Architecture

The Art of Japanese Architecture - Part 1: Traditional Japanese Architecture

Every serious architect dreams of making a pilgrimage to Japan. First, there is the country’s incredible traditional architecture. Exemplifying the “wabi-sabi” aesthetic, traditional Japanese buildings seem to blend effortlessly into their natural surroundings. Nowhere is this more evident than in Kyoto’s Katsura Rikyu villa, which many critics have called the finest wooden structure in the entire world. 

Japanese architecture has traditionally been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, traditionally; chairs and high tables were not widely used until the 20th century. The classical architectural form is without doubt very beautiful.

The Woods Used

The wood that they used came from coniferous trees such as Cedar, Pine, Cypress, and Fir. Trees like Oak and Chestnut were used to make furniture and fixtures.

Inside Walls And Materials

Most of the walls were made of paper these walls could slide and were called shoji.

The architectural forms found in Japan are essentially pure structure. Posts and beams supporting the roof and protecting and sheltering the occupants of the house are meticulously joined and finished without molding or applied trims. Most structural components of the house are also the finish elements as well, so precise joinery and great care in an assembly are necessary.

 The pictures showed some of the architectural characters of Traditional Japanese houses.

Resource: http://www.slideshare.net/wongcheeonn7/traditional-japanese-architecture

Asuka Architecture 

The oldest buildings stand in Japan, are found southwest of Nara. They are made out of wood. During the Asuka period, in the 7th century, many temples were built. One of them consists of 41 independent buildings; the most important ones are covered by a roofed cloister. The Kondo (or the hall) is a two-story building of post and beam construction covered with a hipped-gabbled roof made out of ceramic tiles.

Heian Architecture 

Japanese Buddhist architecture adopted a method of building temples and houses in the mountains. Because of the irregular topography of these places, Japanese people had to rethink the way of constructing the buildings. The ceramic tile roofs were replaced with cypress-bark roofs, earthen floors were replaced with wood planks.

Halls- Phoenix Hall 

Japanese people concentrated on building halls. A good example of a hall is the Phoenix Hall built in 1053, southwest to Kyoto. The hall was made of two 'L' shaped wing corridors and a tail corridor located next to a pond. Inside the building, on a platform, a picture of Amid is installed. In that time, a new fashion for making things out of many pieces of carved wood appeared. The walls were covered with many sculptures and carvings.

Kamakura Architecture 

During the Kamakura period, the architecture of Japan had developed and made technological advances mostly taken from Korea and China. Because of the weather in Japan, earthquakes and other obstacles Japans architecture became unique. (Because buildings were made mostly from wood, they often got on fire.) After the political power was taken over, the main architecture style was a mixture of turrets and Shinde-kukuri style .

So…… Why are Japanese roofs curved?

Temple roofs were curved because Buddhists believed that a curved shape could ward off evil spirits, which were thought to only move in straight lines. The tiles, usually shaped to represent bamboo, create their own curved surface, further confusing the evil spirits.

PLEASE ENJOY THE VIDEO IF YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT JAPANESE'S TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE. ^.^

			References: Daniela (2009). SlideShare: Japanese Architecture. Retrieved 21 October, 2016, from http://www.slideshare.net/theringgirl/japanese-architecture?next_slideshow=1. Tanaka Juuyoh (2011). Japanese Traditional Style House Interior Design. Jousou-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan. Retrieved 21 October, 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/tanaka_juuyoh/5420658494/. CHU JENN ANNE 161420022 The Art of Japanese Architecture - Part 2: Modern Japanese Architecture The architecture of Japanese buildings has changed many times by the aspects of culture and society; it was improved but stayed always beautiful. Today Japan has many skyscrapers and modern buildings. Japan has incorporated much of Western, modern, and post-modern architecture into construction and design, and is today a leader in cutting-edge architectural design and technology. Tokyo skyscrapers - Largest Economies In The World 2012 Source: Google images Simplicity. Beauty. Naturalism. These are elements of the Japanese aesthetic that you will see define Japanese architecture. Like trees or grass. Japan's architects biggest inspirations are in nature — usually air, wind, and water. Lots of Japanese architects incorporate these elements in their own work. You'll see spaces with large, intentionally blank areas. While the elements of nature aren't built directly into the structure of Garden & House, all of the flora lining the house make it leaps and bounds more attuned to nature than the concrete and brick buildings surrounding it. Japan is famous for unusual, new home architecture, unlike other countries where residential construction is not where architects usually get to be creative. There’s also the house where all the walls are transparent… The one with windows but no walls… Or if you don’t care for that, you can have walls but no windows. There’s also this tiny one-room seaside vacation home that’s basically one big window… Examples of Modern Japanese Architecture Visiting Osaka, in the Namba district (famous for food and entertainment), a very eye-catching building will certainly draw your attention. Looking like a giant hourglass with an exclamation mark in the middle, the Namba HIPS building was opened in 2007 and its unusual design tries to convey a particular concept: the hourglass means “eternal” while the exclamation mark symbolizes “surprise" Framing House by Form / Kouichi Kimura Architects is a contemporary Japanese home displaying a minimalist design and a distinct black&white exterior. The owners’ brief required the new building to accommodate an art gallery, along with inviting living spaces. The Spiraling Ribbon Chapel by Tokyo-based Hiroshi Nakamura is a gracefully flowing structure tucked away in a luxury resort on the Hiroshima shoreline in Japan. The building is wrapped in two ribbon-like staircases, which flow around a central structure, creating a unique chapel for couples to seal their wedding vows. Although it was built 18 years ago, the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, also know as Tokyo Big Sight, remains one of the most impressive buildings in Tokyo and it will be one of the few old buildings to be used for the 2020 Summer Olympics, when it will host the main broadcasting and press center, and the wrestling, fencing and taekwondo competitions. The building distinguishes itself by its central Conference Tower, featuring 4 inverted pyramids. The tower is placed next to a modern Japanese garden, with an unusual pond with angular edges that offers, as you can see in this photo, a very confusing reflection. One of the most ingenious constructions in Japan is the Art Tower Mito, a 100 meters tall tower designed by the architect Arata Isozaki. Its shape is a geometric figure called tetra helix (also known as a “Boerdijk–Coxeter helix"), a stacking of tetrahedrons with variable orientation. An interesting fact about this geometric object is that it can be made by folding a single sheet of paper and you can visit the Art Tower Mito page for a complete origami model. The tower is made from 28 tetrahedrons and features a beautiful observatory at the height of 86 meters. I'm always fascinated by Japanese architecture. I have found some interesting links regarding modern Japanese Architecture that i want to share with you. Recommended for you: http://www.busyboo.com/tag/japanese-architecture/ http://www.dezeen.com/tag/japanese-houses/ http://www.archdaily.com/country/japan http://www.businessinsider.com/check-out-2012-4?IR=T&r=US&IR=T http://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/japanese-architecture/ Reference Hashi, Aya Francisco and Linda Lombardi (2013). Japanese Architecture: What Makes It Different?Steeped In Tradition, Thoroughly Modern, And... Disposable?. Retrieved 22 October, 2016, from https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-architecture/. Kristin Lofgren (2015). Spiraling Wedding Chapel In Japan Looks Like Gently Twining Ribbons. Retrieved 25 October, 2016, from http://inhabitat.com/spiraling-wedding-chapel-in-japan-looks-like-gently-twining-ribbons/. Lavinia (2015). Architecture: Distinct Black & White Exterior Showcased by Minimalist “Framing House” in Japan. Retrieved 22 October, 2016, from http://freshome.com/distinct-blackwhite-exterior-showcased-by-minimalist-framing-house-in-japan/#ixzz4PopRBIdy.   CHU JENN ANNE 161420022