If another time I told you about the most expensive furniture ever soldToday I'm going to tell you about the oldest wooden building still standing. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and in the Guinness Book of Records. It is a pagoda at Horyuji Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
It is not surprising that this building is in Japan. The tradition working with wood and complex methods of joining wooden beamsThe traditional, non-wooden, non-nailed, non-nailed, and non-wooden, wood- or nail-less, are already known and appreciated all over the world. Such a heritage has deep roots and they are recognizable in the way the Horyuji temple was made.
The temple at Ikaruga has 26 buildings that were all completed before 800 AD and are considered the oldest wooden buildings. But there is also the oldest. It is a 5-story pagoda completed in 607 AD. The temple was destroyed by fire in 670 AD, but was rebuilt and finished around 700 AD. However, tests carried out on the wood of the pagoda's central pillar revealed that it was cut in 594 AD, which means that it survived the fire, and the pagoda is now considered to be the oldest wooden structure in the world still standing.
The pagoda is over 32 meters high with a base of 6/6 meters. Next to it is the main temple building, also very old, considered the 2nd oldest in the world. Unlike the pagoda it has only 2 floors and a base of 8.5/15 m. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1946. It was rebuilt, but it is believed that only 15-20% of the old structure could be saved.
Perhaps the pagoda inside Horyuji Temple is not the oldest. Perhaps there are other buildings in the world that can claim that title. But what is certain is that in Japan there is a tradition of woodwork raised to the level of art. And this must be understood, respected and recognized. Because I don't think there is another country that understands, appreciates and loves wood as passionately as Japan does.
(source: timetravelturtle.com)
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[...] an earthquake will also be seen on a wooden house. However, considering that the oldest wooden construction is in Japan, a country where earthquakes are very common, I am inclined to believe those who [...]
[...] earthquake will also be seen on a wooden house. However, considering that the oldest wooden construction is in Japan, a country where earthquakes are very common, I am inclined to believe the [...]