RR 8 : 3/14/11

Showing Authority

Ninomaru Palace in Nijo Castle was built arounf 1601 and located at the heart of Kyoto, Japan.  The specific function of this building was to coordinate general actions conducted throughout the city.  This was achieved through the design of "carefully orchestrated syncopation of waiting rooms and meeting halls" (488). 

• As we see in this picture most of the woodwork was left unpainted on the outside of the palace. 
• As you enter into the court the walls behind the gate that surround the palace step back which implies a hidden depth of the court.
• The walls leading to the garden is angled creating a illusion fo a much larger space.
• It is really interesting to see here how placement can make a space seem different in size.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rekishinotabi/3912323786/

• In this plan of the Palace I have labeled the three main buildings of the palace.
• The last 2 area of the building are meant for imformal audiences with the shotgun (head general) and also the royal residence.
• A visitor to the palace would enter into the Tozamurai where they would wait with a nice open view of the garden.
• In the Ohiroma room the vistor would walk down a long hallways which focuses on the head council by having a tall knotted branch of two pine trees which jump throught the back frame. This was symbolic of authority

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ninomaru_Palace_Nijo_Castle_plan.svg

• This image is of the the Ohiroma room which is shaped like an "L" to build visual hierarchy by putting distance between himself and the visitors.
• In the distance we see a gold painting marking authority
• Directly behing the shotgun is a bonsi tree image rising vertically
• When the back windowns are closed the light illuminated the shotgun
• The whole area where the shotgun was seated was set up making his significance become immediately clear. This was through an elaborate door, on axis, to the shotguns left, raised roof, and screens that open allowing him to see the outside.http://natsukashii.wordpress.com/2005/07/13/nijo-castle/