HOA

History of Architecture

MODULE 3
Architecture in Asia
and the Pacific Region

Indian
Architecture

Indian Architecture
Architecture of the Indian subcontinent
Characterized by Hindu and Buddhist monuments
Structures sometimes share the same site, have
rhythmic stratified motifs, and profuse carved
ornamentation, often combining the religious and the
sensuous.

Maurya
The Great Stupa at Sanchi, oldest
existing stupa in India.

Ancient Indian people who united

northern India and established an
empire 320 BC.
Architecture shows the cultural
influence of Persia and the first use
of dressed stone (stone worked to
desired shape and smoothed on
the face).

The site of Sanchi. (Comprises a group of Buddhist monuments - monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and
monasteries. It is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in existence and was a major Buddhist centre in India.)

Gupta Dynasty
320-540 CE
Court was the center of classical Indian art and
literature
Earliest substantial architectural remains are from this
period.

Pallava
Hindu state established in southern India, 350-CE.
Contributed to the expansion of Indian culture into
Southeast Asia.
Dravidian, style of Indian architecture in the Pallava
period, named after the language spoken in southern
India.

Kiva

Large underground or partly

underground chamber used by the
men for religious ceremonies or
councils.

Buddhist Structures

Stupa
Dhamek Stupa.

A Buddhist memorial mound to

enshrine a relic of Buddha.
Ceylon, dagoba; Tibet and Nepal,
chorten.
Dome-shaped mound on a
platform, crowned by a chattri,
surrounded by an ambulatory
(stone vedika), with four toranas.

Parts of a Buddhist Stupa

Torana, elaborately carved, ceremonial gateway in
Indian Buddhist and Hindu architecture with two or
three lintels between two posts.
Vedika, railing enclosing the stupa.
Chattri, umbrella-shaped finial symbolizing dignity,
composed of a stone disc on a vertical pole.

Other Religious Buddhist Structures

Vihara, monastery often excavated from solid rock.
Chaitya, shrine carved out of solid rock on a hillside;
form of an aisled basilica with a stupa at one end.
Wat, buddhist monastery or temple in Thailand or
Cambodia.
Gompa, Tibetan Buddhist monastery or nunnery.

Hindu Temples

Mandir
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.

A hindu temple.
Rath, a Hindu temple cut out of
solid rock to resemble a chariot.
Vimana, sanctuary of a Hindu
temple in which a deity is
enshrined.

Parts of a Hindu Mandira

Amalaka, bulbous stone finial of a sikhara.
Sikhara, tower usually tapered convexly and capped
by an amalaka.
Gopuram, monumentally, usually ornate gateway
tower.
Mandapa, large, porch-like hall and used for religious
dancing and music.

Shore Temple. (One of the oldest freestanding Hindu temple.)

Mughal Architecture
Or Indo-Islamic; blended traditions from India and
Islam. (Mughal Period, golden age of Islamic
architecture in northern India.)

Humayuns Tomb, New Delhi, India. (Forerunner of Taj Mahal, oldest of the Mughal monuments.)

Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory), the capital of the Mughal Empire; built by Emperor Akbar.

Jama Masjid (The Great Mosque), one of the biggest in India; at the centre of the court is the tomb of Shaikh Salim, a
Sufi saint.

Diwan-i-Kas

Diwan-i-Kas, Hall of Private

Audience, divided by overhanging
mouldings called chajja.
Diwan-i-Am, the Hall of Public
Audience.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India. (Most renowned example of Mughal architecture.)

Taj Mahal

Crown Palace
Built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for
his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Placed on a chahar bagh, a
platform at the end of a walled
garden divided by canals.
The marble facade is decorated
with floral motifs and a type of
inlay called pietra dura (using cut,
fitted, and polished colored stones
to create images).

Influence on
Southeast Asia

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia. (One of the largest religious structures in the world; a temple mountain.)

Angkor Wat
Angkor, Cambodia.

Built by Suryavarman, king of the

Khmer empire.
Constructed to honor the Hindu
god, Vishnu and to serve as the
kings tomb after he died.
Use of corbelled arch.

Borobudur, Central Java, Indonesia. (Temple of the Countless Buddhas. Largest Buddhist temple in the world.)

Borobudur
Central Java, Indonesia.

Stepped pyramid resting on a base

shaped to represent a mandala
(geometric symbol of the universe.)
Base (kamadhatu); Built in three
tiers: a pyramidal base with five
concentric square terraces
(rupadhatu), the trunk of a cone
with three circular platforms and, at
the top, a stupa (arupadhatu).

Borobudur Temple Complex

The Borobudur Temple
Mendut Temple
Whose depiction of Buddha is represented by a
formidable monolith accompanied by two Bodhisattvas
Pawon Temple
A smaller temple, inner space does not reveal which deity
might have been the object of worship.

Chinese
Architecture

Chinese Architecture
Palaces and temples are the chief building type.
Diverse architecture caused by differences in
geographic and climatic conditions.
System of wood frame construction.

Yang-shao
A model of Jiangzhai, a Yangshao
village.

Neolithic culture in China centered

around the Yellow River.
Characterized by pit dwellings and
fine pottery painted in geometric
designs.

Shang Dynasty
The site of Yin, the capital of the Shang
dynasty.

Also Yin Dynasty.

1600-1030 BC.
Introduction of writing,
development of an urban
civilization, and a mastery of
bronze casting.

Qin Dynasty
221-206 BC
Emergence of a centralized government; first imperial
dynasty.
The construction of much of the Great Wall of China.

Religious Structures

Towers and gateways

Pailou, monumental gateway to a palace, tomb, or
sacred place.
Zhonglou, bell tower or pavilion at the right side of a
city gate, palace entrance, or forecourt of a temple.
Gulou, left side counterpart of a zhonglou.

Mingtang

Bright Hall
A ritual structure in Chinese
architecture that serves as the
symbolic center of imperial power.
Designated as the intersection of
heaven (circle) and earth (square),
oriented around the four cardinal
directions.
Lingtai, spirit altar, raised
astronomical observatory; usually
the central, circular upper storey of
the mingtang.

Ta
A Chinese pagoda.
Pagoda, Buddhist temple, square or polygonal in plan,
with roofs projecting from each storey; erected as a
memorial or to hold relics (derived from the Indian
stupa).

The Songyue Temple Ta, Dengfeng, Henan Province. (Chinas oldest surviving ta.)

Fogong Pagoda. (200-foot-high tower built entirely out of wood.)

Temple of Heaven

Circular Mound Altar, ritual

platform.
Imperial Vault of Heaven
Hall for Prayer for Good Harvests
Abstinence Palace

Temple of Heaven. (Circular wooden prayer hall, heaven. Rectangular courtyards, earth.)

Hall for Prayer for Good Harvest, Temple of Heaven.

Palaces

Palace of Heavenly Purity, Beijing, China. (Built by emperor Zhu Di, the best preserved imperial palace in China.)

Forbidden City

A palace complex including

temples, reception halls,
residences, and service buildings.
Palace of Heavenly Purity, the
residence of the son of heaven and
the conceptual center of the
empire.
Hall of Supreme Harmony,
emperors throne room; also where
he met daily with his officials.

Summer Palace, Beijing, China. (Summer retreat from the Forbidden City.)

Arrangement of Buildings
Buildings are dispersed around a courtyard.
Entire grouping is organized around a central pathway
or axis.
Largest and most important building at the
northernmost.
Surrounding structures and courtyards increase in
size as they get closer to the main building.

Fortifications

The Great Wall of China, built by Qin Shih Huang Ti.

Great Wall of
China

Fortified wall to protect China

against nomads from the north.
Also served as a means of
communication.

Design Principles

Yin-Yang

The interaction of two opposing

and complementary principles
Yin: feminine, dark, and negative
Yang: masculine, bright, and
positive

Feng Shui

wind water
Arranging architectural elements
so that they are in harmony with
nature.
Goal: to promote the optimal flow
of positive energy (chii) within the
building.
Most buildings face south or
southeast to take advantage of
prevailing winds and sunshine.

Jian
The basic measure in construction.
Standard unit of space marked by adjacent frame
supports.

Dougong

Interlocking bracket system used in

traditional Chinese construction to
support roof beams.
Has both structural and decorative
purpose.

Colors
Connotations of colors:

Green, wood.
Yellow, earth; spaces reserved for emperors.
Blue and black, water.
White and gray, metal.
Red, fire; hope and satisfaction.

Japanese
Architecture

Japanese Architecture
Characterized by a synthesis of seminal ideas from
China and native conditions producing a distinct style
Light, delicate, and refined.

Nara Period
Heij Palace, imperial residence.

710-794 CE.
Adoption of Chinese culture and
form of government.
Named after the first permanent
capital and chief Buddhist center in
ancient Japan.

Heian Period
785-1185 CE.
Modification and naturalization of ideas and
institutions introduced from China.

Shinto Shrine

Shimmei-zukuri
Style of Shinto shrine embodying the original style of
Japanese building.
Rectangular plan raised on posts, surrounded by a
railed veranda, with a free-standing post at each gable
end.

Ise Jingu
The Ise Jingu consists of two shrines:
Outer Shrine (Geku), which is dedicated to Toyouke,
the Shinto deity of clothing, food and housing.
Inner Shrine (Naiku), which enshrines the most
venerated deity Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess.

Naiku, innermost shrine for Amaterasu. (Rebuilt every 20 years; Unlike most other Shinto shrines, the Ise Shrines are
built in a purely Japanese architecture style which shows almost no influence from the Asian mainland.)

Torii
The torii of Itsukushima (Miyajima)
Shrine.

Monumental freestanding gateway

on the approach to a Shinto shrine.
Two pillars connected at the top by
a horizontal crosspiece and a lintel
above it.

Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima Prefecture. (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Buddhist Temple

Kodo, assembly hall for

monks for reading sacred
texts.
To, Japanese pagoda
enshrining Buddha relics.
Kondo, Golden Hall;
sanctuary where the main
image of worship is kept.
Chumon, inner gateway to
the precinct.
Kairo, covered gallery
surrounding the precinct.
Sorin, crowning spire on a
Japanese pagoda.

A Japanese Buddhist Temple.

Horyuji Temple, Nara. (One of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world.)

To

Japanese pagoda, also butto or

toba.
Central structure of a Buddhist
compound.

The Golden Pavilion, Kyoto. (Kinkaku-ji; Built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, a Zen temple.)

Palaces

Himeji Castle. (Himeji-jo; the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture.)

Himeji Castle

The White Heron.

Tenshu-gun, keeps.
Harakiri-maru, inner courtyard in
the southeast corner of the court
where a samurai would commit
suicide.

Domestic Architecture

Shoin
Meaning writing hall.
A new type of residential architecture during the
Muromachi period (1338-1573).
Features the proportioning system of using tatami
mats (about 1x2 yards in size).
Tokonoma, decorative alcove.
Chigaidama, staggered shelves.
Shoji, paper-covered wooden lattice.

Tana, a recess with built-in

shelving.
Tatami, straw mats used as
floor coverings (about 3x6)
Tokobashira, post marking the
partition between the
tokonoma and the tana.
Engawa, extension of the floor,
usually facing a garden; serves
as a passageway or sitting
place.
Kakemono, a vertical hanging
scroll containing either text or a
painting.

Zashiki, reception room. (Main room in a traditional Japanese house for receiving guests.)

Chashitsu

teahouses
venue for tea ceremony
Roji, ornamental garden adjacent t
the teahouse.

Proportioning System

Ken
A linear unit for regulating column spacing in
traditional Japanese construction.
Initially equal to 6 shaku (1.818 meters); later varied
according to the tatami mats (approximately 3 x 6).

Ken
The size of a room is designated by the
number of its floor mats (tatami).

Tokonoma, a shallow, slightly raised alcove for the display of a kakemono or flower arrangement.

Islamic
Architecture

Islamic Architecture
Also Muslim, Muhammadan or Saracenic architecture.
Mosque as a distinct building type.
Domes, tunnel vaults, round and horseshoe arches,
and rich surface decorations (calligraphy and floral
motifs in a geometric framework).

Features
Squinches, supports under the dome.
Muqarnas, stalactite decoration of icicle-like
elements hanging from the ceiling.
Glazed tiles on interior and exterior surfaces.

Structures

Selimiye Mosque, Turkey. (The ultimate architectural expression of the Ottoman klliye, by architect Sinan.)

Mosque
Also masjid or musjid.
Muslim building or place of public worship.
Jami masjid, Friday mosque; a congregational
mosque for public prayer on Fridays.
Ulu Jami, a Friday mosque having a sahn (central
courtyard of a mosque) for large congregations.
Madrasa, teaching mosque.

Parts of a mosque
Minaret, tower attached to the mosque; where the
muezzin calls the Muslim people to prayer.
Iwan, also ivan or liwan, large vaulted portal opening
onto the central courtyard of a mosque.
Mimbar, also minbar, pulpit from which the imam
delivers his sermons.
Qibla, also qiblah, wall in a mosque in which the
mihrab (niche or decorative panel) is set, oriented to
Mecca.

Parts of a mosque
Sahn, atrium
Fawwara, or meda, fountain for washing before
prayers.
Liwanat, colonnade
Dikka, reading desk
Maqsura, screen, protective barrier of the mimbar.

Decorations

Domes
Pointed or ogee arches
Walls covered in stone carvings, inlays, and mosaics.
Ornaments are based on flora, geometric shapes, and
Arabic script.

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem. (Islams oldest monument.)

Dome of the Rock

Jerusalem.

Influenced by Byzantine
architecture.
Used as a shrine for pilgrims; at its
center is the sacred rock from
which Muhammad is said to have
ascended to heaven.
Octagonal in plan

The Great Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), Mecca. (The largest mosque in the world; site of the Haj pilgrimage.)

Kaba

Also Kaaba or Kaabah.

House of God
Small cubical stone building in the
courtyard of the Great Mosque at
Mecca.
Contains a sacred black stone.
Objective of their pilgrimage.
The point toward which they turn in
praying.

Moorish Architecture
Islamic architecture of North Africa (regions of Spain
under Moorish domination).
Building of large mosques and elaborate fortresspalaces.
Structural systems and decorations adapted from
classical antiquity and combined with Islamic
architecture.

Palace Fortress of Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

Palace Fortress of Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

End of Module 3