Architecture in South East Asia PDF

ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA ARCHITECTURE IN SRI LANKA 3rd century B.C. to present day INFLUENCES GEOGRAPHICAL Sri Lanka or Ceylon, is a large island 32 km off the southern tip of the Indian Ocean and southern tip of the Indian Peninsula. It has been a center of international trade due to its s...

ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA ARCHITECTURE IN SRI LANKA 3rd century B.C. to present day INFLUENCES GEOGRAPHICAL Sri Lanka or Ceylon, is a large island 32 km off the southern tip of the Indian Ocean and southern tip of the Indian Peninsula. It has been a center of international trade due to its strategic position. GEOLOGICAL Granite, limestone, laterite and sandstone; clay for bricks, roof tiles and pottery are widely used in the wet districts. The dry areas have teak, satin and other beautiful hardwoods, all of which have been and still are, used in the building crafts. CLIMATIC Sri Lanka is divided into three climatic zones, dry hot zone mainly in the north and east; a central wet region; and a low lying hot zone in the south and south west. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER In Ceylon, architectural history begins with the introduction of Buddhism from India in the 3rd century B.C. when durable buildings in brick and stone appeared as opposed to perishable wood. ANURADHAPURA PERIOD (4th century B.C. to 10th century A.D.) the earliest remains are the natural rock chambers, built for the hermits, with drip-ledges to carry The Koneswaram Hindu temple was constructed away rain water. Later these were developed with walls in the Anuradhapura to form an enclosure(rock temples). Pillars have a Kingdom era. significant place in a peristyle architecture of Anuradhapura. Square or octagonal section, the capital, socketed into the top, plain hexagonal vase shape, with a carved abacus above and mouldings between. King Dutthagamani constructed Ruwanweli Seya, the first large stupa, beginning a practice which would be followed Typical layout of the tank, settlements and paddy fields in a traditional dry zone village. by subsequent rulers. POLONNARUWA PERIOD (11th-13th century) the outstanding architectural creation was a cetiya-ghara, the WATA-da-ge (circular relic house) built in stone and brick. The Polonnaruwa example is exquisitely proportioned. A quality conspicuous in many of the buildings. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage as seen today. Layout of the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, with the outer circle indicating the lower Rankoth Vehera is structure platform and the second made entirely of brick, and circle indicating the upper has a base circumference platform. The stupa, of 550 feet (170 m) and a surrounded by four statues, as height of 108 feet (33 m). it well as three concentric rows remains the largest stupa in of stone columns are located the ancient city of in the upper platform which is Polonnaruwa, and the accessed through four fourth largest stupa in the entrances. country.  KANDYAN PERIOD (15th-19th century) in its typical form the Kandyan Style is an architecture of wood, catering to the needs of a simple but well to do agricultural civilization. Roofs are high pitched with wide eaves, slightly curved, finish with small flat (shingles) terra cotta tiles and eaves tiles (with bas reliefs) all of an ancient pattern. The roofs are a striking feature in the landscape; may levelled, high peaked and visible from afar. There are many building types existing: mostly monasteries with their temples; the decorative art work is important. Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a World Heritage Site in Kandy Audience hall seen here from the northern façade of the temple ARCHITECTURE IN AFGHANISTAN GEOGRAPHICAL Land of towering mountains and parched wastes where living has never been easy. The narrow valleys of the Khyber river was the only communication routes with India situated in the northwest of the Indo Pakistan sub-continent, with Iran on the West and Russia and Central Asia to the North. Mainly a vast high plateau 6,000 to 12,600 ft. above sea level. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER Bamiyan, with its monasteries and temples is important, for its relationship to Persia and Central Asia the huge group is carved out of a sandstone cliff face, the interior honey combed with sanctuaries and assembly halls extending for nearly 2 km with a painted niche at either and, each sheltering a vast Buddha statue, hewn from the rock, the features modeled in mud mixed with straw with a lime plaster finish painted gilded. Other features are the cupola roof spanning with arched squinches the square chamber angles, the idiosyncratic Statue of Buddha, lantern roof, and the coffered dome, an elaborate system Bamiyan, of hexagons and triangles rising to a central octagon. Afghanistan ARCHITECTURE IN NEPAL GEOGRAPHICAL Mainly composed of high mountains, which include Mount Everest, and is sparsely inhabited, except in small area in the center, the valley of Nepal, Nepal forms an irregular parallelogram some 720 km long and 240km in breadth extending across the Himalayas. It contains three old capiltas the Katmandu, Patan and Bhatgaon. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER Stupas, temples, picturesque townships and intricate native craftmanship are her characteristic architectural heritage. Two kinds of temple survive, the Sikhara(Indian influence) and the Pagoda (Chinese influence), a typical formal feature of the Nepalese town is the monumental pillar generally supporting a metal super structure adorned with mystic symbols, groups of divinities and specially, portrait statuary of royalties. Palace of Fifty five windows, Bhatgaon, Nepal Architecture is principally of wood, but brick is used for structural purposes and metal for ornament. Such floor is supported by brackets and struts ornately carved and sometimes painted. The window have intricate lattice screens and roof have red curved tiles metal gutters and a projecting cornice for protection against the rain. Every feature is fancifully decorated with carving, embossing, tinkling bells, and hanging lamps. Bodhnath Stupa, Katmandu ARCHITECTURE IN TIBET Plinth- the lowest square member of the base of a column, also applied to the projecting GEOGRAPHICAL stepped or moulded base of any bulding. Bordered on the north and east by Finial- the upper portion of a pinnacle, bench China, to the South by India Nepal and end or other architectural feature. Bhutan, Tibet is the highest country in the world, lying at the of the Himalayas. Fresco- the term originally applied to a painting Much of this rugged land is a large on a wall while the plaster is wet, but is often plateau varying in height between used for any wall painting not in oil colours. (12,000 and 16,000 ft.) very thinly populated. The inhabited areas- generally centred upon monastic settlements- are almost exclusively in the south, where sheep, and Yaks and grazed and some agriculture is possible. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER architectural achievement is apparent in the stupas, the monastery complex and the decorative crafts. The usual stupa (Chorten) form consists of a small bulbous dome on a many-tiered plinth and similar to the Nepalese type, a square harmika with a most supporting a Chattra(umbrella) surmounted by a flame Finial. Potala Palace Lhasa, Tibet ARCHITECTURE IN BURMA GEOGRAPHICAL Burma is bounded on the NW by the Indo- Pakistan subcontinent and on the SE and E by China, Laos and Thailand; it forms a delta in the south, opening into the Bay of Bengal and the India Ocean, whence Indian culture and Buddhism entered the country. There was also a land route from India to China, which passed through upper Burma and was certainly used by immigrants. Burma is rich in timber, ores and precious stones, while teak and brick are much used in buildings. The climate is tropical, with southwest monsoon rains in summer. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER The majority of Burma’s important architectural monuments date from the pagan period, and almost all buildings of real distinction are religious. The basic stupa (zedi, later pagoda) form and was massive brick cylindrical construction, built upon a plinth of the three or five diminishing terraces; the basic temple form was square in plan with brick walls Shwedagon Pagoda, enclosing narrow vaulted corridors embracing Rangoon, Burma a solid masonry core, which had centrally- rising in this case by placed niches on each side to accommodate repeated Buddha statues, the walls decorated with enlargements to a frescoes or sculptured bas-reliefs. height of 113m (370 ft.) ARCHITECTURE IN CAMBODIA GEOGRAPHICAL ▪ This region of southern Indo- China covers the areas of the Mekong river delta and the China sea to the south, and the Midwestern Mekong region bordering the Gulf of Siam in the West and separated on the east from ancient Vietnam by the eastern Mio highlands and, in North by mountains of Central Laos. ▪ Timber was the principal building materialin the delta Bakong Temple is the first Khmer area, together with laterite, temple mountain of sandstone constructed by rulers of the Khmer sandstone and a terra-cotta Empire at Angkor near modern Siem brick in the hinterland. Reap in Cambodia. ▪ The cooling rain and wind of The structure of Bakong took shape the south-west monsoon of stepped pyramid, popularly provides the only break in identified as temple mountain of the tropical humid heat. early Khmer temple architecture. Front side of the main complex One of the four corner towers of Angkor Wat Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia, located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m2; 402 acres). The Guinness World Records considers it as the largest religious structure in the world.Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire by King Suryavarman II during the 12th century, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century; as such, it is also described as a "Hindu-Buddhist" temple. A detailed plan of the central structure King Suryavarman II, the builder of Angkor Wat ARCHITECTURE IN THAILAND GEOGRAPHICAL, GEOLOGICAL & CLIMATIC ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER Siam- since 1939 has been generally translated as architecture in Thailand reflects the influences of the Thailand- is bordered on the North and West by Burma, Buddhist and is divided into: and in the North-East and East by Laos and Cambodia. ▪ Dvararati Period - Central Thailand (6th-10th century) The country is immensely rich in durable and decorative characterized by Burman Buddhist forms. Constructed timbers, including teak and ebony, suitable for all types of brick and stone, the plinths, with mouldings similar of constructive work. The other principal building to those of Buddhist structures have granite bases with material is brick, stone was little used, except for mortise holes for pillars which must have supported foundations. The climates is tropical, with monsoon rains timber superstructures. and winds. ▪ Mon-Khmer Period - Central and Eastern Thailand (10th-13th century) Angkor style of architecture. It also mirrored earlier building traditions of the mons and Talaings of Southern Burma; introduced the use of stone, in place of the traditional brick or rubble bonded with with vegetable glue. ▪ Thai Period (13th-17th century) there are three subdivisions of style; Sukhotai style, Ayudhya Style and Chiengmai manner of the North. ▪ Bangkok Style – (18th-19th century) the New capital was designed to emulate the destroyed City of Ayudhya. Many religious buildings and palaces were were erected in which Traditional forms were overlaid with ornamentation of Chinese character, introduced to Siam by refugees. Surfaces were often finished with Wat Phra Sri Sarapet, Ayudhya, Thailand porcelain tiles.  Wat Phra Kaew commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex consists of a number of buildings within the precincts of the Grand Palace in the historical centre of Bangkok. It houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which is venerated as the country's palladium. ARCHITECTURE IN INDONESIA AND THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO GEOGRAPHICAL, GEOLOGICAL & CLIMATIC ▪ The Malay peninsula is bounded by southern Thailand in the North, and on the West and South by the straits of Malacca which separate it from Sumatra, which in turn is separated from Java on the SE by the Sundra Straits. ▪ Much of this vast region is mountainous, a long curving band of active and extinct volcanoes passes through Sumatra, Java and Bali, and volcanic rock has been extensively used for construction work. ▪ Indonesia almost bestrides the equator, with a tropical climate and not great seasonal variation in temperature. The climate is also generally humid and under the The origins of the name Borobudur, is derived from Boro for big and Budur for influence of both monsoons. Buddha. The name Borobudur was first written in Raffles's book on Javan history.  ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER ▪ In Middle Java, an architecture of solid stone walls, corbelled arches and with no load-bearing columns, which reached its consummation with the stupa of Borobudur and the temple complex of Prambanam. ▪ Timber is abundant and varied throughout Indonesia, and has always benn used for houses, the traditional dwelling is a long house generally raised on stilts, and often sheltering an entire clan. Theatrically sited on the Java plains against a background of smoking volcanoes. This extraordinary building symbolizes the world mountain “Meru” of Indian Cosmology and the Mahayana Buddhist cosmic system through the nine stages there are nine storeys or terraces- which lead to Nirvana. Basically square in plan, with a stone plinth- foundation each 150 m side having five slightly stepped faces. The galleries display some 1,300 pane; of sculpture, depicting the life of the Buddha and legends from the sacred Buddhist texts. PADAYON FUTURE ARCHITECTS!