Pillar-Top Style: Pillar Extends Above Roof

A full frontal view of a 'Chongtian-style' archway. Its most distinctive feature is that the four upright columns directly pass upwards through the lintels and eaves, with the column tops rising above the roof. The ends of the column tops are finished with cloud patterns or crouching beasts, thus the skyline is formed by the sawtooth silhouette of the four column tops and the lower eaves in the middle, rather than a continuous ridge. The column shafts are square-sectioned bluestone, with a clear entasis, thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top. The central bay of the three bays is wider, and the two side bays are narrower. The lintels have shallow relief patterns, and the central plaque is carved with four large characters. The base consists of carved stone plinths clamping the column feet. The background is an open sky and distant buildings. Avoid: making the column tops lower than the eaves, adding a continuous complete ridge, making the three bays equal in width, using brightly painted wooden structures.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一座沖天式牌坊的正面全景。它最明顯的特徵是四根立柱直接向上穿過額枋與樓簷,柱頭高出屋頂之上,末端收頭做成雲紋或蹲獸,因此天際線是由四根柱頭與中間較低的樓簷共同構成的鋸齒狀輪廓,而不是一條連續的屋脊。柱身是方形斷面的青石,收分明顯,下粗上細。三個開間中央較寬、兩側較窄。額枋上有淺浮雕的紋樣,中央的字板刻著四個大字。基座是夾住柱腳的雕花石墩。背景是開闊的天空與遠處的建築。避免:把柱頭做成低於屋簷、加入連續完整的屋脊、讓三個開間等寬、使用木構的鮮豔彩繪。