Angkor Architectural Styles

• Round, plain colonettes with capitals that include a bulb.

See also Sambor Prei Kuk Lintel Style.

• Masterpieces of sculpture, but primitive architecture.
• Larger colonettes are more heavily decorated.
• General decline in standards.

See also Prei Kmeng Lintel Style.

• More decorative rings on cylindrical colonettes.
• Continuing brick construction.

See also Kompong Preah Lintel Style.

• Continuation of pre-Angkorean style, but a period of innovation and borrowing, such as from Cham temples.
• Relatively high towers are mainly square.
• Mainly brick, with laterite walls and stone door surrounds.
• Square and octagonal colonettes begin to appear.

See also Kulen Lintel Style.

• Simple plan: one or more square brick towers on a single base.
• First appearance of concentric enclosures.
• First appearance of gopuras and ‘libraries’.
• Decorative ‘flying palaces' replaced by dvarapalas and devatas in niches.
• First major temple-mountain at Bakong Temple.

See also Preah Ko Lintel Style.

• Development of the temple-mountain.
• More use of stone, particularly for major temples.
• More decorative stone carving.

See also Bakheng Lintel Style.

• Scale of buildings diminishes towards the centre.
• Brick is still the main material, but sandstone also used.

See also Koh Ker Lintel Style.

• Transitional between Koh Ker and Banteay Srei.
• Long halls partly enclose the sanctuary.
• The last great monuments in plastered brick.
• Increasing use of sandstone.

See also Pre Rup Lintel Style.

• Ornate, superposed pediments.
• Sweeping gable ends.
• Rich and deep carving.
• Plastered brick replaced by stone and laterite.
• Appearance of mythological scenes in pediments.
• Voluptuous devatas with gentle expressions.

See also Banteay Srei Lintel Style.

• First use of galleries.
• Cruciform (cross-shaped) gopuras.
• Octagonal colonettes.
• Restrained decorative carving.

See also Khleang Lintel Style.

• A return to rich carving: floral motifs, but also lintels with scenes.
• Nagas without headdress.
• Bas-reliefs appear at the Baphuon Temple, carved with lively scenes enclosed in small panels, often in narrative sequence.

See also Baphuon Lintel Style.

• The high classical style of Khmer architecture.
• Fully developed conical towers with curved profile.
• Galleries wider and with half galleries on one side.
• Concentric enclosures connected by axial galleries.
• Nagas with headdress.
• Naga balustrades raised off the ground.
• Invention of the cruciform (cross-shaped) terrace.
• Richly carved lintels and other decorations.
• Bas-reliefs.
• Apsaras.

See also Angkor Wat Lintel Style.

• The last great Angkor style.
• Hurried construction, often in laterite not stone.
• Carving less elegant.
• Complex plans, huge temples.
• In Cambodia, face-towers, and historical narrative bas-reliefs.
• Three periods:

1. Large, complex temples on a single level;
2. Face-towers and avenues of giants carrying nagas;
3. Decline of building standards, devatas acquire Angkor Wat Temple-style diadem.

See also Bayon Lintel Style.

• Development of the cruciform (cross-shaped) terrace.
• Causeways on columns, low or high.

See also Post-Bayon Lintel Style.