Technological Institute of the Philippines

938 Aurora Blvd. Cubao, Quezon City

AR 333A / History of Architecture 3

CAMBODIAN ARCHITECTURE
Assignment No. 7

Maria Elaiza Ann R. Taguse

Ar. Lawrence Dolores II

Student

Instructor

AR31FA3

September 02, 2015

Section

Date

Table of Contents

References
Salvan, George

I. Influences

II. Architectural Character

III. Examples

IV. Terminology

Architecture in Thailand
and Cambodia

Ching, Francis D.K.

V. Significance of the Study

Khmer Architecture

Culture and Architecture

of Cambodia

INFLUENCES

GEOLOGICAL

GEOGRAPHICAL

CLIMATIC
Tropical

Southern Indo-China

HISTORICAL
Pre-Colonial Kingdoms

RELIGIOUS

SOCIAL

Devaraja Cult

Khmer People

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

While many of the earliest temples at Angkor are

made of bricks and mortar masonry, they were replaced due to Indian influence with stone

Construction Materials

Sandstone
Primary stone used for temple construction
Came from hills of Phom Kulen (20 km
northeast of Angkor); after it was quarried,
it was floated down the Siem Reap River to
Angkor
Laterite
Typically red hued due to its iron oxide content and sourced from throughout the area
Used as enclosure walls and platforms

Structural Elements

No mortar, consistent with Indian Hindu temple

precedent
Corbelling
Structures consist exclusively of trabeated
forms (straight horizontal and vertical lines),
such as the post and lintel
Khmer architecture never employs the true
arch, which utilizes a keystoneno the arch,
vault, and dome
Corbelling techniques provide the only form
of vaulting - a corbelled arch is constructed by offsetting successive courses of stone
comprising two opposing walls so that they
project towards the archways center until
the courses meet and close the gap

Bas-relief Friezes
Inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series
of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epic the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata, historical events of
the King and Hindu Mythology
Blind Door and Window
Angkorean shrines frequently opened in only
one direction, typically to the East. The other three sides featured fake or blind doors to
maintain symmetry
Blind windows were often used along otherwise blank walls

Colonette
narrow decorative columns that served as
supports for the beams andlintels above
doorways or windows
Depending on the period, they were round,
rectangular, or octagonal in shape
Often circled with molded rings and decorated with carved leaves

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Khmer Period

Javanese influence in the emphasis upon the temple

mountain and the concept of the god-king; and the

raising of the Temple Cella to the summer of the

stepped pyramid

The building of another capital on the hill and round

the temple-mountain of Phrom Bakeng, Close to
Phnom Kulen, terraced into the hill as a five levelled
pyramid, with isolated towers on the topmost tier and
smaller towers at the lower levels

Construction at Roluous, Angkor of the Archetypal

Khmer urban irrigation system. An immense artificial

lake, Baray Lolei, about 3 km long (2mi) and 800

m wide was formed by earthen dykes to store water
from the stung rolvous river flowing into a network

of moats and waterways

Transitional Khmer Period

The evolution of the Temple-Mountain was continued in Baksei Chamkrong, Angkor, the first to be
built-up in stone (laterite) in pyramidal terraces from
flat ground, and Kohker North east of Angkor, constructed on artificial lake by damming a stream a further stage in the evolutionary process came in the
Takeo in which the classical five Terraces and five
colossal towers were introduced

Classical Khmer Period

Creation of Angkor Wat
Creation of Angkor Thom
Khmer architecture as expressed in these works is
characterized by grandeur of conception, brilliant
landscaping, unsurpassed townplanning in a strictly
formal sense, and exuberant sculpture decoration on a
grandiose scale, but of exquisite refinement stone was
used like wood, and stone walls were often reinforced
with concealed timber beams inserted in the hollowed
-out centres
To express the verticality of the invariable mountain
theme, these galleried groups were placed round and
above the central pyramid
Everywhere sculptural ornament breaks through the
architectural lines, often spreading over the whole
wall surface

An architecturally simple stone pyramid, it comprises

five superimposed terraces, decreasing in size from an
almost square base with sides of 33 m to 23 m sides
at the top, which is 16 m from the ground

EXAMPLES
Ankor Thom

Angkor Wat

Built
for
King
Suryavarman II
in the early 12 c

BAYON

Temple built
for
King
Jayavarman
VII in the 12th
century

ELEPHANT
TERRACE

A large open
ceremonial areas
that faces the
Royal Square, a
large
reception
area
for
pavilions where visiting royalty could be
entertained in style. The terrace walls contain
scores of carved elephants, garudas, five-headed
horse, and other figures

TEMPLE
MOUNTAIN

The center
of
government
and capital city

Center
of
Hindu
religion;
dedicated to Vishnu, the Buddha

Built with the classic style of Khmer architecture

Built as a temple or as a tomb

Estimated time for construction was about 30

years
The worlds largest religious monument
The five central towers represent the peaks of
the mythological Mount Meru, and the entire

Khmers
adapted
the
Indian concept
of
a
templemountain
draws
its
symbolism from Hindu mythology
Earthly facsimile of Mount Meru, the scared
abode of the gods. The temple as a microcosm
of a central mountain was an essential concept
that had profound influence on Khmer art

CAUSEWAY &
NAGA
BRIDGE

Combination
of a causeway
and
a
moat
provide a dramatic
backdrop for naga or serpent
balustrade that appeared in Khmer
architecture since 9th c. The naga bridges link
the world man to that of the gods on the summit
of the hill. Having crossed over, the pilgrim
ascends the final and grandest staircase

BAPUON

GOPURA
Occupies
a
rectangular of about 208 has (500 acres) defined
by a laterite wall

A
massive
mountain-temple

Moat with a long sandstone causeway crossing it

and serving as the main access to the
monument. The moat is 200 m wide with a
perimeter of 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles)

Main
architecture
feature of the
wall
that
surrounds
a
Khmer temple

EXAMPLES

Angkor Wat

MAIN TOWER

Predominant
architectural
feature
of
Angkor
Form is derived from the

south Indian temple

Base stands firm on a platform with symmetrical
doorways on each faade. Doorways either open
or are false, depending on the use of the tower
Tower begins to taper slowly at the base, but
more pronounced towards the top creating a
round effect
Crowned with a lotus, which possibly serve as
the base for a glided metal spire
Constructed with cantilevered stones following
the principles of vault corbelled construction with
the exposed outer surface being elaborately
carved

TERMINOLOGY
Naga
A reptilian race of beings who
possessed a large empire or
kingdom in the Pacific Ocean
region

Kala
A ferocious monster symbolic
of time in its all-devouring
aspect and associated with the
destructive side of the god
Shiva

Prasat

Khmer

A temple tower in Khmer

architecture constructed of
stone and richly carved with
bas-reliefs depicting epic tales
and
important
events
of
Khmer history

A people of Cambodia who

established an empire in the 5th
century CE and dominated most
of Indochina from the 9th to the
12th centuries

Gopura
Gateway

Baray
A large, shallow water tank in
the architecture of the Khmer
Empire,
holding
water
for
irrigation and symbolizing the
font of the Hindu cosmos

Khmer Architecture
The architecture of the Khmer
Empire,
characterized
by
temple complexes consisting
of four towers connected by
covered galleries to a central
dominant
tower
that
represents Mount Meru, the
legendary home of the Hindu
gods, and a surrounding moat
symbolizing the cosmic ocean

Dvarapalas
Human or demonic temple
guardians, generally armed with
lances and clubs

Indra
The sky-god reigned supreme

Apsara

Had no religious status and

served only as a decorative
motif in architecture

Divine nymphs
dancing girls

Gajasimha
or

celestial

Mythical animal with the body

of a lion and the head of an
elephant

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Cambodian architecture makes me look back on the time I enrolled to an oil

painting workshop. The teacher asked me to paint the fluorescent lamp that is re-

...small details
breathes the big
picture life.

flected by the glass bottle. Initially, I thought to myself, What difference does it
make? But at the end of that session, as I looked at my painting, I realized how the
small details breathes the big picture life.
The meticulous sculpture and carvings. The bas-reliefs. The often underrated small details.
One ant cannot lift a sack of rice. But a population of ants carrying a grain each makes the job possible. Likewise, small details that work together finishes the piece of art. It only implies that great
minds do not make great architecture. Patience and endurance do.