Three-Storey Pagoda

A sacred three-storey pagoda (sanjū-no-tō) in a Kyoto temple pond garden, a landmark seen across the water from every bank.

A square plan stands on one low grey granite plinth in weathered stone (#7E7B73). Three square storeys rise above it, each a little narrower than the one below. Each storey is a box of flat white plaster in afternoon haze (#F3E7CF), framed by four square vermilion posts (#C24A2E), one at each corner, and one broad vermilion beam running round the storey just under its eave.

Three deep, broad roofs of charcoal kawara tile (#3F4447), one over each storey, are the building's signature: their wide eaves overhang far beyond the walls on all four sides and lift only gently at the four corners. Under each roof one thick stepped vermilion bracket band runs round the storey and carries the eave. The top roof rises to a square point carrying one tall bronze spire (#6B5A3A), wrapped by five thick bronze rings evenly stacked and finished with one broad flame-shaped tip.

The front of the ground storey has one pair of plain dark red board doors in red maple (#7E2A2C), centred between the vermilion posts and reached by three broad granite steps across the front of the plinth. The left, right and rear sides of every storey are plain plaster panels in the same vermilion frame, with no doors or windows.

Colour blocking: charcoal roofs, vermilion frame and brackets, white plaster, grey granite base, bronze only at the spire. No railings, no balconies, no lattice or shoji grids, no gilding, dragons or ornament, no steeply swooping roof tips.