CHINESE ARCHITECTURE

Background
- China covers nearly 1/13 of the land area of the whole world.
- Mountainous with extensive fertile valleys in the middle, great plains and harbours that promoted
maritime contact.
- Timber as the principal building material, combine with brick.

Building types
Imperial Architecture
- usually a walled city that contains buildings that were zoned according to their functions and
importance; entrance is from south and private areas intended for the royal family is set back far
north wherein entry is forbidden without authority
Temple Architecture
- Temples were built on the most favourable site according to feng shui
Religious Architecture
- Chinese religious architecture consists mainly of temples of Buddhism, Lamaism, Islamism, and
Taoism.
- They differ according to the different religious doctrines and requirements of usages.
Pagodas
- Most typical Chinese building usually octagonal in plan, odd number of stories, usually 9 or 13
storeys and repeated roofs, highly coloured and with up turned eaves, slopes to each storey
Traditional houses
- Follows a symmetrical plan typical to all buildings
- Built around a courtyard planned frequently on a north-south axis, but changes according to the
owner’s zodiac sign demands
Pailous
- Monumental gateways having a trabeated form of stone or wood construction with one, three or
five openings and often bold projecting roofs
Bridges
- Stone arch bridge
- Cross bridge
- Zigzag bridge
- Pavilion bridge
Building example
Forbidden City - served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and
political centre of Chinese government for almost 500 years.
- was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing.
Temple of heaven - one of the largest temple complexes in china & a paradigm of architectural
balance & symbolism.
Great Wall of China - a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other
materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of china to
protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic
groups of the Eurasian steppe.
Source: http://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/

JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE
- Composed of several islands surrounded by bodies of water (sea of japan-west and pacific ocean-
east)
- The mountains of japan contain 10% of the world’s most active volcanoes
Architectural character
- Simplicity, asymmetry, sensitivity to natural environment and the use of natural materials
- Restrained architectural tradition in marked contrast to an exuberant tradition characterized by
monumentality and use of bold colors
- Traditional Japanese architecture is of timber construction and uses only post and lintel system
Building types
Palaces and mansions
- Imperial palace were simple type, consisting of a principal hall joined by corridors to three separate
pavilions for the family of the emperor
Temples and shrines
Castles
- Most prominent structure
- Mountaintop castle
- Flatland mountain castles
- Flatland castles
- Water castles
Houses
- Built by erecting wooden columns on top of a flat foundation made of packed earth stones -
elevated on ground and laid horizontal wooden floor beams
Tea houses
- composed of two elements:
1. Building itself
2. Garden
Torii
- Gate without doors marking the entrance of a Shinto shrine
Pagoda
Other structures
Kaku – intricately and elaborately decorated garden pavilions
Shosoin – treasure house which can be found in Buddhist temples and government houses
storehouses – elevated
Noh theaters
Sumo rings – with raised platform about 5.40m in diameter
Merchant houses
Farmhouses
Building examples
Todaiji temple
- largest wooden structure in the world
Himeji castle
-hilltop Japanese castle complex
Source: https://www.dropbox.com/s/aj52cul5ropj1v4/japanese%20architecture_print.docx?dl=0

KOREAN ARCHITECTURE
Background
- Mountainous land with diverse geology (rocks, granite and other metamorphic)
- No wide alluvial plains and only 1/5 of the land is arable
Architectural character
- Nature as the most fundamental influence of architecture
- Building is to be seen as very strong horizontally rather than vertically
Building types
Traditional houses
Hanok – a traditional architectural style of korea.
Courtyard house plan – typical layout of traditional korean houses; normally consisted of a courtyard
or group of courtyards around which rooms and other spaces were grouped to make the dwelling
complex
HISTORICAL EVENTS
1. PRE-HISTORIC CULTURES
PIT HOUSES – with hearths, storage pits and space for working and sleeping
LOG HOUSES – laying logs on top of one another, interstices between logs were filled with clay to
keep the wind out
ELEVATED HOUSES – originally storage houses
2. THREE KINGDOMS (3RD – 4TH CENTURY 668)
- SILLA, KOGURYO AND PAEKCHE
- Fortress architecture built horizontally and vertically along incline slope
- Buddhist temples having 3 HALLS 1 PAGODA style
- Development of pagoda design and construction method
- Observatories and royal garden on palaces - tomb architecture that were monumental in scale and
had murals that reflect the architecture of the specific period
- Matured culture of Tang Dynasty in China
3. KORYO 918 – 1392
TEMPLES – influenced by Tang architecture in China that developed the bracketing systems with
struts PAGODAS – a new idea of octagonal pagoda from China made of timber and wood
4. CHOSON 1392 - 1897
CONFUCIANISM – development of civil service, Confucian schools and academics and Confucian
shrines; exercise practicality, frugality and harmony with nature
5. COLONIAL PERIOD - Japanese attempted to replace Korean with Japanese architectural tradition
and blocked foreign design movements
6. MODERN PERIOD - American architecture assumed supremacy
SPORTS ARCHITECTURE – 1986 during the Asian games where international architects took part on
developments of building design dedicated to house different sports disciplines
Typical spaces on traditional korean houses

1. Anchae – inner room dedicated for women located towards the west of the house
2. Sarangchae – space reserved for the head of the family (male); detached building served as
reception area, guestroom and study area
3. Keun – sarangbang – used by the eldest member of the family
4. Daecheong – communal area where memorial services, weddings and other ceremonies are held
5. Numaru – balcony; primarily used by a male family head as special place to greet and entertain
guests
6. Toenmaru – veranda; narrow wooden porch running alongside the exterior of rooms
7. Jeongja – porch; usually built in an area with a great view
8. Byeoldang – separated house
9. Chodang – house for unmarried daughters
10. Seodang – house for unmarried sons
11. Gwangchae – warehouse building; used to store various things including the food and grains
12. Bu-eok – kitchen; built lower than the rest of the house
Source: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4z0cd1ib4yxqtdl/KOREAN%20ARCHITECTURE_PRINT.docx?dl=0

ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH ASIA

Background
- The architecture of India includes present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- These countries later on got separated by political boundaries, but still share common cultural
heritage.
- The diversity of Indian culture is represented in its architecture.
- Indian architecture comprises a blend of ancient and varied native traditions, with building type,
forms and technologies from West, Central Asia, and Europe.
- Indian architecture has influenced the surrounding regions of the world, especially the eastern asia,
due to the spread of ideas with Buddhism.
- Early Indian architecture is the story of how powerful and popular religions celebrated their beliefs
through monumental design.
- More than half of the country lies in tropic cancer
- Buildings are built to adapt to the climate
Architectural character
Buddhist architecture - Buddhist temples are all designed for congregational use (monasteries,
meeting halls “choityas” and stupa are all planned to accommodate large groups of worshipper
Hindu architecture - structural system was essentially trabeated; stone is the basic raw material;
construction was carried out with minimal or no mortar
- decoration was fundamental to indian architecture and is seen in the myriad details of figured
sculpture as well as in architectural elements
Jain architecture
- rock-cut shrines; later temples were traditional stone buildings, crowned with a dome and spire,
with pillared porticoes; highly ornamented with human and animal forms
Islamic architecture
- brought by the moguls in the 10th century; first mosques were built in delhi and ajmer in the 12t
century with arcaded proticoes, minarets, pointed arches, stucco work, floral patterns set in
geometrical framework
- the arch and dome began to be used and the mosque or masjid began to form part of the landscape
Building examples
Buddhist Structures
1. Stupas – originated as prehistoric burial mounds to hold the remains of holy men and nobles; could
be an actual tomb, place over remains of the buddha or holy buddhist individuals or could act as a
symbol to commemorate a sacred place; symbol of nirvana (the goal of buddhism);
2. Vihara – monasteries consists of a quadrangle surrounded by a verandah on to which open simple
square cells
3. Chaitya – place of worship; assembly hall, buddhist shrine or prayer hall with a stupa at one end.
4. Bo tree shrines – (buddha was believed to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a
bayan or bo tree)
5. Preaching halls
6. Toranas – gateways usually used on stupas located on cardinal points; yahshi/yaksha – goddess of
fertility that guards the torana
7. Stambha or lath – a monumental pillar standing free without any structural function, with circular
or octagonal shafts
Hindu Structures
Garba griha – or the womb chamber; forms the central focus housing the deity of the temple and is
provided with a passage around; small in scale when compared to the whole temple complex;
Islamic structures
1. Mosque - muslim center for worship
- Serves as a gathering place for prayer, teaching and also acts as a town hall
- Usually axial and is oriented towards mecca (Islam’s most holy site)
Source: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6mwmjskaayz2314/INDIAN%20ARCHITECTURE_print.pdf?dl=0

ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

Background
- Flourished in cleared villages in densely forested terrain.
- Wood and bamboo were used to build houses and shrines, and to carve artistic objects
- Most important structures are painted with brilliant colors
MYANMAR (BURMA)
The architecture of myanmar (also called burma) comprises various structures which reflect the
influence of neighboring nations and modernization throughout history. The most prominent
monuments throughout myanmar's history include buddhist pagodas and temples, british colonial
buildings, and modern-day delopments.
Building types
1. Pagoda (stupa) - this solid structure cannot be entered and are said to contain sacred buddhist
relics that are hidden from view in containers buried at their core or in the walls.
2. Temple
A. Open central sanctuary
B. Solid core ringed by a corridor
C. Combination of the two
3. Monastery
4. Colonial buildings
5. Royal palaces
6. Burmese house - Raised on four posts and has a concrete base. Made largely of bamboo. Flattened
pieces of bamboo made into large plaited sections are used to make the walls.
Notable examples
1. Shwedagon pagoda
2. Sulamani temple
3. Ananda temple
4. Mingaladezi pagoda
INDONESIA
- Warm, humid climate, not much rain nor heat; wet and dry season only
- There is no state of religion but 85% of the population is moslem. Monumental religious structures
are Buddhist
- Rain forest produce palms and dipterocarps; monsoon forests yield timber, rubber, bamboo and
rattan
Building types
1. Traditional Indonesian house
Long house - traditional dwelling which is generally raised on stilts, often sheltering an entire clan
2. Temple architecture - shrines are enclosed; with flight of steps all grouped together
Notable examples
1. Borobudur (800 ad) - most outstanding Buddhist monument in Asia
2. Shiva temple of loro djongrang at prambanan (900 ad)
CAMBODIA
- Cambodia lies at the fertile plains of the Mekong River, and is bounded on the north by Laos and
Thailand and on the south by the gulf of Siam
- Typical monsoon type climate with dry and rainy seasons; extremely high humidity
- Forest are sources of hard wood, the principal building material
- Granite and sandstones are the chief building stones; clay is used for floor and roofing tiles
- Buddhism and Brahmanism are the dominant religions
Architectural character
1. Structural system
- Post and beam construction
- Stone were laid into position as raw cubes – no mortar
2. Decorative system
- Colored sandstone for temple walls
- Walls are decorated with bas relief depicting great battles
Notable examples
1. Angkor wat
2. Angkor thom
THAILAND
- Tropical climate with only two seasons; dry and rainy
Building types
1. Traditional Thai house - designed to keep out direct sunlight and rain, and to permit as much
ventilation as possible
2. Thai religious structures
- Bot
- Prachedi or phra chedi
- Phra sat
- Mondop
- Sala
- Kuti
Notable examples
1. The grand palace
2. Wat pho –temple of the reclining buddha
3. Wat phra – temple of the emerald buddha

VIETNAM
The process development of Vietnam’s ancient architecture is related with the natural environment
and socio-economical situation. From small monuments to the complicated and grandiose buildings
like palaces, local materials— such as bamboo, wood, and stone and later, brick, ceramic, and tile—
were used. The systems of pillar, frame, and beam are stipulated in terms of ratio, correlation and
dimension. Many buildings have been restored many times, some are still kept in the original form,
and some are mixed due to the internal or external factors.
Building types
1. Religious architecture – includes pagodas, towers, temples and tombs.
2. Temples - honoring places of taoism. The places are often chosen to be related to the legend of
supernatural god or people. The outer architecture is basically similar to the pagoda but the inner
honoring content and decoration is different.
3. Tomb architecture
4. House architecture - traditionally village houses are made with earthen walls, a bamboo frame and
a thatched roof.
Notable examples
1. Independence palace
2. Presidential palace
3. One pillar pagoda
Source:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/myc0k9nuxltags6/SOUTH%20EAST%20ASIA%201_print.docx?dl=0