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

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 tower’s shaft. The technique provided for the structure to have a circular masonry tower that rises from the rubble base. The design integrated into the base so that a partly ruinous appearance is conveyed on which the tower was built. The structure has irregular windows that are disposed. Wood was the predominate building material for Japanese traditional wood connection buildings. This is the reason why there is no single surviving stone building from ancient Japan. The Japanese traditional wood connection shows clearly how the architecture is made up. The austere construction methods are evident in the Ise shrine showing how traditional Japanese traditional wood connection predominantly used wood in their techniques. In comparison to modern architecture, the techniques used by modern architects relied heavily on stone as opposed to wood (Kucker 180). Over the centuries, western architects have traditionally opted for strong and resistant stones for building. This made modern architects to come up with monumental and towering structures that are strong. In contrast, Japanese architects chose wood as their preferred material for building. Historical Shrines and temples in Japan are made up of wood. The shrines are very old and provide a perfect example of how Japanese traditional wood connection was instrumental in building work. On the contrary, modern buildings like Gamble House in Pasadena CA, Schindler House in Hollywood CA, and watch tower in little Tokyo CA are made of stone (The Craftsman Movement and the Gamble House 28) are dominantly made up of stones. The western architecture uses techniques that feature spires without vertical features. In contrast the Japanese traditional wood connection architecture is basically made up of small horizontal wood and is hidden by trees. Another distinguishing feature about Japanese traditional wood connection techniques and modern techniques is about the different designs that the two techniques used. The Japanese traditional wood connection was characterized by minimalist designs. This is in contrast to the western architects who strived to make their designs interesting to look at. The architects added decorations that were unnecessary and arranged modules of different heights. The Japanese architects on the hand made their designs to be different. “The Japanese traditional wood connection designs were sublime and mysterious coupled with horizontal levels” (Gillespie 23). Architectural designs that produce modern buildings are characterized by lumberyards piled in big stacks. This is contrary to the Japanese traditional wood connection. The architects in Japan did not decorate the wood surface but they maximized the effect of unadorned surfaces of wood. The designs permit for different variations made possible by different wood grains and finishes. The positions occupied by a living tree are occupied by cut logs tied together. There are similarities between the Japanese traditional wood connection architectural techniques and modern architectural The Ise shrine is an example of how the Japanese traditional wood connection techniques used more of natural materials in their interior and exterior designs. The natural materials created spaces to be used as multifunctional rooms. The rooms could be opened or closed by the mere use of closed paper screens called shoji. The technique can be compared to the methods that modern buildings utilized to erect buildings. Examining modern buildings like Pasadena CA, Schindler House in Hollywood CA, watch tower in little Tokyo CA , and the Gamble house, it is found that the architects of this building used more of natural materials to put up the buildings. An example is the use of teak and mahogany in building the Gamble house (McAlester and McAlester 56).The Japanese traditional wood connection architectural techniques have other common similarities with modern buildings. Both architectural techniques provide virtually open interiors that can be partitioned. Individual spaces are portioned by screens. This is to make particular areas to have specific functions. Shoji and fusuma are widely found in the traditional Japanese wood connection architecture. The Japanese architects used techniques that are similar to modern building designs because both techniques allowed buildings to have separate rooms for privacy. The way in which modern buildings and Japanese traditional wood connection appear similar is how the interior and exteriors are viewed. In the modern techniques of building the exterior and interior of buildings are seen as continuous elements. This is compatible with the Japanese traditional wooden connection. The architectural structures are similar in embracing a transitional space from inside the buildings towards exiting the building or house. The designs are similar because they both contain the veranda. The Japanese word for a verandah is engawa. The Japanese traditional wood connection is designed for people to sit down. This is similar to the architectural design of modern buildings. This provides an aesthetic point of view for both the traditional Japanese wooden connection and architectural designs in modern buildings. “Both designs provide doors windows and alcoves in a position that makes someone to view outside in a sitting position” (March and Sheine 49). The techniques that were used to build Ise shrine are similar to the techniques used to build modern buildings like Pasadena CA, Schindler House in Hollywood CA, Watch tower in little Tokyo CA ,and the Gamble house (Roth and Morgan 79). The techniques used by architects in Ise shrine and the modern buildings present excellent pieces of art and craftsmanship. The architects used similar techniques to come up with structures that exhibit high class craftsmanship that most modern architects may find difficult to come up with. The craftsmanship is the biggest similarity between the traditional Japanese wood connection and modern buildings (Jencks, Griffiths, Holland and Jacob 29). Works cited Gillespie, Gary. “Japan’s Ise Shrine and Selected Norwegian Stave Churches” West Virginia University 20 Thesis web 21st November 2012. Hays, Jeffrey. "Japanese Architecture: Wood, Earthquakes, Temples, Shrines, Tea Rooms and Traditional Homes." Factsanddetails.com. n.p, March 2012. Web. 7 November 2012. Jencks, Charles, Griffiths, Sean, Holland, Charles and Jacob Sam. Radical post-modernism: architectural design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Kucker, Patricia. "Framework: Construction and Space." The Journal of Architecture. 7 (2002): 171-190. bolender.com. Web. 7 November 2012. March, Lionel, and Sheine, Judith. "Construction and the Schindler Frame." RM Schindler:Composition and Construction. London: Academy Editions; Berlin: Ernst and Sohn, 1993. Print. McAlester, Virginia, and McAlester, A Lee. "Gamble House, Pasadena, California: Craftsman Style." Great American Houses and Their Architectural Styles. New York: Abbeville Press, 1994. Print. Roth, Leland M., and Morgan, Bret. "Gamble House, Pasadena, California Greene & Greene." Shingle Styles : Innovation and Tradition in American Architecture 1874 to 1982. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1999. Print. "The Craftsman Movement and the Gamble House." Scribd.com. Scribd Inc. 15 January 2008. Web. 7 November 2012. Watanabe, Yasutada. "Ise to Izumo." Shinto Art: Ise and Izumo Shrines. New York: Weatherhill/ Heibonsha, 1974. Print. Weston, Richard. "Scindler- Chace House." Key Buildings of the 20th Century: Plans, Sections and Elevations. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 2010. Print. Read More