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Bagyi Aung Soe, “Burmese Architectural Spirit by Dr. Lwin Aung”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 53-67.1

53 Dr. Lwin Aung Introduction In the history of Burmese art and culture, architecture is quite critical. Citizens in Myanmar are proud of it as it equals others around the world. If someone says this is because of the sheer numbers of traditional buildings, decorations of homes, religious buildings such as wayside public rest houses, monasteries, pavilions and stupas, and the thousands of ancient buildings in brick and stucco in Bagan, it is not an informed remark.

54 Architecture is creative work. It must be done in situ. The human environment is a combination of natural and man-made environments. Landscape architecture and townscape architecture are in our physical environment. In each physical or architectural environment, there are individual architectural atmospheres. An architectural atmosphere is the result of combining buildings, gardens, parks, ponds and grasslands together as well as light, colour, heat and form.

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Natural environment [English] Man-made environment [English] Landscape Architecture [English] Townscape Architecture [English] Physical Environment [English] Architectural Atmosphere [English] Architectural spirli [English; sic] Ideals [English]

55 Architectural spirit is not simply reflection on the materials used; it is the reflection of the spirit of good will, faith in existence, self-sacrifice for fellow human beings, customs, cultures and the ideals of those who create and build the buildings. In other words, it can be said that

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This translation only conveys the gist of the article, not all the nuances.

Bagyi Aung Soe, “Burmese Architectural Spirit by Dr. Lwin Aung”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 53-67.

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architectural atmosphere arises from the materials and architectural spirit from the creators’ mental or abstract world.

Burmese architectural spirit In architectural buildings with the spirit and good will of the Burmese people, water pot stands are often seen. How much satisfaction do you think travellers get in seeing public rest houses at junctions in the heat of the sun?

56 The most important thing about architecture, ancient or modern, is to give joy to its users and viewers. It must have three qualities: durability, beauty and satisfaction. The first is directly related to Vitruvius’ conception of architectural skills. Beauty refers to the art of architecture. Satisfaction depends on the creator’s social convictions. The provision of water pots at pertinent sites for thirsty travellers is implemented from the social point of view. It is the same with the public rest houses connecting villages. They are built without being instructed by the authorities.

The first stage of satisfaction is achieved through the satisfaction of basic needs. The second …

57 … has to do with a pleasant appearance. This leads to the third stage whereby people take pride in their lives, people and area they live in. Architectural spirit has to be present at every stage of satisfaction.

Although architectural spirit lies in the characteristics and style of a building, it is not always easy to create it with skills or art. In fact, the spirit arises from the habits, cultures, customs and beliefs of a people. Thus, in order to understand Burmese architectural spirit, one must know the people’s habits, culture and customs, as well as their ideals and beliefs.

Looking back in history, it is obvious that in monasteries in every village and city where the roots of true Burmese tradition are, the principal facilities, public rest houses, ordination halls, stairways at pagodas, stupas, ponds, gardens, and even plants, were all donated and set up by the people.

58 Burmese kings never built the great tombs like the egoist kings in India and Egypt who used them to show their power. The famous Taj Mahal in Agra, India is the tomb for a beloved queen. Angkor Wat where the king’s ashes are kept is the ultimate expression of egoism.

The world-famous pyramids in Egypt are also the tombs of the kings who planned mainly for their after-life.

Bagyi Aung Soe, “Burmese Architectural Spirit by Dr. Lwin Aung”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 53-67.

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There were greedy kings during the Bagan era, the most developed period of Burmese architecture. Some assassinated their own fathers to gain power. Even such cruel kings did not build tombs. Instead, the good king Kyansittha built temples with hollow vaults as cultural museums for the people. His aim was to provide them with knowledge and to make them more educated. If he had been an egoist, he could have easily had a huge tomb.

59 But now, as we see, the statute of the donor shows him in the humble posture of paying homage to the Lord Buddha.

Looking closely, we see clearly that architectural spirit depends on the beliefs of the people, their hopes and ideals. Architecture from Myanmar is quite different to that of other countries, just as that of the Bagan era is. The famous architectural works of Angkor Wat in Southeast Asia are grand. A comparison between those of Bagan and Angkor reveals different spirits.

From engineering’s point of view, the stone temples of the Bayon of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat, the Khmer city, are outstanding. The fact that they are made of huge stones of 20 tons each and about 200 feet in height suggests that the Khmer engineers’ mechanical skills were superior to those of Bagan’s engineers.

60 But Burmese architectural works seek intimacy with the citizens whereas Khmer architectural works seek to awe. This is a partial difference between the two architectural spirits.

Looking back to Bagan history, there is evidence of kings providing the people with opportunities to improve their livelihood, to gain knowledge, to improve on their beliefs and to upgrade the traditional way of living. This is reflected in not only literature, but also architecture. For example, representations of the Buddha’s life and 550 previous lives are clearly visible at the stupas.

The people of Egypt was forced to build pyramids in Egypt. It was likewise with Angkor Wat. 61 The kings of Bagan never resorted to force as can be seen on the stone inscriptions indicating the expenses for masonry, painting and architectural works. Although Burmese kings used the labour of the people, they also encouraged the participation of volunteers and donors in setting up religious buildings. The fact that the vast vaulted Thatbyinnyu Temple was completed within a year proves this. The construction was completed in such a short time just due the people’s endorsement and desire. They could not have finish it earlier if they had done their work perfunctorily or out of fear of the king.

Bagyi Aung Soe, “Burmese Architectural Spirit by Dr. Lwin Aung”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 53-67.

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The thousands of pagodas built in Bagan reflect the Burmese people’s good will, and their beliefs in life. What they wanted to save were noble good deeds rather than material property. The architectural atmospheres of the monasteries from the Inwa and Konbaung eras are created by the decoration of yellow teaks, vermilion, white lime, oleo-resin obtained from the tree, damask and gold paint. Gold and silver bells that tinker in the breeze are found at the ornamented finial of vertical structures at the corners and niches of religious buildings’ roofs, …

62 … with the big one found at the top of pagodas’ roofs and umbrellas. The big brass bells at the foot of the pagodas which are meant to be struck and heard by all beings after the expression of one’s wishes are also important elements of the architectural environment.

Brass drums and gongs producing pleasant sounds used to “share” the devotees’ good deeds are also added to the space. They were referred to as “the Gongs’ sounds of Bagan” in the golden age. Another aspect of the architectural abode then was the sweet fragrance of flowers. The names given to the monasteries such as Popaeyon, Thawun, Nagawon and Wailuwun prove this well. It can be understood that size, space, colour, smell and sound work hand in hand to create architectural works or abodes.

In addition to the above-mentioned factors perceived by touch or sight, there are other things in architecture that can be known intuitively. Generally, an architectural space can be sensed visually.

63 It can also be sensed through movement. The architectural spirit is in fact the result of width, light and darkness, colours, temperature, senses and noises combined in an architectural space.

Space alone does not make the architectural spirit. Instead, it happens in accordance with their distribution in that space. As with a glass of water, the mass of water as space is defined by the size of glass. The colour of the water, whether it is clear or not, is defined by the light falling on the glass. This is the same with architectural space. Again, if the glass is in the colour of green, blue, yellow or red, then the water inside takes on the same colour. The colour of architectural space can also be created in the same way. Next, the temperature of the water in the glass can be assumed as identical to that of the glass. Architectural space can be warm or cool in the same way.

64 Whether an architectural space is wide or narrow, light or dim, cool or warm and its colour and hue are defined in the same way. It is because mass, like the glass, is defined by the amount of surface area, the light on it and its colour. The result is dependent on the ratio of

Bagyi Aung Soe, “Burmese Architectural Spirit by Dr. Lwin Aung”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 53-67.

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these fundamentals, as is the effectiveness of architectural space, which will differ according to each architect’s creativity.

Architectural spirit is the outcome of combining inner space and outer structure or mass. Or it can be said that it is formed in accordance with the attitude, custom and highest intentions in life of the creator, owner of the building and even one of Myanmar’s peoples.

The Burmese like their property to prosper. We also like doing good deeds. Nowadays, millionaires in developed countries set up foundations and give to those in need in the form of donations and awards such as the Nobel Prize.

65 However, all their actions are obviously expressions of their ego or desire to win popularity.

Large-scale operations as such have yet to be undertaken by nations in Western civilised industrial countries.

66 Conclusion The architectural environment is formed according to time, region and planning. It is also the material environment. The architectural abode is defined by its environment. The architectural environment must be created in accordance with nature in its purest form for the greatest benefit of humankind. That architectural abode must convey its spirit.

The architectural spirit thrives on its community’s commercial, social and political matters as well as their beliefs in life. The architectural spirit of Myanmar in the future will change the basic of our commercial, social and political systems today. Architects in Myanmar must thus understand …

67 … the essence of our past and the changes in social life today. If not, the admirative architectural spirit of Myanmar will come to its end in the future.

To avoid that unexpected architectural situation in the future, the youngsters, future architects must try to see the true architectural spirit of Myanmar.

Creation comes after understanding and they thus have to try hard to be true Burmese architects first.

Translated by Pann Hmone Wai

Bagyi Aung Soe, “Burmese Architectural Spirit by Dr. Lwin Aung”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 53-67.

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