History of Architecture 3 Report by: SR DLS-College of St. Benilde School of Architecture 3rd Term S.Y. 2015-16 June 2016 Special thanks to other SlideShare who posted their presentations about Lao Art and Architecture.

1. Lao Architecture
HISTARC3 3T SY 2015-16

2. Kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao
(Kingdom of a Million Elephants Under the White Parasol)

3. • After a period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke off into three
separate kingdoms— Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak.

4. Lao People's Revolutionary Party

7. Hinduism in Southeast Asia

9. Greater India

11. Laos Architecture

14. Tamil Hindu

15. Hinudism in Laos
• Laos used to be part of Khmer Empire. The Vat Phou is one of the last
influences of that period.

16. Vat Phou was a part of the Khmer
Empire centred on Angkor to the
southwest, at least as early as the
reign of Yasovarman I in the early
10th century.

17. Yaso-varman I
• “Leper King”
• Angkorian King (889-910)
• he built about 100 monasteries (ashrams)
ព្រះបាទយសោវរ្ម័នទី១

18. Minor changes
were made
during the
following two
centuries, before
the temple, like
most in the
empire, was
converted to
Theravada
Buddhist use.

19. This continued after the area
came under control of the Lao,
and a festival is held on the site
each February. Little restoration
work has been done, other than
the restoration of boundary
posts along the path. Vat Phou
was designated a World
Heritage Site in 2001.

20. Like most Khmer temples, Vat Phou is orientated towards the east, although the axis
actually faces eight degrees south of due east, being determined primarily by the
orientation of the mountain and the river. Including the barays (reservoirs), it stretches
1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) east from the source of the spring, at the base of a cliff 100
metres (330 ft) up the hill. 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of the temple, on the west bank of
the Mekong, lay the city, while a road south from the temple itself led to other temples
and ultimately to the city of Angkor.

22. The most important buildings in Laos are the wat (a Buddhist temples,
sometimes spelled “vat”) and the that (a Buddhist stupa built to hold
religious objects).

23. 3 Kinds of Lao Architecture

24. I. Vientiane Style
• Vientiane-style temple
architecture features a large
veranda with heavy columns, an
ornamented, overhanging roof,
carved wood porticos and a
carved wood shade along the
top of the veranda, often with
half-bird, half human kinnari
against a background of stylized
foliage.

25. II. Luang Prabang Style
• Luang Prabang-style temple
architecture is similar to the
northern Siamese Lanna style. It
features a roof that is very
pointed and steep at the top and
gradually flares and is almost
horizontal at the bottom and
often almost touches the ground.
The Lao sometimes say these
roofs resemble to the wings of a
hen protecting her chicks. Many
wats have gold-leaf-covered
doors and outer walls

26. Wat Xieng Thong Temple is the most iconic Luang Prabang style religious architecture.

27. III. Xieng Khuang Style
• The Xieng Khuang style of northern
Laos, of which relatively few
examples remain, features a multiple-
level platform and a roof that sweeps
low and wide and usually isn’t tiered.
The Thai Lu style features
whitewashed stucco walls, small
windows, two or three-ired roofs,
curved pediments and naga lintels
over the doors and steps. Thai Lu
stupas are typically gilded and
octagonal in shape of are covered
with Thai Lu fabrics.

28. III.a. Thai Luu Style
Gilded chedi and Thai Lu-
style structure at Wat Phra
That Chae Haeng

29. Religios Architecture in Laos
• The styles of these Laotian Sanctuaries are determined by their positions in the
community and the layout of the roofs : the vihans (sanctuaries) with circular naves,
nearly all situated in the area of Luang Prabang, are in the style of this province. For the
others, it is possible to differentiate the three principle styles:
• 1) The style of Luang Prabang, is characterized by its huge pointed roofs made from flat
tiles which are put down in successive layers, normally two or three, stopping only a few
metres from the ground. [Source: LuangPrabang-Laos.com ^^]
• 2) The style of Xieng Khouang, presents an accentuated form of the characteristics
described above : the roofs come nearly all the way down to the ground, and their cross
sections are almost perfect pentagons. We can see in this style a provincial version of the
Luang Prabang style, structures built in this way are nearly all situated in the province of
Xieng Khouang, to the South-East of Luang Prabang. You can also see the original style of
the Lao vihans, the style of Luang Prabang only representing the result of a long
evolution; it would appear that the old vihans of Luang Prabang belong to the Xieng
Khouang style. ^^
• 3) The style of Vientiane is a more tapering style, the part that the roof plays in the
structure is less important here and the openings are higher.

30. Great Stupa of Vientiane
Pha That Luang
a gold-covered large Buddhist
stupa in the centre of Vientiane,
Laos.
Since its initial establishment,
suggested to be in the 3rd
century, the stupa has undergone
several reconstructions as recently
as the 1930s due to foreign
invasions of the area. It is
generally regarded as the most
important national monument in
Laos and a national symbol.