Pagoda Roof

A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves, developed from the stupa, a domed Buddhist monument that originated in ancient India. The "pagoda roof" refers to its characteristic sequence of projecting roofs, one at each storey, which diminish in size toward the top and are crowned by a finial. Most pagodas have between three and thirteen tiers, almost always an odd number; the 18th-century pagoda at Kew Gardens in London is a notable exception.

Regional traditions

• China: pagodas were built in timber, brick and stone, with overhanging eaves on each tier. The wooden pagoda of Fogong Temple in Ying County, Shanxi, built in 1056, is the oldest standing fully wooden pagoda in China.
• Japan: wooden pagodas, typically three- or five-storeyed, are a feature of Buddhist temples. The pagoda at Hōryū-ji, built in the 7th century, is among the oldest wooden buildings in the world.
• Korea: stone and wooden pagodas, such as the octagonal nine-storey pagoda at Woljeongsa.
• Nepal: multi-tiered temples of the Kathmandu Valley derive from Newar architecture, which differs from Chinese and Japanese styles.

Structure and roofing

Timber pagodas carry their deep eaves on dougong, wooden bracket sets that lock together, and many have a central column. The complex joints provide friction damping and sliding, which help these tall timber structures survive earthquakes. Wooden pagodas are, however, vulnerable to fire, rot and insects, which is why most surviving ancient pagodas are brick or stone.

The roofs themselves are covered with fired clay tiles, wooden shingles, bark or copper sheet, with ornamental ridge and eave-end tiles. Upturned eave corners are a common decorative feature in Chinese-influenced styles.

Influence

Pagoda forms influenced 18th-century European chinoiserie garden buildings and, later, modern buildings that borrow tiered eaves for shading and visual effect.