Where did it all start? What distinguishes modern Japanese architecture? What are national architects interested in now?

Anastasia Mikhalkina is an art critic and specialist in modern architecture.

When talking about Japanese architecture, it is necessary to understand the combination of traditions and new technologies. Traditions mean following religious beliefs (the path of Buddhism and Shinto), as well as the basics of building traditional houses (minka). Whereas new technologies are not only achievements in science and technology, but also the influence of Western architecture on construction in Japan.

This was especially evident in the 20th century, when, after the opening of the country in 1868, European influence began on all spheres of life in Japan. Architects such as Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright visited here, even Walter Gropius influenced the development of new architecture. However, over time, Japanese architects began to “sharpen” European principles of construction to suit their way of life and way of life, which can now be observed in modern facilities.

In buildings of the 21st century, Japanese architects strive to create comfortable housing. Required condition becomes the inscription of an object into the space surrounding it. Therefore, on the one hand, for people unfamiliar with this feature, the surrounding buildings, especially in residential areas, may seem dull or strange (a warehouse house or a polygon house). However, this principle comes out of the Japanese reverent attitude to personal space. For them, home is a separate world that no one should see. If they don't see, they don't envy. But it’s much more comfortable and cozy for the residents.

But this is only the facade, which looks like an unassuming reinforced concrete box, while inside the architects recreate a whole castle from light, free space, and a Japanese traditional garden. But, you ask, where from? Indeed, this question couldn’t come at a better time. If you look at the layout of the houses, you can see that this or that object has an area of ​​only 30 or 40 square meters. m. But this only applies to urban architecture; country houses are much more spacious. Is this really normal for Japan and its citizens? Indeed it is. The Japanese have long been accustomed to coexist even with several generations in a small space of 30x30 meters. Hence, another trend arises towards the construction of multi-storey buildings stretching to the sky. If not in breadth, then up.

The trend in the construction of “small houses” was revealed by the architect Kenzo Kuma. He talks about this as a challenge that Japanese architects accept and - using the example of building houses and municipal buildings - demonstrate their skills. Until now, reinforced concrete and natural wood, glass and plywood are used in construction.

In addition, I would like to draw attention to several modern buildings, erected in Tokyo. One of these is the house on Naka-Ikegami Street (Naka-Ikegami, 2000) by architect Tomoyuki Itsumi. From the outside, the house is unremarkable; it fits into the space of neighboring houses, squeezing it in square. It looks like a warehouse, but, as the architect admits, this house was conceived as housing with many storage spaces. The area is 44 sq. m. The color scheme of the premises is white furniture with small splashes wooden floors, which visually expands the space. On the ground floor there is a garage, a children's room and a bathroom.

The second floor is a kitchen-dining room. The third is the master bedroom. The whole house is lined with closets, spaces where you can put away toys or clothes. There is nothing superfluous here, things are not scattered, but rather put away in everything possible angles Houses. In this regard, it is very functional. On the second floor, where the kitchen and dining room are located, all appliances are built into white cabinets. The kitchen is divided into zones - a cooking zone and a refectory zone. The utensils are stored in an island table, which slides apart to provide additional cooking space. There are also cabinets in the floor where you can store large items. The bedroom contains only a bed and a wardrobe built into the wall. The closet is deep, follows the shape of the roof, and is intended for both clothes and utensils. A curious solution to the interior space, when the architect tries to hide everything within the walls of the house, but it is very convenient and functional.

Another residential building is called Patio (Patio, 2011). It was created by Yaita and Associates studio, the main architects are Hisaaki Yaita and Naoko Yaita.

The plan is wide and elongated. The area is 80 sq. m. The customer’s desire was to create a house that would not attract attention from the outside and would be closed from everyone, while the interior space should become a stronghold for the family, a place of relaxation. And the architects brought it to life. From the outside the house is unremarkable. Except that the lower volume with the yard and parking space is a pedestal for the protruding top - the second floor. It looks like a mushroom. The first floor is lowered underground, then there is a layer for the entrance and garage, and then the second floor.

The first floor is intimate - there are bedrooms and a bathroom. There is also a courtyard. On the street side the walls are lined with metal, and on the courtyard side they are glass sliding structures. In the space between the first and second floors there is a small Japanese-style tea room. The floors are covered with tatami mats, and there is a tokomon niche with a scroll. The second floor is a living-dining room together with a kitchen.

Between the layer and the third floor there is a small gap through which light passes and fresh air. The top floor is concrete on one side and covered with glass on the other. The roof is also glass, due to which natural sunlight always enters the room.

Another building - Aco House (2005) on Setagaya Street - was erected by a group of architects from Atelier Bow-Wow: Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima.

Private building with a total area of ​​only 35.51 sq. m. m., inscribed in the corner between other houses and the road. The main material used in construction is wood. The architects decided to take an unconventional approach to the 3-story building. The plan shows that the rooms are made up of separate blocks, collecting the entire space of the house into a single whole, like in the game Tetris. The staircase was divided into segments, positioned along the wall from the entrance to the roof terrace. Thus, it connects all five levels of the house (all walls are curved or oblique, some rooms occupy one and a half floors of the building in the plan). On the ground floor there is a garage, an office, a library and a bathroom. On the second floor there is a kitchen-dining room. On the third floor there is a bedroom, a mezzanine and a terrace. The interior is designed in a minimalist style. Wide windows from the courtyard almost along the entire wall expand the space and allow natural light to enter, as does the open roof terrace. Wooden floors and furniture add coziness, and the spreading trees outside the window create a feeling of calm and warmth.

The main tasks that national masters set for themselves were what new architectural forms to create, how to fit them into the environment, how to make them as useful and functional as possible. National architecture made it possible to fit comfort, space and air into just 30 square meters. m. Agree, this is no small achievement. It is believed that the architecture of modern Japan does not stand still. Architects constantly resort to new materials, new forms, and new construction technologies. It is true that Japanese modern architecture will still amaze and amaze, and foreign architects will be increasingly inspired by it and adopt the trends of national masters who have managed to reach new level in creating houses.

The material was prepared specifically for BERLOGOS.

Traces of the oldest settlements on the Japanese archipelago date back to the 10th millennium BC. The first "villages" consisted of dugouts with roofs made of tree branches supported by poles, known as tate-ana jukyo ("pit dwellings"). Around the 3rd millennium BC, the first buildings with a raised floor and covered with a gable roof appeared. Such structures were built as dwellings for tribal leaders and as storage facilities.

In the IV-VI centuries. AD in Japan, huge tombs of local rulers, called “kofun,” were already being built. The length of the tomb of Emperor Nintoku is 486 meters; its area is larger than any of the Egyptian pyramids.

The most ancient architectural monuments Japan contains Shinto and Buddhist places of worship - shrines, temples, and monasteries.

The prototype of Japanese religious architecture is considered to be the Shinto shrine of Ise Jingu (Mie Prefecture), built in the 7th century. in the shinmei style and dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestor of the imperial dynasty. Its main structure (honden) is raised above the ground and has steps leading inside on the wide side. Two columns support the ridge of the roof, which is decorated at both ends with crossbars intersecting above it. Ten short logs lie horizontally across the ridge of the roof, and the entire structure is surrounded by a veranda with railings. For centuries, every 20 years a new one is built next to the sanctuary, and copying it exactly, the deities are moved from the old sanctuary to the new one. This is how the “short-lived” type of architecture has survived to this day, the main characteristic features which has pillars dug into the ground and a thatched roof.

The Great Izumo Shrine (Izumo Taisha) in Shimane Prefecture, like Ise Shrine, dates back to “mythical times.” Periodically rebuilt until 1744, this temple faithfully preserved the tradition of Taisha, a style of Shinto architecture whose origins date back to the primitive era.

Temple buildings are almost devoid of color and decoration. All the beauty of these simple and practical buildings is created by using solid, unpainted wood.

It was believed that each Shinto deity (“kami”) should have its own shrine. For example, three sea deities are revered at the Sumiyoshi Temple in Osaka and, accordingly, three identical shrines were erected there for each deity. They are located one behind the other and resemble three ships on the open sea. And in the Kasuga Temple in the city of Nara, 4 identical shrines were built next to each other.

An important element of Shinto religious architecture is the gate to the temple - torii.

The emergence of Buddhism in Japan influenced Shintoism, and the architecture of Buddhist temples influenced the architecture of Shinto shrines. The buildings began to be painted blue, red and other bright colors, metal and wooden carved decorations were used, covered rooms for worshipers and others began to be added to the main building of the sanctuary. utility rooms. Itsukushima Shrine was built on an island in the Inland Sea of ​​Japan near the city of Hiroshima. During high tide, it seems to float on the surface of the water. Not only the main buildings, but also a boat pier, a stage for Noh theater performances, and other structures are combined into one whole.

Carefully laid huge stone blocks inside the tomb mounds indicate that ancient Japan possessed high stone construction techniques. However, from its inception until the adoption of European building culture during the Meiji period, Japanese architecture used exclusively wood as a building material.

The use of wood as the main building material was determined by a number of reasons. Even today, Japan is one of the most densely forested countries in the world, and in the past there were even more forests. Procuring materials and building with stone required significantly more effort than using wood. The choice of building material was also determined by the climate, long hot and wet summer and fairly short and dry winters. To make it easier to endure the heat, the rooms were made light and open, with a floor raised above the ground and a roof that had long overhangs that protected from the sun and frequent rains. The stonework did not allow for natural ventilation of the premises. The tree heats up less from the heat in summer, and cools less in winter, absorbs moisture better and, which is significant, better withstands the shocks of earthquakes that happen every day on the Japanese islands. It also mattered that wooden house it was possible to disassemble and reassemble in a new place, which is very difficult in relation to stone.

Almost all Japanese buildings are combinations of rectangular elements. Circles appear only at the top of two-story pagoda structures. Thus, all buildings are combinations of support-beam structures with axial symmetry. In the construction of buildings, diagonals were practically not used to impart rigidity; this was compensated for by the use of durable wood - cypress, cedar.

Beginning with the Ise temples, the prevailing trend in Japanese architecture was toward horizontal development of space. This was further enhanced by the characteristic roofs of the buildings. Tiled roof with wide overhangs - distinguishing feature Chinese architecture. Chinese architecture in Japan was used mainly in the construction of Buddhist monasteries and temples, which are the most important part of the religious architecture of Japan. An example of this is the building built at the beginning of the 8th century. Horyuji Buddhist Temple is the oldest surviving monument of wooden architecture in the world. But even it has a Japanese flavor. Unlike the highly upturned eaves characteristic of Chinese architecture, the descending rooflines of Horyuji are so gracefully curved that they appear almost horizontal. Subsequently, the width of the cornice was further increased. Thus, with the widespread borrowing of Chinese architecture, the emphasis on horizontality gave rise to the original and inimitable appearance of Japanese architecture.

Already by the 8th century. The complex of buildings of the Buddhist monastery included 7 main buildings: a pagoda, the main hall, a sermon hall, a bell tower, a sutra storage room, a sleeping hall, and a dining hall. In temple complexes the inner area rectangular shape was surrounded by a roofed corridor in which a gate was made. The entire monastery territory was surrounded by external earthen walls with gates on each side. The gates were named according to the direction they pointed to. The main one was Nandaimon - the Great Southern Gate. The inner gate - Chumon - was considered the third most important building in the temple after the main hall and pagoda. The most common type was the two-tier gate. In the Asuka and Nara periods, the main hall containing the sacred object of worship was called kondo (literally - golden hall), but already in the Heian era it began to be called hondo - main hall. The sermon hall was a place where monks gathered to receive instruction, practice, and participate in rituals, and was usually the largest structure in ancient monasteries. The halls in the Horyuji and Toshodaiji temples have survived to this day.

When Buddhism entered Japan, sacred objects were the most important objects worship, so the pagoda where they were located stood in the center of the monastery. At Asuka-dera (its construction began in 588), the pagoda was located in the center, surrounded on three sides by the main halls. At Shitennoji Temple (circa 593), the only main hall was located behind the pagoda. This suggests that the pagoda was considered an important structure. However, already in the Kawaradera Monastery (mid-7th century) and in the Horyuji Monastery (7th century), the pagoda was shifted from the center. In Yakushiji Monastery (late 7th century), the central structure is the main hall, and two pagodas became decorative elements of the complex. Dating back to the 8th century. the Todaiji and Dayanji temples also have two pagodas, but they are built outside the inner fence, like the only pagodas of the Kofukuji and Toshodaiji temples.

Even now, the sheer scale of ancient Buddhist temples amazes their visitors. The hall housing the daibutsu (great statue of Buddha) at Todaiji Temple in Nara, completed in the 8th century, is the largest wooden structure in the world.

The features of Japanese architecture (the principle of horizontality, the fusion of architecture and the interior of buildings) were most fully manifested in residential buildings - both those built for the nobility and in the dwellings of the common people.

In traditional residential architecture in Japan, there are two main styles: shinden and shoin.

The first got its name from the central building of the estate - the main shinden hall (literally - sleeping hall).

In accordance with the law for the development of the capital Heian (Kyo) (modern Kyoto), the estate occupied an area with a square side of approximately 120 meters and was surrounded by a row of low trees. Estates larger size accordingly, they were built on an area 2 or 4 times larger than the minimum. A typical estate had axial symmetry in its development, with the main hall located in the center with access to the south. The roof of the hall was covered with cypress bark and hung to the south over the steps leading into the hall from the landscaped garden. The carefully planned garden usually included a pond with islands connected by bridges. Pavilions and extensions adjoined the main hall on the eastern, western and northern sides. Each pavilion was connected to the main hall or to other extensions by closed or open passages. Various ceremonies were held in the garden, which occupied the entire southern part of the estate. An open pavilion for musical performances was built on stilts on the pond, connected to the main building by several passages.

The main hall consisted of an interior room surrounded on all 4 sides by a row of columns. The hall could be enlarged on one or more sides by adding an additional row of columns. There was a veranda under the roof overhangs. Doors were made on both sides, and the gaps between the outer columns were closed with lattice panels, which were attached to the top on hinges. Apart from a small room for sleeping and storing utensils, the interior space had practically no division. The floor was covered with boards, tatami mats (thick straw mats) and cushions for sitting and sleeping were laid on it, and privacy was ensured by the installation of folding screens and curtains, in addition, bamboo screens were hung on the crossbars used to fasten the hinges of the wall panels.

The only example of this type of building that has survived to this day is Gosho (the imperial palace in Kyoto), which served as home to many generations of emperors.

Another important style of residential architecture is shoin (literally, library or studio), which was influenced by Zen Buddhism. This is how the abbot’s chambers were called in the monasteries of the Zen sect. This style was developed in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods on the basis of classical shinden, and in the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods it became widely used both in the living rooms and living quarters of monasteries, and in the homes of military nobility. It still serves as an example of a traditional-style residential building.

Structures with several floors appeared - Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto, and the art of dry landscape gardens arose, in which sand, stones and bushes were used as symbols of water and mountains.

The earliest extant example of shoin is the Togudo Hall at Ginkakuji in Kyoto. Late shoin designs, such as the living room of the Kojoin Hall at Onjoji Temple, feature sliding doors (mairado) with shoji (paper-covered sliding screens) behind each door, tatami floors, and the division of rooms into separate sections using square in cross-section supports, walls and sliding screens (fusuma). All of these features were innovations and were not used in the Shinden style.

Zala Kojoin contains 4 more components characteristic of shoin. These are a niche (tokonoma) in the back wall of the room, a stepped shelf (chigaidana) framing the niche, a built-in cabinet table (shoin) and decorative doors (chodaigamae) in the wall opposite the veranda. In many shoin rooms, these 4 interior elements were located in that part of the hall where the floor was made slightly raised.

A cellular layout of rooms was widely used, where the smallest unit of space that became the object of the architect’s special creative efforts was the chashitsu - the tea ceremony room, which turned into a perfect expression of Japanese aesthetics.

The idea of ​​tea houses influenced the architecture of palaces, resulting in the sukiya style. A striking example of this style is the Katsura Rikyu Imperial Palace in Kyoto.

The shoin style reached its peak at the beginning of the Edo period, and the most outstanding example of such architecture is the Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle in Kyoto (early 17th century).

An important aspect of traditional Japanese architecture is the relationship between the house and the surrounding space, in particular the garden. The Japanese did not view interior and exterior space as two separate parts, rather both flowed into each other. In other words, there is no boundary where the internal space of the house ends and the external begins. A concrete expression of this concept is the veranda of a traditional Japanese house (engawa). It serves as a transit space on the way from the house to the garden. Its role is clearly reflected in the structural materials used: the interiors have floors covered with straw mats (tatami), outside there are earth and stones of the garden and paths, and the veranda is made of wooden, roughly processed beams, which are like an intermediate material between soft straw mats and hard uncut stones in the garden.

Most of the castles in Japan were built in the 16th century, during the period of internecine feudal wars. And although they were built as military bases, in peacetime castles were the basis for the formation of numerous cities. As a symbol of power, the castle was not only equipped with a main tower-type building, but also turned into a genuine arts center. Architecture, sculpture, handicrafts, painting and gardening contributed aesthetically to the whole. Thus, the castle often lost its military character, becoming a kind of political and spiritual center.

The traditional residential buildings of the non-ruling classes of the population are collectively called minka. Usually of a fairly simple design, they were built before late XIX century, until Japanese architecture came under Western influence. Minka in rural areas were called noka, in fishermen's villages - gyoka, and in cities - matiya.

Wood was mainly used in the construction - for the load-bearing columns and frame beams, as well as for the walls, floor, ceiling and roof. Between the columns, bamboo gratings, fastened with lime, formed the walls. Lime was also used on the roof, which was then covered with grass. Straw was used to make hard, thin musiro bedding and more durable tatami mats, which were placed on the floor. Stone was used only for the foundation under the columns and was not used in the walls.

After the end of the period of self-isolation, western neighborhoods began to form in port cities, which were built up with buildings familiar to foreigners. Russian buildings on Japanese soil also date back to this period.

With the Meiji Restoration in 1868, when Japan embarked on a path of modernization, new construction technologies using brick and stone were adopted. New style received wide recognition throughout the country as a style for buildings of state enterprises and institutions. Office buildings and residences in the style of Western design became especially popular. Many architects from the USA and Europe worked in Japan. In 1879, a whole galaxy of architects graduated from the Tokyo College of Technology, who then began to play a leading role in construction in the country.

The most famous Western-style buildings are the Bank of Japan and Tokyo Station by architect Tatsuno Kingo, and the Akasaka Imperial Palace by architect Katayama Tokuma.

However, stone and brick houses built using conventional methods could not withstand the 1923 earthquake that destroyed Tokyo and the surrounding area. Advances in the development of methods for constructing earthquake-resistant buildings allowed reinforced concrete structures to appear in Japanese cities around the same time as in Western Europe.

After World War II, Japan, having recovered from severe shocks, entered a period of accelerated economic growth, when Japanese engineering architecture using steel and concrete reached one of the higher levels in the world.

The significant progress of Japanese architecture became visible to everyone in 1964 during the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. By this time, a complex of sports facilities designed by Tange Kenzo had been built. The Olympic stadium building has an original curved roof, reviving Japanese traditions.

Tange since the late 60s. creates a number of projects of buildings and complexes, in which he consistently develops the idea of ​​“spatial architecture”, likening buildings and complexes to a growing tree. Nowadays, flexible spatial structure has become an almost mandatory characteristic of buildings erected in Japan.

The complex of skyscrapers in the west of Central Tokyo has become a symbol of Japan's economic power. In 1991, in the Shinjuku area, according to the Tange project, the tallest building in Tokyo was built - the Tokyo Municipality - 243 meters. With two 48-story towers, this structure resembles a European Gothic cathedral.

Ando Tadao’s projects are imbued with national traditions. In the buildings he built, access to natural light and nature is always thought out, thanks to which their inhabitants can enjoy unforgettable pictures, watching, for example, the change of seasons.

The work of Kiyonori Kikutake, Kurokawa Kisho, Maki Fumihiko, Isozaki Arata and other architects also gained worldwide fame.

Modern, as well as ancient, architecture of Japan demonstrates the uniqueness and phenomenality of this state, which dates back to ancient times. Over the past decades, the country's architects rising sun became laureates which is considered the most prestigious in this field. This allowed Japanese art to transform from an exotic oriental school into a phenomenon that sets fashion trends in world architecture.

History of Japanese architecture

Main feature architecture of ancient Japan - the construction of structures made exclusively of wood, with a bulky massive roof and light, fragile walls. This is due to the humid and warm climate of the islands, which often receive fairly heavy rainfall, as well as periodic earthquakes.

Temple buildings in Japan are divided into 2 types according to religious grounds: Shinto and Buddhist. Structurally, these buildings were built under the influence of Chinese traditions, but adapted to the local culture.

The main features of ancient architecture in Japan:

• The main material is wood, which is abundant in local areas. Thanks to it, buildings can withstand all the vagaries of nature, are easily disassembled and moved to another place.
• Strong gable roofs that withstand heavy rains well and curved eaves were built under the influence of Chinese architects, but they are more elegant.
• All buildings fit perfectly into the landscape; temples are most often located in a park or raised above the water on stilts.
• Ancient architects did not build individual objects, but entire complexes.

An example of such a building would be any religious building, consisting not only of the main temple, but also of the main gate (torii), treasury, library, multi-tiered pagoda and temple for sermons.

Architecture of the Middle Ages

As Buddhism penetrated, city planners were inspired by the experience of planning and constructing Chinese cities. Already in the 8th century, in the cities of Kyoto and Nara, streets were laid parallel and perpendicular to each other. The center always remained the emperor's palace, and the palaces of rich and noble residents, government buildings were built symmetrically and located in the direction from north to south.

The houses of aristocrats and nobility were distinguished by their pomp and monumentality. These palaces still display traditional Japanese architectural forms and details, dominating the surrounding landscape. You can verify this by looking at the photos attached to the article.

A characteristic feature of the architecture of medieval Japan is the tiered style, which was used in both religious and secular urban planning. The Zen style reached its peak in the 14th century, when several pavilions and other structures were built, decorated with gilded roofs. During their construction, stone was widely used, from which ten-shu towers and other buildings were erected.

Architecture of Japanese temples

The heyday of secular and religious architecture in Japan occurred in the 13th and 14th centuries, when the Golden and Silver Pavilions, Kiyomizu Temple, Nijo Castle, etc. were built.

With the arrival of Buddhism in the Land of the Rising Sun, other construction techniques also spread. The foundation of the temple was no longer wooden piles, but a stone foundation. Religious complexes in Japan also served as monasteries where monks lived and studied. According to tradition, the temple should merge with the surrounding park, with the tall and straight trunks of the surrounding trees. Inside, its center is a “rock garden” designed for reflection and concentration.

The most famous ancient temples in Japan: Shinto Ise and Izumo, the Buddhist complex Horji (Nara), the Todaiji ensemble. The latter is the largest wooden structure in the world, reaching a height of 48 m, equal to a modern 16-story building. It has a base measuring 60 x 55 m and is the “earthly home” of the giant Daibutsu (Big Buddha).

Common features of Chinese and Japanese architecture

Despite external influence, the architecture of the Eastern countries has always remained traditional and almost unchanged for many centuries, starting from the pre-class era of social development. The main form of buildings in the architecture of China and Japan is a pavilion house, covered with a roof hovering above the building with its ends curved upward.

The house is a continuation of the natural environment, creating an overall composition with an external bypass (veranda). The layered roof and sculptural decoration (dragons and other figures) are closely connected by movement with the surrounding trees in the garden and the foliage on them. The exterior coloring of Chinese and Japanese buildings has always been bright and colorful.

The garden near the house is an indispensable attribute of the architecture of the countries of the East, an intermediate link between nature and the pavilion. It is dominated by curved and meandering lines of banks, stone passages and groups of trees.

National Japanese gardens (shinden) have a smaller area, they often use the symbolism of the arrangement of rough stones that depict animals, and the soil in them is necessarily covered with moss, but not grass.

Japanese garden and tea house

Garden art reached its peak in Japan at the end of the 15th century, and such territory always belonged to a Buddhist temple located in the mountains. Purity and simplicity, silence and self-absorption, elevation above everyday affairs- these are the main features of Japanese Shinden. In the middle of the garden there is a house intended for ritual tea drinking.

Tea houses, or chashitsu, are a national architectural treasure of Japan and the main attribute of the ceremony of the same name, which traditionally reflects “austere simplicity” and the “spirit of reconciliation.” The history of their construction dates back to the 15th century, but then they were poor huts of local sages, and therefore they looked more simple and modest. The only decorations were bouquets of flowers, ancient paintings and scrolls with philosophical sayings.

In total, in the architecture of Japan you can count more than 100 types of tea houses, both poor and richer ones, reminiscent of fabulous painted boxes. A beautiful garden is usually laid out around such a building, which is necessary to create an atmosphere of internal harmony and peace. At the entrance there is a low door so that one can enter only by kneeling. The interior reflects the national character and aesthetic Japanese laws, where an important place is given to a niche in which a scroll is placed for discussion during the ceremony.

Residential buildings

Residential buildings on the Japanese islands were always built with 1-2 floors and had simple form, and they were always placed with the façade facing south. Sliding partitions and windows were used inside, and a certain ratio of rooms in the interior was maintained. There was always a courtyard in the middle of the house, surrounded by high walls.

The gable reed roof had protruding cornices with a ridge on top, which was made in local traditions. A covered portico, similar to a veranda, was built at the front of the house. A small additional part of the roof (hisashi) protruded from under the eaves in this place. The entrance was marked by sliding screens (shoji), separating the veranda from the interior space.

According to tradition, instead of glass, frosted paper was inserted into the windows, allowing muted light to pass through, and the binding was made of bamboo or wood. Internal screens were made with binding made of thin wooden strips and decorated more brightly. All rooms were connected to each other, but could be separated using sliding screens. The interior traditionally contained almost no furniture.

Urban residential buildings of the 19th century. were already very different from small apartments located under a large common roof and having separate entrances. Modern residential buildings in Japan often continue to use wooden structures and partition systems.

Modern architecture of Japan: briefly about the main thing

The National School of Architecture in Japan is considered a newcomer to the world architectural process and has existed for just over 100 years. It first made its presence known during the construction of the Yeegi Olympic Stadium (architect K. Tange, 1964), which was built to host sports games.

Contemporary architecture in Japan has both original and international features, attracting increasing attention from specialists around the world. There are three main directions:

• the first includes all the star architects already recognized throughout the world: T. Ando, ​​K. Kuma, T. Ito, S. Ban;
• the second - architects known only in highly specialized circles: T. Nishizawa, S. Fujimoto, employees of the Bow-Wow studio;
• young aspiring architects.

Japanese architects who have achieved popularity are engaged in the construction of projects in Europe, China, Australia, Africa and Asia. The main features of their style: the harmonious interaction of internal and external space with the use of the properties and features of natural materials.

Japanese architects and their works

Wood and paper are still the main building materials used in the modern art of architecture in Japan. More than 50% of all residential buildings are built using wood structures. The leading specialist in this field is Kengo Kuma, winner of several awards in the field of architecture. His works (the console of the Wooden Bridge Museum or the Sunny Hills Pavilion in Tokyo) demonstrate the high skill of using wooden structures to decorate space.

Another woodworking specialist is Taira Nishizawa. Known as the creator of the grille in the gymnasium in Tomoti, the Sunn Pu Church building, the roof of which is made of raw wood chips in a multi-layered surface.

One of the famous representatives of modern architecture in Japan is Ban, who creates unique paper structures using one of the ancient national building materials, the cheapest and most environmentally friendly.

More modern materials(reinforced concrete, glass and plastic) is used in his art by the architect Toyo Ito, who built the Torres Porta Fira building (Barcelona, ​​Spain), the Tama University library (Tokyo) and the Media Library in Sendai (Japan).

Conclusion

The task of modern architecture in Japan, according to the famous architect Taira Nishizawa, is to create unique forms and structures in such a way that the building, people and the environment are in a harmonious relationship. All architects of the Land of the Rising Sun strive to achieve this goal in the 21st century.