Itō Chūta et son Étude architecturale du Hōryūji (1893) : comment et pourquoi intégrer l’architecture japonaise dans une histoire mondiale

Abstract

Itō Chūta’s Architectural Study of the Hōryūji was the first doctoral thesis on architecture in Japan. In it, Itō presents this monastery as the prototype of Japanese Buddhist architecture, imported from the Asian continent and influenced by Greco-Buddhist art. He relied on a study of the temple’s architectural style based on an analysis of the construction details and proportions of three buildings: the central gate, the golden pavilion and the pagoda. The present paper proposes a translation of the introduction and conclusion of this study, as well as an interpretation of its author’s intentions: to conserve Japan’s architectural heritage, define the first Japanese architectural style and incorporate it into a world history.

Keywords

• Japanese Architecture
• Itō Chūta
• Hōryūji
• World History
• Architectural Heritage
• Architectural Study