Japanese architecture - traditional wood connection compare/ contrast to modern buildings - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages Comparing and contrasting Japanese architecture with modern buildings. The analysis of Japanese traditional wood connection architecture reveals varying differences and similarities with modern buildings. “If you see Japanese temples made of wood, you can see how the architecture is made up. They have a clear construction and transparency and they are quite simple.” (Hay 1) The similarities are features that modern architects borrowed in their efforts to design modern buildings. The differences are features that modern architects deem unfit to be adopted in the construction of modern buildings. The architectural style of the Ise shrine presents an example of the Japanese traditional wood connection architecture. “Ise shrine architectural design is referred to as shinmei-zukuri” (Hay 2). Extreme simplicity and antiquity is a feature of Ise shrine. Every 20years the old shrines are dismantled for new ones. This purifies the shrine and renews the materials making up the shrine. The construction of the shrine uses Japanese Cyprus. The shrine measures 10.9 by 5.5 meters (Watanabe 18). It is made up of a raised floor, a verandah, and a staircase leading to a central doorway. The Ise shrine sanctuary is built using Shinto architecture. The main sanctuary is beautiful with austere structures made up of Cyprus beams. The architecture of Ise is the one used for Japanese rice houses. The joinery technique was used to build the Ise shrine. In this technique, construction uses few nails. The ridge of the roof is made up of logs that are large and rounded. Further, the roof is made up of cross beams at both ends of the roof. The gamble house is referred to as a masterpiece due to its fine art. The Gamble house is built using the interlocking joinery technique. The utilized wood was the teak, mahogany, oak and cedar placed in different sequences to convey the contrast of color, grain and tone. The rooms of the Gamble house were organized around a central hall. Scarf joinery was used to build the house. This technique was similar to the techniques that were used by great woodworkers. The building has tenons which are pegged and have wedged mortises to prevent the building from damage resulting from an earthquake. The international style was used to build the Gamble house. The technique emphasized form rather than symmetry (March and Sheine 76). The technique used materials that allow for the creation of spaces that can be opened by the use of strip windows. The house has excellent art and craft which is represented by stained glass in its lighting features. The lighting systems of the house are made using mortise and tenon joints. “The pronounced features making up the lighting fixture are leaded stained glass, exotic woods and leather” (Roth, Leland and Morgan 74). The Schindler house has an L- shaped appearance. The apartments have an interlinking layout. The technique used to build the house was campsite technique. The apartments are connected to each other by a utility room. The technique used to build the utility room ensured that it served the function of being the kitchen, the laundry, a sewing room and for storage purposes. “The rooftop of the house is made up of redwood canopies that have beams at the corners” (Weston 4). The mitered corners are protected from the rain by canvas. The method that was used to build the house was the construction method of tilting up the concrete slabs. The concrete that built the house were flat. The flat concrete slabs are found both at the foundation and at the floor of the building. The tilt up the concrete slab technique was used to make the walls with clear glass. The Watch tower was built using archeological construction techniques. The tower appears as an open shaft which is lined with balconies that overlook the central space. The technique developed a decker at the top which has space. “The technique used to build Watch tower used wood, stone and plaster”. Light is let into the lower space by small windows in the ...Download file to see next pagesRead More