Characterization of space around Japanese traditional buildings: “Visible Music” on the approach to Horyuji Temple, Saiin (West Compound)

Abstract

The psychological sense inherent in the architectural space cannot be presented in architectural drawings, plans, sections, and elevations. What is needed is not the history of architectural style but the history of architectural space. For example, while approaching a building an observer will be influenced by constantly changing scenes and environment. Around Japanese traditional architecture, these changing scenes occur under the influence of an “inner domain of eaves” as proposed in the first author’s earlier publication “Japanese Space in Architecture”, 1996. This paper shows a sequence of views and characteristics of space observed while approaching Horyuji Temple, Saiin (West compound) which is considered to be the oldest wooden architecture (C7 AD~C8 AD) existing in the world, and was registered as a UNESCO “World Heritage” site in 1993. In addition, a new concept of “Visible Music” is proposed to characterize certain unique features of Japanese wooden architecture. It is quite different from the concept of “Frozen Music”. As soon as the observer can see the underside of eaves the roof disappear from the observer’s sight. Such sequences tend to occur continuously while approaching common Japanese traditional buildings as well. The lines of radiation in this observation process do not always appear and disappear from the nearest building. That is, the order in which they appear does not always follow the order of distance from the nearest building to the farthest building. Particular attention is paid to the role of roofs and eaves in the perception of Japanese traditional architecture. “Visible Music” is piped as one approaches Horyuji Temple, Saiin (West compound).