scroll down to start construction








I possess no specialized knowledge of architecture,



























but I understand that in the Gothic



























cathedral of the West



























the roof is thrust



























up



























and



























up



























so as to place its pinnacle as high in



























the heavens as possible



























-and that herein is thought to lie its special beauty.



























In the temples of Japan, on the other hand, a roof of heavy tiles is first laid out,



























and



























in the deep, spacious shadows created by the eaves



























the rest of the structure is built.



























Nor is this true only of temples;



























in the palaces of the nobility



























and the houses of the



























common people,



























what first strikes the eye is the massive roof



























of tile



























or thatch



























and



























the heavy darkness that hangs beneath the eaves.



























Even at midday cavernous darkness spreads over all beneath the roof's edge,



























making



























entryway,



























doors,



























walls,



























and pillars all but invisible.



























The grand temples of Kyoto-Chion'in, Honganji-



























and the farmhouses of the remote









































countryside









































are alike in this respect:









































like most buildings of the past, their roofs



























give the impression of possessing far greater



























weight, height, and surface than all



























that stands beneath the eaves.



























 

scroll back up to deconstruct