Architecture has always borne stories—not through words, but through deeds. Every material, layout, and spatial choice basically stemmed from a need: need for water, safety, performance, rest. It is in storytelling that architecture as a time capsule is examined—by not looking at monuments alone. Instead, it sought buildings where function spoke first—where necessity shaped design and that design now shows how people lived once upon a time. These were the kinds of structures that did not set out to tell history but ended up doing just that. It encapsulates it within the solution to the problems of its time.
Exploring Chand Baori: A Tale Hidden Below
The Chand Baori stepwell is also estimated to be over 1000 years old and is 30m deep. It was built by King Chanda of the Nikumbha dynasty in 9th century AD. The narrow 3,500 steps create a mesmerizing pattern—perfectly symmetrical yet deeply functional. What initially began as a way to store water in such a harsh climate now stands as a silent ode to how people once solved problems through design. It reminds us that architecture as a time capsule doesn’t always shout; sometimes, it waits to be read.
The structure answered a very real aesthetic need. In the Rajasthan plains water is of course a constant concern—and in the deep, shaded form of Chand Baori quite spectacular ways are found to reduce evaporation while storing immense amounts of rainwater. But it wasn’t just that. The base remained cool even in the heat of a Rajasthan summer; it was a rest stop for travelers and for locals. It was also a place to pause, to connect that by degrees took on the quality not of an occasional stopover but an answer. So too did each silent detail speak, in this architecture-as-time capsule, about climate, craft, and community.
Every detail of the structure is on purpose. At the top, local sandstone, lime plaster finishes, and finely carved jharokhas define every edge. Even the stairs, so repetitive, have much to say about movement, about need, about the people who once went down them each day. The well may not provide water but is still functional in a way. Chand Baori may be silent at present, but it speaks of a time when architecture was extremely human; necessary was done with care and meant to last.
The Colosseum and the Evolving Face of Power
Situated in the heart of Rome today, the Colosseum remains a large, beaten, and unforgettable structure. Construction of the amphitheater, which was to restore the public’s faith after political tumult, was started under the Flavian emperors in the 1st century CE. It was constructed with war plunder and built by slaves; however, the Flavian emperors offered a munificent gift to the public. The Colosseum emerged as a place for erasure and distraction, theatre, and control. The arena displayed combat, wild animals, as well as staged performance when they came. The arena turned into an open market for performance and power; nevertheless, beyond the shows, the building was a performance itself, offering a framed message of strength. The Colosseum provides, and still provides, architecture as a time capsule of what it was, and now represents what it has become.
The construction’s form and function were exact and forceful. Formed of travertine stone, its shape came from a series of tunnels below it for the sophisticated events that were to take place. The seating levels were layered in a way that mimicked Roman society, with clear divisions in status or class for each separate level. Even the circulation systems served a purpose: to efficiently move crowds in and out, which still impresses architects today. The function was aligned perfectly with the message: this was Rome.
However, buildings shift and societies shift. Over time the Colosseum was stripped, disregarded, re-occupied, and re-imagined. At different times it was a quarry, a refuge, a holy place, and most recently, artists re-imagined its beauty in a ruin, and visitors have come from all over the world to see exhibitions. Each one of those layers adds meaning. The intention of the original architecture fades, as does the actual people in that space, but the Colosseum illustrates that architecture as a time capsule isn’t about what is preserved per se; it is about how places continue to resonate long after their time.
Ryokan Inns and the Practice of Hospitality
Across Japan, traditional ryokan inns still serve guests as they have for generations—with ritual, natural materials, and respect for quotidian rhythms. Ryokan were originally created to support travelers along routes like the historic Tokaido Road, ultimately transforming into a crossroad of architecture, hospitality, and culture. Ryokans may be family-run with only a few rooms, or extended to contemporary facilities, but ryokan remain a potent demonstration of architecture as a time capsule of sorts, preserving traditions and customs as much as buildings.
The embodiment of omotenashi—a thoughtful and genuine style of service—is at the centre of every ryokan. Omotenashi influences every design choice: tatami mat flooring, sliding shoji doors, low wooden tables, and futon beds that are quietly laid out during dinner. Omotenashi also defines the room layout, which invites stillness and contemplation. Every framed view is part of the experience, from natural light to river sounds to framed garden views; they were not added decoratively, but were thoughtfully designed to invite contemplation. Even small yet carefully done ceremonial acts—like changing outdoor slippers for indoor slippers—gently signal to visitors the layered customs they are stepping into.
Some ryokan, like the centuries-old Ichinoyu Honkan in Hakone, demonstrate this legacy even further: they have survived generation upon generation of natural disaster, war, even bankruptcy! They have adapted yet have not lost their way. At Ichinoyu Honkan, you soak in the mineral-rich onsen, enjoy seasonal kaiseki, and drift off to sleep to the murmuring of the river, not as luxuries but aspects of a lifestyle adapted long ago. In this sense, architecture as a time capsule shows, not in stone, but in softness: in warm wood, quiet corridors, and in the spirit of how one is welcomed. Ryokan do not just show a past, they invite you to live over the course of your one peaceful evening, the past you cannot touch.
Stories are not always rendered through decoration; they are often rendered through intention. In the case of Chand Baori, the necessity for the collection of water dictated a remarkable geometry. With a vision of hierarchy and spectacle, the Colosseum created a space able to embody an empire. In the Ryokan inns, the ritualistic acts of daily life became entrenched in material choices, so that each was a design of the present. Each is an example of architecture as a time capsule, but more so, they are illustrations of storytelling through functionality. Each of these buildings do not rely on telling a story—they rely on being. They reveal how people reacted, what they were invested in and what values were enacted in the daily life. Their durability is not just physical—there is emotional durability. By responding so exactly to their time, they preserved it. If we take a reading of architecture not as an object but a response, we begin to see how functionality, at its most urgent, can become the purest form of storytelling.
Harvard Citation Style:
Online sources
Citations for websites:
Chand Baori. Available at: https://www.chandbaori.org/ (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Calafi, L. (2023) Purpose of the colosseum – discover roman history, Rome Colosseum Tickets Online| Skip The Line | 2023. Available at: https://romecolosseumtickets.com/purpose-of-the-colosseum/ (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Chand Baori jaipur: Architectural wonder (no date) Incredible India. Available at: https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/rajasthan/jaipur/chand-baori (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Colosseum (2025) Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Colosseum (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Colosseum Rome Tickets (2023) What was the Colosseum used for?, Colosseum Rome Tickets. Available at: https://colosseumrometickets.com/what-was-the-colosseum-used-for/ (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
A guide to chand baori step well in Rajasthan: Exploring the ancient abhaneri step well, including timings and historical insight in Jaipur (no date) Adventure tours | Active small group holidays | Encounters Travel. Available at: https://www.encounterstravel.com/blog/chand-baori-step-well#:~:text=Water%20Storage%3A%20Chand%20Baori%20was,local%20community%20during%20dry%20periods. (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Hakone Japan (no date) HAKONE JAPAN | Visit to Experience the Beauty of Japan. Available at: https://hakone-japan.com/plan-your-trip/stories/experience/what-is-ryokan/#:~:text=A%20ryokan%20is%20a%20type%20of%20traditional,tatami%2Dmatted%20rooms%2C%20communal%20baths%2C%20and%20traditional%20meals.&text=These%20inns%20were%20usually%20run%20by%20local,a%20place%20to%20rest%2C%20eat%2C%20and%20bathe. (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Ryokan (no date) traditional Japanese inns. Available at: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2029.html (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
Images/visual mediums
Staying at a traditional ryokan in Kyoto: The ultimate japanese experience (2024) Urban Pixxels. Available at: https://urbanpixxels.com/ryokan-hiiragiya-kyoto/ (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
24 mind-blowing facts about the Roman Colosseum (with pictures) (2025) The Colosseum. Available at: https://www.thecolosseum.org/facts/ (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
‘Monomousumi’ (2021) An exquisite shade of Rajasthan: Chand Baori: ‘Monomousumi’, ‘Monomousumi’ | When Mind Dominates. Available at: https://monomousumi.com/an-exquisite-shade-of-rajasthan-chand-baori/#google_vignette (Accessed: 01 May 2025).
