Hello, over the past day I’ve created a temple that’s stylised to fit Nihon kenchiku architecture.
I’d love to hear some feedback, and what I can add. In my opinion there isnt much to look at apart from the exterior so I need ideas on props etc.
Game link: Rainy Temple - Roblox
Images:
Looks very good, However I do think you should add some terrain or something and change the lighting for a more sunny crisp monrning feel.
Are the red parts supposed to be metallic? You should add a wood texture to them.
The roofs are a bit skinny and could have more detail like in the photo below.
Thanks for the share, NorthernElves!
Regarding the build, note that torii denote entrance to Shinto shrines, while Buddhist temple entrances are usually denoted by a rōmon or nijūmon (depending on the temple’s size/sect). Although Japanese architecture in general was originally based on imported Chinese Buddhist architecture, the two types of complexes (Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines) eventually developed their own architectural peculiarities and have different layouts. The two-story hall design resembles a Buddhist kondō, though the torii suggests otherwise. Depending on whether you’re going for a shrine or a temple (which isn’t quite clear to me yet), I could give you additional pointers suitable for either direction.
The exaggerated curvature of the roof hips would also be more suitable for Chinese or Vietnamese architecture. Japanese architecture has distinctively modest roof hips in comparison, so I’d advise toning them down if you’re going for genuine nihon kenchiku - for other tips on how to assemble the roofs I detail the process pretty thoroughly in my guide.
You have the right idea with the grid-based arrangement of the hashira (Japanese architecture is usually partitioned into rectangular “bays”), though the roof lintels should also correspond with that grid. I’d lastly just suggest adding dǒugǒng brackets above each hashira to support the roof structure, as both Buddhist and Shinto structures distinctly use brackets both for ornamentation and structural purposes.
