ARCHITECTURE IN JAPAN

6TH CENTURY A.D. TO PRESENT

PREPARED BY:

ADA N. CONCEPCION
BS ARCHITECTURE 5A

INFLUENCES
GEOGRAPHICAL
~ PRINCIPAL ISLAND: HONSHU ~ LIES OFF THE EASTERN COAST OF ASIA ~ EASTERN SHORES ARE BOUNDED BY THE PACIFIC OCEAN

GEOLOGICAL
~ 4/5 OF THE ENTIRE AREA IS OCCUPIED BY FORESTS & WILD VEGETATION ~ BAMBOO IS USED EXTENSIVELY IN BUILDING ~ STONE IS USED FOR FOUNDATION WORK OR IN POLYGONAL FORM FOR THE LOWER PORTIONS OF WALLING

INFLUENCES
CLIMATIC
~ HOUSES FACE SOUTH ~ DEEPLY PROJECTING EAVES ARE PROVIDED TO GIVE PROTECTION AGAINST THE SUN ~ HIGH COURTYARD WALL SCREEN THE NORTHERN ASPECT FROM THE COLD WINDS OF WINTER

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

~ BUDDHISM: ENCOURAGED THE ERECTION OF TEMPLES & ITS MYSTIC SYMBOLISM INSPIRED THE ARTISTIC JAPANESE TEMPERAMENT TO THE PRODUCTION OF COUNTLESS IMAGES OF EVERY POSSIBLE SIZE AND FANTASTIC FORM

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
~ WAS LARGELY DERIVED FROM CHINA ~ SPECIAL CHARACTERISTIC: LIGHTNESS & DELICACY

ROOF
~ CHARACTERIZED BY EXQUISITE CURVATURE ~ IRIMOYA GABLE: UPPER PART OF THE ROOF ~ HISASHI: LOWER PART OF THE ROOF ~ TYPES: THATCHED, TILED & SHINGLES

COLUMNS
~ SQUARE: PANELLED ~ ROUND/ OCTAGONAL: REEDED & OFTEN RICHLY LAQUERED ~ YARIGANNA: SMOOTHED W/ A SPEAR-SHAPED PLANE COLUMN

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
ROOF

IRIMOYA GABLE

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
ROOF TILE

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
WINDOWS
~ FILLED W/ TIMBER TRELLIS ~ PROVIDED W/ WOODEN SHUTTERS EXTERNALLY ~ PROVIDED W/ PAPER (USUALLY RICE PAPER IN LIGHT SAHES) INTERNALLY

WALLS
~ EXTERNAL WALLING: EXTREMELY THIN ~ WALL PANELS ARE ENTIRELY NON-STRUCTURAL

BEAMS, BRACKETS & CARVING

~ PICKED OUT IN GILDING & BRIGHT COLORS (BLUE, GREEN, PURPLE, MADDER & VERMILLION)

EXAMPLES
TEMPLES
~ SHINTO TEMPLES: CAN BE DISTINGUISED FROM BUDDHIST BY THE CHARACTERISTIC TORII OR GATEWAYS ~ USUALLY HAVE COLUMNED LOGGIA, EITHER ROUND THREE SIDED OR FORMING A FAADE TO THE MAIN BUILDING

PAGODAS
~ SQUARE IN PLAN ~ MOSTLY FIVE-STOREYED, ABOUT 45 METERS IN HEIGHT (150ft) ~ VIRTUALLY SUSPENDED AROUND A CENTRAL TIMBER ~ GROUND STOREY: CONTAINS IMAGES & SHRINES ~ UPPER STOREY: SERVE AS BELVEDERES ~ HAS WIDE PROJECTING ROOFS & SUBTLE CURVATURES

EXAMPLES
TEMPLE GATEWAY (TORII)

EXAMPLES
TEMPLE & PAGODA

THE BYODO TEMPLE

EXAMPLES
PALACES
~ CONSISTS OF A PRINCIPAL HALL, JOINED BY CORRIDORS TO THREE (3) SEPARATE PAVILLIONS, FOR THE EMPERORS FAMILY ~ WERE PROTECTED BY WALLS OF MASONRY, OFTEN FORMED W/ BATTER, CONCAVE ON THE EXTERNAL FACE, & W/ TILTED QUOIN STONES (TO RESIST EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS) ~ MOAT IS ALSO PLACED AND ENCIRCLED THE WALLS.

EXAMPLES
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE HOUSE
~ ENTERED THROUGH A VESTIBULE & HACE A VEREANDAH, LIVING, DINING & GUEST ROOMS, W/ RECESS FOR FLOWERS & ART TREASURES ~ ROOMS ARE REGULATE IN SIZE BY FLOOR MATS OR TATAMI, MEASURED IN KEN (1.8 M X 0.9 M) ~ WALLING: LIGHT TIMBER VERTICAL POSTS & HORIZONTAL MEMBERS COVERED W/ WEATHER BOARDING ~ INTERIOR PARTITIONS: LIGHT MOVABLE TIMBER FRAMES W/ AN INFILLING OF STOUT TRANSLUCENT PAPER, 18 M (6ft) IN HEIGHT

EXAMPLES
PALACE & TRADITIONAL HOUSE

EXAMPLES
TEA HOUSES
~ DEVELOPED IN THE KAMAKURA PERIOD ~ REPRESENTS A MOST EXCLUSIVE JAPANESE SOCIAL INSTITUTION ~ MAINTAINED SOLEY FOR THE CULT OF THE TEA-DRINKING CEREMONY ~ NORMALLY SMALL IN SCALE ~ ENTRY FOR GUEST: ALWAYS CURVED SO AS TO CONCEAL THE ENTRANCE

EXAMPLES
TEA HOUSE

EXAMPLES
BATH HOUSES
~ RESEMBLES THE LARGE PRIVATE HOUSE, BUT IT IS INVARIABLY PLANNED ROUND A CENTRAL COURTYARD

TERMS USED
KEN
~ JAPANESE UNIT OF MEASURE

CAMBER
~ SLIGHT RISE OR UPWARD CURVE OF AN OTHERWISE HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE

ENTASIS
~ SWELLING OR CURVING OUTWARDS ALONG THE OUTLINE OF A COLUMN SHAFT DESIGNED TO COUNTERACT THE OPTICAL ILLUSION W/C GIVE A SHAFT BOUNDED BY STREET LINES THE APPEARANCE OF CURVING INSIDE

TERMS USED
TORII
~ JAPANESE GATEWAY

LOGGIA
~ AN ARCADE OR ROOFED GALLERY BUILT INTO OR PROJECTING FROM THE SIDE OF A BUILDING PARTICULARLY ONE OVER LOOKING AN OPEN COURT

BELVEDERES
~ AN OPEN ROOFED GALLERY IN AN UPPER STOREY BUILT FOR GIVING A VIEW OF THE SCENERY

TATAMI
~ FLOOR MATS

TERMS USED
ENGAWA
~ JAPANESE TERM FOR VERANDAH

TOKONOMA
~ A PLACE FOR MEDITATION & ART

IKEBANA
~ JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

HAKONIWA
~ JAPANESE TERM FOR BOX GAR

GENKAN
~ INDISPENSABLE ROOM OR FOYER

TERMS USED
ZASHIKI
~ RECEPTION ROOM

CHANOMA
~ A SPACE FOR TEA; LIKE A CORRIDOR

CHANOYU
~ JAPANESE TEA-CEREMONY