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Exhibition: The Art of Timber Construction

Guanyin-hall, Dule-monastery Tianjin, Jixian (Liao Dynasty 916-1125)

Chunyang Hall, Yongle Palace, Ruicheng, Shanxi Province (Yuan Dynasty 1271-1368)

Bracketing Cluster (Dougong) (Song Dynasty 960-1279)

Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, Temple Zhihua, Beijing (Ming Dynasty 1368-1644)

For about three centuries, almost all public buildings in China were built according to a hardly ever changing construction system: an enormous, curved hip roof rests on wooden posts with wide overhanging eaves and tile covering, supported by an elaborate wooden construction.
In the 20th century, documentation and teaching models of the highest accuracy were made of the most important buddhist temples and palace complexes. These large-scale models precisely show all the details in order to enable their study and a possible reconstruction of the historical buildings. The exhibition at the Architekturmuseum shows 19 of these models, among them detailed models of the bracket system (Dougong) and reproductions of the oldest timber constructions existing in China.

The Art of Timber Construction: Chinese Architectural Models, at Architekturmuseum der TU München, Munich, Germany, October 22 - January 24, 2009
via: designboom

Friday, August 7th, 2009

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