While it arguably enters the realms of interior design and decorating, tatami is a big part of traditional Japanese architecture. The screens and sliding doors, still used in houses today, were some of the first architectural exports from Japan to gain popularity in the West. Heavier shutters were sometimes used to close off the outside of the house. The screens tend to be light and papered, allowing some natural light (and shadows) into the rooms. Old Japanese houses relied on movable screens ( shoji) and sliding doors ( fusuma) to divide and re-divide rooms as needed. The roof, which tends to be thatch (older) or tile (more modern), typically has a gentle curve and is supported by posts and lintels. In some buildings, nails have not even been used - Japanese craftsmen developed alternative ways of connecting parts of the house. In old Japanese houses, wood was given great respect and not concealed by paint or other coatings it was used in its natural form so that the grain could be appreciated. This was preferred over stone and other materials, in part because of the ever-present risk of earthquakes. Japanese houses have progressed from pit-style dwellings to spacious, sophisticated structures over the course of centuries.īy far the most prominent feature of traditional Japanese buildings is the dominance of wood. In the country’s very early years, building was shaped by Chinese and other Asian ideas. It was from the 19th century that Japan started incorporating modern Western influences in its architecture. When we talk about “traditional Japanese buildings,” we’re referring to those built in what roughly constitutes the Edo period (the 17th to mid-19th centuries) and a bit beyond. We’ll leave shrines, schools, temples and castles for another day. In this post, all we’ll try to do is give you an overview of six key characteristics of traditional Japanese buildings - houses, specifically. Tomes have been written about the origin, styles and features of Japan’s old buildings the country’s architectural tradition is as long and deep as its own history. Before you balk at the reductiveness of the title, we’re well aware that the complexities of Japanese traditional architecture cannot be distilled into a short article.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |