high-margin Profit margin Profit margin, net margin, net profit margin or net profit ratio all refer to a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue....  goods are displayed for impulse purchase. In retail stores that do not primarily sell food, aisles containing products would be referred to either generically as merchandise aisles, or by the particular products contained in the aisle, e.g., "the gardening aisle", "the sports equipment aisle". Checkout aisles contain cash register Cash register A cash register is a mechanical or electronic device for calculating and recording sales transactions, and an attached cash drawer for storing currency.... s at which customers make their purchases. Regardless of the type of merchandise the establishment sells, it is common to display a range of "impulse buy" items along the checkout aisle, such as cold beverages, magazines, and candy. Signage For customer convenience, supermarkets and retail stores commonly number the aisles and have signs indicating both the aisle number and the types of products displayed in that aisle. Churches, courtrooms, legislatures, and meeting halls may identify individual rows, seats or sections but do not normally assign aisle numbers or display signs regarding aisles.

Libraries

• Circulation desk
• Collections, areas where materials are grouped, e.g., Children's Collection. This may include book shelves, manuscripts, photos, etc.
• The "stacks", where books are shelved
• The Reference Room where materials with limited circulation are stored
• Public reading areas containing seats and desks

Indoor theatres and concert halls

Films, stage plays and musical concerts ordinarily are presented in a darkened facility so the audience can see the presentation better. To improve safety, often the edges of the aisles in such facilities are marked with a row of small lights. The markers frequently are strings of light-emitting diode Light-emitting diode A light-emitting diode , is an electronic light source. The LED was discovered in the early 20th century, and introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962.... s (LEDs) because LEDs are durable, have low power consumption and use low voltages that are not subject to electrical code National Electrical Code (US) The National Electrical Code , or NFPA 70, is a United States standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment. It is part of the National Fire Codes series published by the National Fire Protection Association .... s. To provide a higher level of light focused downward, lighting fixtures referred to as are often built into the side of the seat facing the aisle.

Stadiums and outdoor arenas

Stables

Safety and regulatory considerations

See also

• Cathedral diagram
  Cathedral diagram
  
  This article discusses cathedral diagrams in Western ecclesiastical architecture. These floor plans show the sections of walls and piers, giving an idea of the profiles of their columns and ribbing....
  
• Soutra Aisle
  Soutra Aisle
  
  Soutra Aisle, just within the Scottish Borders, not far from Fala, Midlothian, is the remains of the House of the Holy Trinity, a church that was part of a complex comprising a hospital and a friary....
  
• Wedding
  Wedding
  
  File:Pimenov SvadbaOnTomorrowStreet.jpgA wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, country, and social classes....
   ("walking down the aisle")
• Safety
  Safety
  
  Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be considered non-desirable....
  
• Building design
  Building design
  
  Building design refers to the broadly based architecture, Architectural engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically an architect on all but the simplest of projects....
  
• List of basic architectural topics

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