Some of his best-known buildings are the Asia Museum of Modern Art and the Langen Foundation in Germany. His work is best-known for the creative use of natural light and concrete, as well as strong homage to the natural landscape. Famous contemporary Japanese architectsīorn in 1941, Ando is considered one of Japan’s best architects, despite having no formal training in architecture. This can be clearly seen in the focus on natural light and the use of raw wood as a building material, both on the exterior and in the interior. This can be attributed to Japan’s Shinto and Buddhist beliefs, which have had a significant influence on its architecture. Older Japanese houses will usually have a wooden veranda (called an engawa) that runs around the outside of the house.Ĭonnection to nature has always been an important feature of Japanese architecture. This is where shoes are placed before entering. The screens were typically made from paper, to allow light and shadows to pass through.Ĭommon in traditional and contemporary Japanese houses, Genken refers to a small part of the floor plan where there is a sunken space between the front door and the rest of the house. Movable screens (shoji) and sliding doors (fusuma) were used in many old Japanese houses. In many of the older Japanese houses (as well as in some of the newer buildings) wood was left unpainted and used in its natural form in an appreciation of the grain.
Common features in traditional Japanese architectureĪs mentioned, wood has traditionally been the preferred building material in Japanese architecture. Following this period, Japanese architecture started to adopt more Western influences.įor more information about the origins of Japanese architecture, you can watch KOCHUU, an award-winning film discussing historical Japanese buildings and the various influences that have made Japanese architecture what it is today.
Japanese Medieval architecture was somewhat comparable to Medieval European architecture at the time due to the prevalence of castles, but it was much simpler than its European counterpart. “Traditional Japanese architecture” typically refers to buildings built during the Edo period, which was during the 17 th to mid-19 th centuries. This is due to a lack of stone available at the time due to volcanic activity, as well as wood’s proven resistance to earthquakes. It was around this period that wood emerged as a preferred building material for Japanese architecture. It wasn’t until the 7 th century that Japanese architecture developed its own distinct style, having been heavily influenced by other Asian nations. Built before the 6 th century, some of Japan’s first shrines looked similar to ancient storehouses or homes. Prior to the 1 st century B.C.E., Japanese homes looked much like any other home across the world, consisting mainly of wood with thatched roofs and earthen floors. Let’s take a look at some of the most common elements of Japanese architecture, and some of Japan’s most celebrated buildings and architects. Universally celebrated, people around the world have embraced the Japanese aesthetic, hoping to capture a piece of it in their homes.
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