Horyuji
Title
Horyuji
Publisher
Lawrence Technological University
Date Created
August 14, 2015
Alternative Title or Name
Horyuji Gojunoto
Creator2
O’Connor, Thomas (photograph)
Work Type
Single Built Works
Date
April, 1972
Work Location
Japan (nation)
Nara (inhabited place)
Style/Period
Japanese architecture styles
Subject
pagodas (buildings)
Japanese Buddhism
Description
Exterior view of the Horyuji Gojunoto (5-storey pagoda) at the Horyuji temple precinct in Nara, Japan. "…it is the 34-meter-high pagoda that exerts the greatest attraction. In ascending order, the five roofs diminish in size in the proportions of 10:9:8:7:6. The roofs also get progressively steeper, lending an overall soaring effect — as if the thing is about to leap off into flight. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, the pagoda is a monument to architectural genius. The pagoda is like a stack of five boxes resting on top of one another, pegged together by a central column called the shinbashira — an arrangement unique to Japan. Each story is able to slide horizontally independent of the others. In the event of a sudden shock, each floor transfers its kinetic energy to the shinbashira, whence it is safely dispersed to the ground. Thanks to this design, the pagoda has been able to withstand all the earthquakes and typhoons that have been thrown at it since the eighth century,"--Horyuji: Buddhism’s cradle in Japan, by Stephen Forster.
Material/Medium
wood (plant material)
Measurements
35 meters high
Reproduction Type
jpeg
Copyright Statement
©2013 Lawrence Technological University. These images may be used for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes without the explicit permission of LTU.
ID Number
LTU-TOJ-250
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