SOUTH ASIA

Indian
Architecture

• Influenced by history,
culture and religion.
• Best known by Hindu
temple architecture and
Indo-Islamic architecture
styles.
• Structures sometimes
share the same site, have
rhythmic stratified motifs,
and profuse carved
ornamentation, often
combining the religious
and the sensuous.
Indian
Architecture

• Architecture of the
Indian
subcontinent
• Characterized by
Hindu and Buddhist
monuments
Indus and Ganges

• The chief commercial city of Pakistan is

Karachi, a port founded in the 18th
century and the sea gateway to the
Indus valley.
• Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro &
Harappa, and the Rajasthan, indicate
close links between the so-called
“Indus Valley-Harappan culture and
the ancient Mesopotamia”
 Indus Valley
Civilization

• Sustained by surplus agricultural

production and commerce
• Trade with Sumer in southern
Mesopotamia.
• Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa are
generally characterized as having
"differentiated living quarters, flat-
roofed brick houses, and fortified
administrative or religious centers.“
• Similarities in system of urban layout
and planning are largely due to the
presence of a semi-orthogonal type of
civic layout
Mohenjo-Daro

• “Mound of the Dead Men”

• Archeological site: Sindh, Pakistan
• Largest settlements of the ancient
Indus Valley civilization
• Existed along with the ancient
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Crete and
Norte Chico
 Mohenjo-Daro

• Discovered in 1921
• Wells were found throughout the
city, and nearly every house
contained a bathing area and
drainage system
• Suggests an ideology based on
cleanliness.
 Harappa

• Archeological site: Punjab, Pakistan

• Contains the ruins of a Bronze Age
fortified city,
• Part of the Indus Valley Civilization
• The city is believed to have had as
many as 23,500 residents and occupied
about 150 hectares (370 acres) with
clay brick houses at its greatest extent
during the Mature Harappan phase
Maurya Dynasty

• Ancient Indian people who united

northern India and established an
empire 300-320 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).
Gupta Dynasty

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

• Ancient Indian empire

• Golden Age of India
– Science and political administration reached new heights
– Achievements in architecture, sculpture, and painting that will
influence the whole region of South Asia and its nearby regions.
Pallava Dynasty

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

• Patronized largely architecture in

the region. One example is the
Shore Temple.
• Pallavas left behind magnificent
sculptures and temples,
established the foundations of
medieval South Indian
architecture.
Shore Temple
Buddhist Structures
 Stupa

Dhamek Stupa.
• A Buddhist memorial mound to
enshrine a relic of Buddha.
• Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - dagoba
• Tibet and Nepal - chorten
• Dome-shaped mound on a platform,
crowned by a chattri, surrounded by an
ambulatory (stone vedika), with four
toranas
Plan of the
Mahastupa at Sanchi
Elevation of the Mahastupa at Sanchi
Parts of a Stupa
Caitya/chaitya

Interior: Bhaja, near Lonavla, India

• A chaitya is a Buddhist shrine or
prayer hall with a stupa at one
end.
Vihara

• Monastery often
excavated from solid
rock for Buddhist
renunciates
 Gompa

Hemis Gompa, Ladakh

• Gompa is Tibetan Buddhist
monastery or nunnery
• Refer to a variety of religious
buildings, generally correlating to
what might be described as a
church but including small temple
buildings and other places of
worship or religious learning
HINDU TEMPLES
Mandir

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

• Hindu temple
• Ratha - a Hindu temple cut out of solid
rock to resemble a chariot.
• Vimana – sanctuary of a Hindu temple
in which a deity is enshrined.
 • 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
Parts of a Hindu used for religious dancing and music.
• Adha Mandapa – entrance porch
Mandir • Antarala – a vestibule
• Maha Mandapa – the Great Hall
• Urushringa – a subsidiary sikhara
• Garba Griha – a shrine inside the
sikhara
• Jagati – Platform of the mandir
• Adhisthana, the base platform
 Parts of a
Hindu Mandir
Shore Temple

One of the oldest freestanding Hindu

temple
 Mughal Architecture
Indo-Islamic; blended traditions from Indiaand Islam. (Mughal Period, golden age
of Islamic architecture in northernIndia.)
Diwan-i-Kas
Diwan-i-am

Fatehpur Sikri Diwan-i-Kas,

India
• Diwan-i-Kas - Hall of
Private Audience, divided
by overhanging moldings
called chajja.
• Diwan-i-Am - Hall of Public
Audience
Humayun’s Tomb

New Delhi, India

• Forerunner of Taj Mahal
• Oldest of the Mughal
monuments
Fatehpur Sikri

• City of Victory
• Capital of the Mughal Empire
• Built by Emperor Akbar.
JAMA MASJID

• The Great Mosque

• One of the biggest in India
• At the center of the court is the
tomb of Shaikh Salim, a Sufi saint.
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).
Taj Mahal

Agra, India
• Rauza-i-Munavvara
• Site Plan of Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal

Plan and Section of Taj

Mahal
 The faux tomb of Shah
Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal
inside the Taj Mahal
 Indo-saracenic
architecture

• Also knowns as Indo-Gothic,

Mughal-Gothic, and Hindoo Style
• Applied to public and government
buildings, as well as palaces of the
rulers at the time
• Incorporated European aesthetic
sensibilities while implementing
engineering innovations.
 • Combination of Indo-Islamic
architecture (Mughal architecture)
and European Gothic Revival and
Indo-saracenic Neo-Classical
architecture • “Saracen” – term used by the
colonizers to refer to Muslim and
Arabic-speaking regions (Middle East
and North Africa)
Indo-saracenic
architecture

Revivalism in architecture is the use of visual styles that consciously echo

the style of a previous architectural era.
 • Used by British architects in India
in late 19th century during the
British Raj
• Major Proponents:
– Robert Fellowes Chisholm
Indo-saracenic – Charles Mant
architecture – Henry Irwin
– William Emerson
– George Wittet
– Frederick Stevens
Mysore Palace,
Karnataka

• Official residence of the

Wadiyar dynasty and the
seat of the Kingdom of
Mysore
• Mysore is commonly
described as the 'City of
Palaces'
• There are seven palaces,
'Mysore Palace' refers
specifically to this one
within the Old fort.
Chapeauk palace
First Indo-Saracenic
building (1768)
Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj
Terminus

• Designed by British architectural

engineer Frederick William
Stevens
• Originally named Victoria
Terminus
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
(station code CST) in March
1996
Municipal Corporation
Building, Mumbai

• Completed in 1893, commissioned by

Arthur Crawford
• Located across Victoria Terminus now
known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Terminus
• Heavily influenced by Gothic design.
St. Andrew’s Church,
chennai

• Inspired by Neo-Classical architecture,

designed by Major Thomas de Havilland and
Colonel James Caldwell of the Madras
Engineers.
• The body of the church is a circle, with
rectangular compartments to the east and
west. The church has 16 fluted pillars with
Corinthian capitals.
Victoria Memorial, Culcutta

• Dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria

• Designed by William Emerson
• Built with white Makrana marble
• Design echoes the Taj Mahal with its dome, four subsidiaries, octagonal-
domed chattris, high portals, terrace, and domed corner towers.
Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka

• Known from the beginning of

British colonial rule until 1972 as
Ceylon
• Ceylon has been the center of
international trade, due to its
strategic position on the West to
East sea routes and its fine natural
harbors.
ceylon

• Lanka – “resplendent
land” referenced from
Ramayana
• Also called India’s
“fallen tear.”
• Predominantly
Buddhist, Tamils
retained Hindu origins,
and the Arab and
Malayan settlers
follows Islam
• Population is called
Sinhalese. Sinhala is an
ethnic group native to
the island of Sri Lanka.
SRI LANKA
ARCHITECTURE
The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a
rich variety of architectural forms and
styles. Buddhism has had a significant
influence on Sri Lankan architecture,
since it was introduced to the island in
the 3rd Century BCE
History
Buddhism has had a significant influence on Sri Lankan
architecture, since it was introduced to the island in the 3rd
Century BCE

There were 3 significant periods is the development of the

islands cultural and political life :

1. Anuradhapura Period
2. Polonnaruwa Period
3. Kandyan Period
Anuradhapura period

377 BC - 1017 AD
• The period begins when Pandukabhaya, King
of Upatissa Nuwara moved the administration
to Anuradhapura, becoming the kingdom's
first monarch. Anuradhapura is heralded as an
ancient cosmopolitan citadel with diverse
populations.
SIGIRAYA
ROCK
• 200-meter tall
• King Kasyasa’s
residence
• Kasyasa marked his
regal territory with
impressive frescoes
and, of course, an
opulent lion
gateway.
SIGIRAYA
ROCK

One of the best-preserved

examples of ancient
urban planning in the
world
Kuttam Pokuna

Anuradhapura
• An ancient bathing
pool of the Sinhalese
in Anuradapura.
Kuttum Pokuna

• Literally means “Twin Ponds/Pools”

• Built as the bathing ponds for the monks of
Abhayagiri Monastery in northern Anuradhapura.
• The water is channeled through a sophisticated
system of filtration to gush out of a lion's head. At
the far end of the Kuttam Pokuna ponds is a
system to trap mud and dirt. When water flows
into the pit, mud and dirt sink to the bottom,
ensuring that clean water flows into the Kuttam
Pokuna ponds.
Sinhalese
architecture

Sinhalese architecture,
shows the sensitivity
shown towards the
natural landscape and
its intimate relationship
to the buildings.
POLONNARUWA PERIOD
11th - 13th century
• The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms,
Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by
King Vijayabahu I, who defeated Chola invaders in
1070 to reunite the country once more under a
local leader.
• The building of this city was the principal
architectural undertaking of King Parakrama Bahu
the Great.
Royal Palace
Polonnaruwa
• This group of buildings dates
from the period of King
Parakramabahu I (1153 –
1186). The King`s Royal Palace
is a massive structure,
measuring 31 m by 13 m, once
including 50 rooms supported
by 30 columns.
Royal Palace
Lankatilaka
Temple
Lankatilaka
Temple

• Built by king
Parakramabahu lying on
the South of Kiri Vehera
• Made out of bricks and
the outer walls are
covered with elaborate
designs and carvings.
• This stupa house is also a
fine example of a Gedi-Ge
style building.
 •
Gal Vihara (Rock A rock temple of the Buddha in
Polonnaruwa in North Central
Province.
Temple) • Considered to be some of the best
examples of ancient Sinhalese
sculpting and carving arts.
 Nipanna Patima Guha
(cave of the sleeping image)

Vijjadhara Guha
Nissina Patima Lena (cave of the spirits of
(cave of the sitting image) knowledge) Vidyhadhara Guha
Guard Stone at the entrance The Colossal Buddha Statue
 Vimana walls on the outer walls of
the building

Guard at one of massive pillars

Vatadage
Vatadage
Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

• Built during the reign of

Parakramabahu I to hold
the Relic of the tooth of
the Buddha or during the
reign of Nissanka Malla of
Polonnaruwa to hold the
alms bowl used by the
Buddha.
Yapahuwa Rock
Fortress
The Yapahuwa lion stone sculpture Carvings by the staircase
Yapahuwa Rock
Fortress

Polonnaruwa
• Yapahuwa was one of the ephemeral
capitals of medieval Sri Lanka.
• The citadel of Yapahuwa lying
midway between Kurunagala and
Anuradhapura was built around a
huge granite rock rising abruptly
almost a hundred meters above the
surrounding lowlands.
Yapahuwa Rock Fortress

• The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway

between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura
was built around a huge granite rock
rising abruptly almost a hundred meters
above the surrounding lowlands.
Ambasthale Dagoba
Mihintale, Anuradapura
• The main ceremonial
stairway, lined with
frangipani trees, leads to
the Ambasthale Dagoba,
built over the spot
where Mahinda
converted Devanampiya
Tissa to Buddhism.
Pillars

Pillars have a signified place in the peritylar

architecture.
Square or octagonal in section, the capital
socketed into the top, is of plain hexagonal
vase shape, with a carved abacus above and
mouldings between; sometimes the shaft
and capital were cut in one piece.
Brazen Palace
Mihintale, Anuradapura
• Built by King
Dutugamunu,
composed of 1600
stone pillars in 40
rows of the Brazen
Palace.
Thuparama Dagoba

Anuradhapura
• It was constructed by
Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd
century BC and is said to
contain the right collarbone of
the Buddha.
• Thuparamaya Dagoba has
been built in the shape of a
bell.
• It is a Buddhist sacred place of
veneration.
 Chattra Spire

The Elephant Wall

Silver Figurine
Abhayagiri Dagoba
Mihintale, Anuradapura
• The name means ‘Hill of
Protection’ or ‘Fearless Hill’.
• The Saddarma Rathnawaliya
scripture records that a
statue of a golden bull
containing relics of the
Buddha was buried in the
core of the stupa.
Ruwanwelisaya
Dagoba

Anuradapura
• The Golden Sand
Stupa
• Considered a marvel
for its architectural
qualities and sacred
to many Buddhists all
over the world.
KANDYAN PERIOD
• Division of the country into several kingdoms,
Capital: Kandy
• Portuguese and Dutch introduced the late
Renaissance and Baroque into the colonial styles
• British brought a Colonial Georgian
• Moslem merchants and seafarers had little
influence on architecture
KANDYAN architecture
• Wooden architecture – traditional framed structure of
pillars and beams made of timber, richly carved with
traditional motifs.
• Roofs – high pitched with wide eaves, slightly curved,
finished with small flat terracotta tiles and eaves tiles
• Decorative craftwork - ancient motifs used as an integral
part of the building. (e.g. windows with lacquered wood
bars, carved timbers doorway, ornamental metal work door
furniture, painted walls, terracotta bas relief wall plaques
and eaves tiles)
Sri Dalada
Maligawa,

• Temple of the Sacred

Tooth Relic is a Buddhist
• Located in the royal
palace complex of the
former Kingdom of
Kandy, which houses the
relic of the tooth of the
Buddha.
Inside the
Temple of the
Tooth

Roof Paintings
Sri Lanka Architecture
• Cave Temples
• Dagobas
• Vatadage
• Meditations Houses
• Palaces
Nepalese
Architecture

Influenced by India, China and Tibet

 NEPALESE
ARCHITECTURE
This an important part of
Nepal’s cultural heritage.
Stylistically, it may be divided
into three broad groups – the
pagoda style, the stupa style,
and the shikhara style.
Nepalese Architecture

• Pagoda architectural tradition figures

prominently among Hindu temples in the
country.
• Pagoda architectural tradition and traditional
Tibetan Buddhist architecture are widely
used among Buddhist temples throughout
the country instead of stupas
• Mugal style, summit style, dome style also
have great scope in Nepal.
 NEWAR
ARCHITECTURE

• Indigenous style of architecture by the

Newari people in the Kathmandu valley in
Nepal.
• Used in buildings ranging from stupas and
chaitya monastery buildings to courtyard
structures and distinctive houses.
• Marked by striking brick work and a
unique style of wood carvings
• Propagated by Nepalese architect Arniko.
The Great Drigung
Kagyud Lotus Stupa
Lumbini, Nepal
• Stupa constructed by the
German Tara Foundation
• Contains a hollow crown partly
covered in glass, revealing a
small Buddha within
• The domed ceiling of the main
prayer room is covered in
Buddhist murals.
Swayamblunath Stupa
Swayamblunath Stupa
Kathmandu, Nepal
• Carvings of the Panch Buddhas (five
Buddhas) on each of the four sides of stupa.
• Vairochana (occupies the center and is the
master of the temple)
• Akshobhya (faces the east and represents the
cosmic element of consciousness)
• Ratna Sambhava (faces the south and
represents the cosmic element of sensation)
• Amitabha (He represents cosmic element of
Sanjna (name) and always faces the West)
and Amoghsiddhi (He represents the cosmic
element of conformation and faces the
north).
Boudhanath

• The stupa’s massive

mandala makes it one of
the largest spherical stupas
in Nepal.
• Made by Majyajima.
• Many kilograms of gold
were used to decorate the
building.
• Almost seven years to finish
the stupa.
• Boudhanath was built in
the 14th century after the
Mughal invasions.
Pasupatinath Temple,
Pasupati
• Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupatinath.
• Located along Bagmati River at the northeast
of Kathmandu Valley.
• Constructed by Lichhavi King Shupuspa in 15th
century after the previous building had been
consumed by termites.
• Beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they
rest (tundal).
• The two-level roofs are of copper with gold
covering.
• The temple resides on a square base platform with
a height of almost 23m from base to pinnacle.
• It has four main doors, all covered with silver
sheets. This temple has a gold pinnacle.
Bhaktapur
Wood carvings details in
Nepalese Architecture
Maju Dega, Bhatgaon
• Built in 1692 by Queen Mother Riddhi Laxmi
(mother of infant King Bhupatendra Malla).
• The doorway, columns, windows and struts
are all carved from wood.
• Inside the temple, there is an enormous shiva
linga, the emblem of Lord Shiva.
Krishna Temple (Durbar Square)
• Constructed during the reign of King
Siddhinarasimha Malla and his son Srinivasa
Sukriti, built in the Shikhara style.
• Patan – one of the oldest known Buddhist cities,
center of both Hinduism and Buddhism with 136
bahals or courtyards and 55 major temples.
• Stone carvings along the beam above the first
floor narrate the events of the Mahabharata while
the second floor pillar are visual carvings from
Ramayana.
Krishna Temple and
Maju Dega
Nepal earthquake

• 25 April 2015
• Triggered an avalanche on Mount
Everest making it the deadliest
day on the mountain in recent
history.
• Centuries-old buildings were
destroyed at UNESCO World
Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu
Valley, including some at the
Kathmandu Durbar Square, the
Patan Durbar Square, the
Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the
Changu Narayan Temple, the
Boudhanath stupa and the
Swayambhunath Stupa.
TIBETAN
ARCHITECTURE
Architecture in Tibet contains Chinese
and Indian influences but has many
unique features brought about by its
adaptation to the cold, generally arid,
high-altitude climate of the Tibetan
plateau.
Geographical
• Tibet is the highest
country/nation/region in the world
lying at the heart of the Himalayas.
• Large plateau varying in height
between 4,000 and 5,000 meters
above sea level.
• Very thinly populated, the inhabited
areas generally centered upon
monastic settlements are almost
exclusive in the South, where sheep
and yaks are gazed and some
agriculture is possible.
Historical & Social
• Small regional kingdoms existed until the 17th century,
united under King Stron-Btsang-Gampo, whose two
wives, Nepalese and Chinese princesses, were both
Buddhist.
• Tibetan rulers - Buddhism: cultural history has been a
direst reflection of the development of the faith.
• Monasteries multiplied and were highly privileged,
leading ultimately to a form of the theocratic
government, in which the chief Abbot became ruler of
Tibet.
Religious
• Originally follow an animist faith, Bon or Bonpo,
which included elements of mysticism and
sorcery.
• In 630AD, Mahayana Buddhism was introduced,
tempered by indigenous folk cults, and in the
next century Tantric Buddhism, prevalent in
neighboring countries, was established by
Padma-Sambhava.
• 300 years later the final and lasting form of
Tibetan Buddhism was shaped by the patriarch
Atisa; the cult of Bodhisattva (one who has
evolved to attain Buddhahood), magic, animism
and the belief in the living Buddha.
Types of Tibetan
Architecture
• Temples - used for
religious ceremonies
and worship
• Stupas (Chörtens) -
reliquaries and symbols
• Palace – residence of
the Dalai Lama
• Common house types
Potala Palace
Tibet as a World
Heritage Site

Potala Palace, Lhasa

• Designated as a World
Heritage Site in 1994 and
• Includes the Norbulingka area
in 2001
• Stands at 117 meters in height
and 360 meters in width
Potala Palace

Lhasa, Tibet
• Originally built in the 7th
century, developed later in
the 17th century to
become a palace
• Home to the Dalai Lamas
between the 17th and mid-
20th century.
Norbulingka

Lhasa, Tibet
• Unique example of
Tibetan palace
architecture
• The gardens
generally
considered to be
the finest in Tibet.
Jokhang temple

Central Lhasa, Tibet

• The oldest parts of the
building date from 652,
built over many centuries.
• Influenced by Indian and
Nepali styles, as well as
Tibetan.
Gompas

Monasteries that
come in a great
variety of styles,
generally
reflecting local
architectural
traditions
Samye

• First gompa built in

Tibet
• Constructed
between 775-779
under King Trison
Detsen
• Modeled after the
design of
Odantapuri
Bhavacakra
• “Wheel of Life”
• Depicted in the entrance of almost
every Tibetan Buddhist monastery
• The demon represents
Impermanence. It holds an
enormous wheel whose rim
depicts the principle of karma
Tibetan ChOrtens

• Tibetan Buddhist
stupa built to
enshrine relics of the
Buddha.
• Thousands were built
by pilgrims and
devotees seeking
Buddhist merit over
the centuries.
 Lotus Blossom Stupa

Enlightenment Stupa

Stupa of Many Doors or Gates

Types of Stupa of Descent from the Golden Realms

Chortens Stupa of Great Miracles or Stupa of Conquest of Tirthikas

Stupa of Reconciliation

Stupa of Complete Victory

Parinirvana or Stupa of Nirvana

Lotus bloom stupa

• Buddha's Birth in the Lumbini Garden at

Kapilavastu in Northern India in the 6th
Century BCE.
• The steps of the stupa are round and
decorated with lotus flower petals.
Enlightenment Stupa

• Buddha’s attained Enlightenment

at age 35 after meditating for 49
days under a tree at Bodhgaya
• The steps of this stupa are
rectangular and without any
decoration.
Stupa of Many Doorways

• The Stupa of Turning the Wheel of

Dharma
• Buddha's first teachings after
Enlightenment in the Deer Park at
Sarnath: Four Noble Truths, Six
Perfections, Noble Eightfold Path and the
Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.
• The steps of this stupa are decorated with
doorways symbolizing the opening of the
doors of the Dharma.
The Great Miracle Stupa

• This stupa commemorates the Buddha's

display of miracles at Shravasti where he
was challenged to demonstrate his
realization and performed a different
miracle every day for 15 days.
• Each of the four steps, in each of the four
directions, have central extensions.
The Stupa of the Descent from
Tushita Heaven

• When Bhudda’s mother was reincarnated

in another realm, he went there to teach
her Dharma.
• Represents Buddha's return from the
celestial realms in order to continue
teaching the path to enlightenment.
• Each side of the stupa has a stairway in
the center of the four steps.
Stupa of Reconciliation

• Symbolizes the Buddha’s reuniting of his

monastic followers after they had become
divided by disagreement.
• The steps are octagonal with eight corners
and eight sides.
Stupa of Complete Victory

• Symbolizes Buddha's prolonging of his life

by three months after one of his disciples
had pleaded him not to pass away.
• The steps of this stupa are round.
Parinirvana Stupa
• Stupa of Nirvana
• Symbolizes Buddha's passing unto
nirvana.
• The base of this stupa rests directly
on the throne without any steps.
Tibetan ChOrtens

Kham, Tibet
• Monasteries and
nunneries destroyed
during the Chinese
invasion and the Cultural
Revolution are being
rebuilt.
Features of Tibet Residential
Structure:

• Square bedroom with functional furniture

• Most bedrooms use 2×2 m column grid as a
unit, forming a combination of 4×4 m square.
• The buildings are about 2.2-2.4 m high.
• There are mats, furniture bed, small square
table, Tibetan cabinet, with small, assembly,
multi-use features.
• Furniture layout along the wall, fully using the
interior corners area.
Roofs

• Flat roofs - used in most

parts of the central and
western Tibetan plateau
where there are few
instances of rainfall
• Sloping roofs - covered in
slate, shingles or ceramic
tiles due to heavier
summer rains
 • Private homes may have up to three
stories.
• Herding houses temporarily used during a
part of the year have only one story.
• Walls constructed of stone or rammed
Walls and earth up to a meter thick at the base.
Windows • Temples and manor homes have walls
sloping inward to create an illusion of
greater height.
• Windows - usually small because the walls
are so heavy that large openings would
make the structure weak and unstable
Tibetan Houses
• Small compounds
• Resemble small
fortresses with sloping
walls
• Prayer flags on their
turrets
• Flat earthen roofs are
pounded with sticks with
rocks at the end
 • Built depending on the availability
of materials
– Stone houses in valley of
Southern Tibet
– Tent houses in the Northern
Tibetan Houses Tibet
– Wooden structure houses in
the forest regions
• City houses
– Big windows facing south
– Many live in castle like houses.