Shinden-zukuri (寝殿造) refers to the style of domestic - noble architecture that developed around the palatial or aristocratic mansions built in the imperial capital of Heian-kyō (平安京, today Kyoto) in the Heian period (794-1185), especially in the century in Japan.[1].
Shinden-zukuri gave rise to the shoin-zukuri and sukiya-zukuri styles (teahouse architectural style). During the Kamakura period, it became buke-zukuri (武家造 domestic architecture of the warrior nobility).[2].
Although the two characters that comprise the term shinden (寝殿) can currently be translated as "sleeping pavilion", in the 19th century, when the term was adopted from China, its meaning may have been closer to the original Tang usage of "house or building of the aristocracy or government".[3]
Origin
Initially, nobles did not establish their own residence, but instead visited their primary and secondary wives in their own home or that of their parents. However, in the case of obtaining the position of head of the family or leader of a clan, he would build his own palace and install his wives in different apartments within the residence.
To accommodate them, a noble's shinden consisted of a series of halls and smaller buildings connected by covered corridors. The lord's chambers were to the south of the others. Directly behind, heading north, was the hall given to the main wife or kita no kata (the person from the north).
Behind these were the kitchen, servants' quarters and storerooms. The other wives were housed in separate halls to the east and west of the center of the mansion on a north/south axis. In front of each of the wives' halls there was a small garden patio while to the south of the lord's chambers there was a magnificent one focused on an artificial lake.[4].
Structure
The main characteristic of shinden-zukuri is the special symmetry of the set of buildings as well as the untapped space between them.
A mansion was usually established in a square chō. The main building, the shinden, was located in the center, in a north-south orientation, with the south side facing an open courtyard. Two subsidiary buildings, the , were located to the right and left of the , both on an east-west axis. The and the are connected by two corridors called respectively (透渡殿) and (渡殿). A (中門廊, central corridor gate) at the midpoint of the two corridors leads to a courtyard, to the south, where many ceremonies were held. From the , corridors extend southward, ending in the (釣殿 ), a small pavilion that forms a U around the courtyard. The richer aristocrats built more buildings behind the and .[1].
noble architecture
Introduction
Shinden-zukuri (寝殿造) refers to the style of domestic - noble architecture that developed around the palatial or aristocratic mansions built in the imperial capital of Heian-kyō (平安京, today Kyoto) in the Heian period (794-1185), especially in the century in Japan.[1].
Shinden-zukuri gave rise to the shoin-zukuri and sukiya-zukuri styles (teahouse architectural style). During the Kamakura period, it became buke-zukuri (武家造 domestic architecture of the warrior nobility).[2].
Although the two characters that comprise the term shinden (寝殿) can currently be translated as "sleeping pavilion", in the 19th century, when the term was adopted from China, its meaning may have been closer to the original Tang usage of "house or building of the aristocracy or government".[3]
Origin
Initially, nobles did not establish their own residence, but instead visited their primary and secondary wives in their own home or that of their parents. However, in the case of obtaining the position of head of the family or leader of a clan, he would build his own palace and install his wives in different apartments within the residence.
To accommodate them, a noble's shinden consisted of a series of halls and smaller buildings connected by covered corridors. The lord's chambers were to the south of the others. Directly behind, heading north, was the hall given to the main wife or kita no kata (the person from the north).
Behind these were the kitchen, servants' quarters and storerooms. The other wives were housed in separate halls to the east and west of the center of the mansion on a north/south axis. In front of each of the wives' halls there was a small garden patio while to the south of the lord's chambers there was a magnificent one focused on an artificial lake.[4].
Structure
tai-no-ya
shinden
tai-no-ya
shinden
sukiwatadono
watadono
chūmon-rō
watadono
tsuridono
fishing pavilion
shinden
tai-no-ya
The central nave or core of the shinden (moya "Moya (architecture)")) is surrounded by a roofed corridor one ken "Ken (unit)") wide called Hisashi "Hisashi (architecture)"). The moya is a large space, which can be divided thanks to portable screens. Guests and residents of the house sit on mats. Since the flowering of the shinden-zukuri style during the Heian period, houses tend to be furnished and decorated with the characteristic art of the time.
In front of the moya on the other side of the patio there is a garden with a pond. The water runs from a stream (yarimizu 遣水) to a large pond, south of the courtyard. The pond has islets and bridges that combine with the shapes of the mountains, trees and rocks. The set was intended to create the feeling of being in the Pure Land, the paradise of Amida Buddha.
The officers and guards lived near the eastern gates.
Other influenced styles
Buke-zukuri
buke-zukuri was the style of houses built for military families. It was similar in structure to ordinary shinden-zukuri, with some changes to the rooms to accommodate the differences between aristocracy families and military families. During the time when military families rose to power over aristocrats, the main living areas changed. Each lord had to build an extra space to keep his soldiers around him at all times, with weapons within reach in case of a sudden attack. To help protect against these attacks, a yagura or tower was built, with torches scattered throughout the gardens so that they could be illuminated as quickly as possible.[2].
With the increase in people living under the same roof, additional rooms called hiro-bisashi ("large room under the ledge") were built grouped around the shinden. The zensho (膳所 kitchen) became larger to accommodate the number of people needed to cook enough food for the soldiers and family members.[2].
Unlike shinden-zukuri, buke-zukuri houses were simple and practical, keeping away from the absorption in art and beauty that led to the fall of the Heian court. The characteristic rooms of a buke-zukuri house are the following:[5].
The buke-zukuri style changed between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, and sometimes the rooms in buke-zukuri style houses decreased as daimyos began to use castles.
Shoin-zukuri
Shoin-zukuri is a style of Japanese residential architecture used in military mansions, guest reception rooms in temples, and the bedrooms of Zen abbots of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600) and the Edo period (1600-1868). It forms the basis of today's traditional Japanese house style.
Characteristics of the development of the shoin-zukuri style were the incorporation of square posts and floors completely covered with tatami.[6] The style takes its name from shoin, a term that originally identified a study and place for discussing the sūtra "Sutra (Buddhism)") within a temple, but which later came to mean only a drawing room or study.
See Shoin-zukuri.
Examples
There are no original examples of Shinden-zukuri style houses, however, some current structures follow the same styles and designs:.
The main characteristic of shinden-zukuri is the special symmetry of the set of buildings as well as the untapped space between them.
A mansion was usually established in a square chō. The main building, the shinden, was located in the center, in a north-south orientation, with the south side facing an open courtyard. Two subsidiary buildings, the tai-no-ya, were located to the right and left of the shinden, both on an east-west axis. The tai-no-ya and the shinden are connected by two corridors called respectively sukiwatadono (透渡殿) and watadono (渡殿). A chūmon-rō (中門廊, central corridor gate) at the midpoint of the two corridors leads to a courtyard, to the south, where many ceremonies were held. From the watadono, corridors extend southward, ending in the tsuridono (釣殿 fishing pavilion), a small pavilion that forms a U around the courtyard. The richer aristocrats built more buildings behind the shinden and tai-no-ya.[1].
The central nave or core of the shinden (moya "Moya (architecture)")) is surrounded by a roofed corridor one ken "Ken (unit)") wide called Hisashi "Hisashi (architecture)"). The moya is a large space, which can be divided thanks to portable screens. Guests and residents of the house sit on mats. Since the flowering of the shinden-zukuri style during the Heian period, houses tend to be furnished and decorated with the characteristic art of the time.
In front of the moya on the other side of the patio there is a garden with a pond. The water runs from a stream (yarimizu 遣水) to a large pond, south of the courtyard. The pond has islets and bridges that combine with the shapes of the mountains, trees and rocks. The set was intended to create the feeling of being in the Pure Land, the paradise of Amida Buddha.
The officers and guards lived near the eastern gates.
Other influenced styles
Buke-zukuri
buke-zukuri was the style of houses built for military families. It was similar in structure to ordinary shinden-zukuri, with some changes to the rooms to accommodate the differences between aristocracy families and military families. During the time when military families rose to power over aristocrats, the main living areas changed. Each lord had to build an extra space to keep his soldiers around him at all times, with weapons within reach in case of a sudden attack. To help protect against these attacks, a yagura or tower was built, with torches scattered throughout the gardens so that they could be illuminated as quickly as possible.[2].
With the increase in people living under the same roof, additional rooms called hiro-bisashi ("large room under the ledge") were built grouped around the shinden. The zensho (膳所 kitchen) became larger to accommodate the number of people needed to cook enough food for the soldiers and family members.[2].
Unlike shinden-zukuri, buke-zukuri houses were simple and practical, keeping away from the absorption in art and beauty that led to the fall of the Heian court. The characteristic rooms of a buke-zukuri house are the following:[5].
The buke-zukuri style changed between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, and sometimes the rooms in buke-zukuri style houses decreased as daimyos began to use castles.
Shoin-zukuri
Shoin-zukuri is a style of Japanese residential architecture used in military mansions, guest reception rooms in temples, and the bedrooms of Zen abbots of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600) and the Edo period (1600-1868). It forms the basis of today's traditional Japanese house style.
Characteristics of the development of the shoin-zukuri style were the incorporation of square posts and floors completely covered with tatami.[6] The style takes its name from shoin, a term that originally identified a study and place for discussing the sūtra "Sutra (Buddhism)") within a temple, but which later came to mean only a drawing room or study.
See Shoin-zukuri.
Examples
There are no original examples of Shinden-zukuri style houses, however, some current structures follow the same styles and designs:.