Description
Book SynopsisThe Hermitâs Hut offers an original insight into the profound relationship between architecture and asceticism. Although architecture continually responds to ascetic compulsions, as in its frequent encounter with the question of excess and less, it is typically considered separate from asceticism. In contrast, this innovative book explores the rich and mutual ways in which asceticism and architecture are played out in each otherâs practices. The question of asceticism is also consideredâas neither a religious discourse nor a specific cultural tradition but as a perennial issue in the practice of culture. The work convincingly traces the influences from early Indian asceticism to Zen Buddhism to the Japanese teahouseâthe latter opening the door to modern minimalism. As the bookâs title suggests, the protagonist of the narrative is the nondescript hermitâs hut. Relying primarily on Buddhist materials, the author provides a complex narrative that stems from this simple structure, showing
