Angkor Wat
Oriola Alhasa Zsombor Hernádi Lukas Jusas Melissa Pearson Vivien Röttgerkamp
GREEN TECHNOLOGIES Living Architecture
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With the view to the internal courtyard that follows, one is plunged into a surreal world. On every side, in fantastic over-scale, the enormous pale trunks of the silk-cotton trees soar skywards under a shadowy green canopy, their long spreading skirts trailing the ground and their endless roots coiling more like reptiles than plants
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Maurice Glaize
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Maurice Glaize, „A guide to the Angkor Monuments“, Ta Prohm, (2009), 143 p.
Angkor Wat
A collage of the forest
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1. Angkor Wat 5. Neak Pean
2. Bayon 6. Preah Khan
3. Ta Prohm 7. Bauphon
4. Choasay Tevada 8. Phom Bakheng
Angkor Wat
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The City of Temples -
Axnometrical view of the temples
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The history of Angkor Wat I. Construction of Angkor Wat
Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, Angkor Wat became a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th century. Suryavarman’s people built it as his burial place to unify with the sun god after his death. There were 50000 workers, 5000 sculptors and the whole construction took 30 years of work. The temple’s design is supposed to represent Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Through further history, this temple served as the capital of the Khmer empire, which ruled the region at the time.
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I - Construction of Angkor Wat IV - Temple re-discovery H.M.
II - Temple as a burial palace V - Civil war in 1970s
III - Khmer moving capitals
Angkor Wat
III. Khmer moving capitals
In 1177, Angkor Wat had been sacked by a rival tribe also known as the Vietnamese chams. As a result the Khmer, under the rule of the new emperor, Jayavarman VII, moved their capital to Angkor Thom which lies a few miles to the north of the historic site. By the end of the 12th century, it was considered a Buddhist site.
II. Temple as a burial palace
Historical Timeline
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IV. Temple rediscovery Henry Mouhot
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I - Construction of Angkor Wat IV - Temple re-discovery H.M.
II - Temple as a burial palace V - Civil war in 1970s
III - Khmer moving capitals
Angkor Wat
V. Civil war in 1970s
In the early 15th century Angkor was almost abandoned and only fairly maintained by Theravada Buddhists. Through the 1800s the site sustained significant damage from forest overgrowth to earthquakes and war. While restoration work was accomplished bit by bit under French rule, major efforts didn’t begin in earnest until the 1960s. Cambodia fell into a brutal civil war during the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime. Bullet holes mark the outer walls as a result. Nowadays it is no longer an active temple, it serves as an important tourist attraction.
Historical Timeline
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Temples that are overgrown by trees
1. Ta Som is one of the smaller major temples built by Jayavarman VII. It may have been the temple referred to as the ‚Gaurasrigajaratna‘ (the Jewel of the Propitious White Elephant) which is recorded on an inscription of Preah Khan. If so, it would be one of the few Angkor temples of which we know the original name - Ta Som being a modern appellation. The layout of the temple is an extremely simplified version of Banteay Kdei or Ta Prohm.
2. The Preah Khan temple complex situated at the northern edge of the Angkor Archaeological Park is one of the most significant constructions built during the ancient Khmer empire. Dedicated by the great king Jayavarman VII to his father in 1191, Preah Khan serves today as an outstanding example of a large linear temple complex in a dense jungle setting. Rectangular in shape and occupying 138 acres, Preah Khan’s boundaries are defined by a protective moat and fortified walls adorned by monumental carved stone ‘Garudas’ - eagle like divine beings.
3. There is no record as to why Banteay Kdei was built - or by whom - as no inscriptions have ever been found at the site. Its name means ‘The citadel of the monks cells‘, but that does not necessarily indicate its function. What is known is that Banteay Kdei grew by amalgamation from a small site to a large central temple with its own enclosure wall that protected a large city.
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1. Ta Som
2. Preah Khan
3. Banteay Kdei
Angkor Wat
Ta Prohm Temple Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is almost in the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor‘s most popular temples amongst visitors. The temple, was built during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the year 1186. The design of Ta Prohm is that of a typical „flat“ Khmer temple (as opposed to a templepyramid or temple-mountain, where the inner levels are higher than the outer). Five rectangular enclosing walls surround the central sanctuary.
The Surrounding Temples
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To this day two main species were identified as Ceiba pentandra and Tetrameles nudiflora, also known as Kapok tree and False Hemp tree. They both belong to the highest growing trees in the world. Ceiba Pentandra It belongs to the mallow family and mainly grows in tropical rainforests. Their seeds are equipped with fine, silky fibers, which through the wind enable an easier propagation in the domain of Angkor. The Kapok tree can reach 70 meters in height, 3 meters in trunk diameter and
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1. Ceiba pentandra (Kapok tree) 2. Tetrameles nudiflora (False Hemp tree)
can grow 4 meters in height per year. It can survive up to three hundred years in the wild, which leads to the conclusion that the trees on site are no older than three centuries. Interestingly, the particularly fine roots can structurally adapt to different soil and ground conditions. This might be the main reason why they were able to adapt with such little resources and grow on the temples’ stones. Moreover, the Kapok tree was sacred for various indigenous people, who believed that the souls of the deceased could reach heaven only via its highest branches.
Angkor Wat
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Tetrameles Nudiflora It is a representative species of the Southeast Asian rainforests. Previous investigations found that the Tetrameles nudiflora seedlings rarely survived in the understory. Therefore it is hard to explain why the adults can grow into the top layer of the canopy in mature rainforests. This leads to the assumption that the individual species on site were profiting from the lack of concurrence around the temples. This enabled them to grow to their full extent, which is of immense proportions in height and width. Furthermore, the False Hemp tree does
Tree species
not require deep soil, which explains why they can grow directly on the temples. seedling rarely survived in the understory.
Apart those two said species, less found are strangler fig (Ficus gibbosa) and gold apple (Diospyros decandra). Both plants ripe delicious fruits which are supplied by dense root system, that can come together and sustain itself.
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The events of the few centuries in between Angkor Wat‘s creation and re-discovery are filled with speculations. How the trees of Ta Prohm managed to thrive in this most surreal habitat on top of bare rocks is still a mystery to this day. Two equally possible theories on how nature managed to find a way emerged. The first theory is based on the fact that some temples were never truly abandoned; it is believed that the trees were able to find some fertile soil that accumulated in the cracks between the rocks. The monks might have aided the growth of the trees.
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Ta Prohm 1800
2021
A second scenario is imagined where Ta Prohm was one of the abandoned temples. Nature might have completely re-taken the architecture, burying it with floods and other natural occurrences. This way, the trees might have grown naturally on regular soil, eventually grabbing onto and intertwining with the stones of the temple. Finally, the trees that grew between the temples did not find solid support. After the excavation of the site only those with an inseparable bond between them and the rocks could remain.
The Trees - Purpose and Meaning
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After having had a look at the history of the temple complex, the present conditions are to be observed. Here a few questions arise such as, how do the strong and fine roots of the trees connect to the building? Where can one find a strong bound? Or even, where are spaces in between? The further details of the indepth analysis are shown in the following drawings of the Ta Prohm temple and its interlaced trees.
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Ta Prohm 1800
2021
It becomes evident that both, trees and temple are closely attached to each other. One cannot exist or statically endure without the other. The stone façade of the building provides the roots with corners and joints to grab onto and at the same time, the immense force of the roots is stabilizing the structure and holding the stones together. Therefore, it is a coexistence or symbiosis between man-made architecture and nature. The section is a speculative drawing of how the roots could be attached and intertwined with the backside of the temple structure.
Drawings of a Tree
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Angkor Wat 2021
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The following scenario shows a ‘Distopia’. In approximately 100 years from now, humans will have completely overtaken the ‘City of Temples’, subjugating nature entirely. Here the vegetation is cut down to a maximum to enable transportation system through the temple grounds, such as automatically driven hover rails. This way even more tourits can visit the site increasing capitalism in the area.
Distopia...
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Angkor Wat 2021 2051
Greentopia, showcases a possible scenario of what is to expect in the next 30 years. The climate crisis is heavily affecting the site caused by natural hazards such as, Hurricanes, Earthquakes or even floodings. Here one can see the architecture slowly receding and abandoned from humans for good, due to safety reasons that can’t be met on site anymore. Nature on the other hand is able to adapt and fully takes over the area.
Greentopia - triumph of nature
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Angkor Wat 2021
2221
The scenario ‘Balance’ is a utopic idealisation for the ‘City of Temples’, proposing a peaceful coexistence of humans and nature. The site sustains the principle of ‘eco-tourism’ meaning a sustainable use of resources on site, as well as the return of monks using the temples the way they were historically meant for. The income tourist bring is used to maintain the temples and trees. Here, technology plays a subordinate role and the trees become once again the center of attention.
Balance
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Bibliography 1. Maurice Glaize, „A guide to the Angkor Monuments“, (2009), source: http://www.theangkorguide.com/images/download/Angkor.pdf 2. Dengu Yun, Chen Hui, Yand Xiaofei, Xu Hailong, „Photosynthetic characteristics of an endangered species Tetrameles nudiflora under different light and water conditions“, (2013), source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273690677_Photosynthetic_characteristics_of_an_endangered_ species_Tetrameles_nudiflora_under_different_light_and_water_conditions 3. Guna Noldt, Roberval Lima, Cintia R Souza, „Adaptability of the fine root system of Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. to various sites of central Amazônia, Brazil“, (2008), source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286126611_Adaptability_of_the_fine_root_system_of_Ceiba_pentandra_L_Gaertn_to_various_sites_of_central_Amazonia_Brazil 4. Tracy‘s and Dale‘s Cambodian Adventures, „Angkor Wat Temple Complex (Siem Reap, Cambodia)“ source: http://www.tracyanddale.50megs.com/Cambodia/html/templemap.html 5. Preservation and Destruction: Spung Tree Ta Prohm, Angkor source: http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/nature/nature06.html 6. Ta Prohm temple, Angkor, Cambodia source: https://www.airpano.com/360photo/ta-prohm-cambodia/
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Seminar „Green Technologies - Living Architecture“
Department of Architecture Chair of Green Technologies and Landscape Architecture - Prof. Ferdinand Ludwig SS21