Why Are Chinese Roofs Curved

The chinese also found they could use this upswept shape to extend the length of the eaves which they felt added beauty to the building.

Why are chinese roofs curved.

The tiles usually shaped to represent bamboo create their own curved surface further confusing the evil spirits. The classic chinese roof is a light roof built on a flexible frame of timbers and is very different than western roof types. Modern physics and computer modeling has shown that the traditional asian style high ridged roofs with multi pitched or curved roof lines and double overhanging eaves performs better during high wind events such as typhoons hurricanes. Why do some chinese houses have curved roofs answers this kind of architecture is very scientific and practical in some part of china there is a heavy rainfall throught the year the curved roofs.

And meanwhile it strengthen the ability of anti earthquake. The chinese house roof mostly is built as bucket arch and supported by big wood column. Temple roofs were curved because buddhists believed that a curved shape could ward off evil spirits which were thought to only move in straight lines. Ancient chinese people believed that these mythical ridge beasts on the roofs would prevent fire and drive away demons.

Southeastern asian cultures may have inspired this style. This happens because in summertime the sun is more directly overhead while in the winter it only gets about 35 degrees above the horizon at noon. If evil spirits were to descend from the sky for instance they would hit the roofs and be sent shooting back up and away however gods were also inspired to descend onto earth by the color black such as in roof tiles very tricky. Asian roofs are gently curved out at the corners in order to allow more light to enter the windows in winter and provide extra shade in the summer.

These cultures used bamboo and palm leaves for their roofing which curved into this shape naturally. The roofs in both of the above photos show what liang ssu ch eng in chinese architecture called the immediately outstanding feature of chinese architecture. I m not sure what happens when the straight line spirits hit the curvy roof but i like to think they slide along the curve and fly right off the end and also that they go wheeeeeeeeeee while doing it. Why are chinese roofs curved upward.

And that s why chinese roofs are curved supposedly. Some say the curved upturned roof in chinese architecture originated out of buddhism and its ancient principles of warding off evil with curves. This is strikingly different from most western roofing systems they put a lot of stress on the outer walls. It s said that making the edges of roofs curve would help keeping the bucket arch roof in balance.

Bioclimatic architecture at its best. A curved roof with overhanging eaves which a wooden skeleton supports.