Five-Story Pagoda

A Kyoto five-story wooden pagoda on a stone plinth, with vermilion timber and white plaster stories, balcony railings, deep dark tiled hip roofs, bronze wind bells and a nine-ring spire, set in a gravel courtyard with stone lanterns and a pine.

374 parts 31 steps Advanced

Loading 3D model Check your connection and try again.

Drag to rotate. Pinch or scroll to zoom.

Build steps

Step 1 of 31

Step 1 · 9 pieces
- Plate 8 x 8 Very Light Bluish Grey 41539 9×
Step 2 · 10 pieces
- Brick 2 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3001 1×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Bluish Grey 3008 2×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Bluish Grey 3009 6×
- Brick 1 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3010 1×
Step 3 · 9 pieces
- Brick 2 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3001 1×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Bluish Grey 3008 2×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Bluish Grey 3009 6×
Step 4 · 9 pieces
- Tile 1 x 4 with Groove Light Bluish Grey 2431 1×
- Plate 6 x 8 Light Bluish Grey 3036 2×
- Plate 6 x 6 Light Bluish Grey 3958 1×
- Plate 8 x 8 Light Bluish Grey 41539 1×
- Tile 2 x 4 Light Bluish Grey 87079 1×
- Tile 2 x 2 with Groove Dark Bluish Grey 3068b 3×
Step 5 · 16 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 Dark Red 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Fence Ornamented 1 x 4 x 2 with Square Lattice Dark Red 32932 2×
- Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 1 Dark Red 3633 2×
- Brick 1 x 10 Dark Red 6111 2×
Step 6 · 12 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Fence Ornamented 1 x 4 x 2 with Square Lattice Dark Red 32932 2×
- Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 1 Dark Red 3633 2×
- Brick 1 x 10 Dark Red 6111 2×
Step 7 · 8 pieces

Tip Press the four black 8 x 8 plates down evenly so they overhang the story-1 walls on all sides. The gold 1 x 1 round plates are wind bells: attach one under each outer corner of the eaves.
- Plate 8 x 8 Black 41539 4×
- Plate 1 x 1 Round Pearl Gold 6141 4×
Step 8 · 16 pieces

Tip Place the four double-convex 3 x 3 slopes on the corners first, then fill each side with the 3 x 4 and 3 x 2 slopes. Starting from the corners keeps the ring centered on the tower.
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3297 8×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 2 Dark Bluish Grey 3298 4×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3675 4×
Step 9 · 10 pieces

Tip The ten dark red lattice fences stand on the top stud row of the roof-1 slopes: three across the front and back, two on each side. Fit them before the story-2 walls go up in step 10.
- Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 1 Dark Red 3633 10×
Step 10 · 16 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 Dark Red 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Fence Ornamented 1 x 4 x 2 with Square Lattice Dark Red 32932 2×
- Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 1 Dark Red 3633 2×
- Brick 1 x 10 Dark Red 6111 2×
Step 11 · 12 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Fence Ornamented 1 x 4 x 2 with Square Lattice Dark Red 32932 2×
- Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 1 Dark Red 3633 2×
- Brick 1 x 10 Dark Red 6111 2×
Step 12 · 8 pieces
- Plate 6 x 8 Black 3036 4×
- Plate 1 x 1 Round Pearl Gold 6141 4×
Step 13 · 12 pieces
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3297 8×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3675 4×
Step 14 · 8 pieces
- Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 1 Dark Red 3633 8×
Step 15 · 18 pieces

Tip On each face, stack three dark red grille bricks in a column at the center, between the two white 1 x 2 x 3 panels. They replace the lattice fences used on the two lower stories.
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 Dark Red 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 2 with Grille Dark Red 2877 6×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Red 3009 2×
Step 16 · 14 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 2 with Grille Dark Red 2877 6×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Red 3009 2×
Step 17 · 8 pieces
- Plate 6 x 8 Black 3036 4×
- Plate 1 x 1 Round Pearl Gold 6141 4×
Step 18 · 12 pieces
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3297 8×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3675 4×
Step 19 · 18 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 Dark Red 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 2 with Grille Dark Red 2877 6×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Red 3009 2×
Step 20 · 14 pieces
- Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud White 22886 4×
- Brick 1 x 2 with Grille Dark Red 2877 6×
- Brick 1 x 8 Dark Red 3008 2×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Red 3009 2×
Step 21 · 8 pieces
- Plate 6 x 6 Black 3958 4×
- Plate 1 x 1 Round Pearl Gold 6141 4×
Step 22 · 12 pieces
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3297 4×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 2 Dark Bluish Grey 3298 4×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3675 4×
Step 23 · 18 pieces
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 White 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 Dark Red 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 2 with Grille Dark Red 2877 6×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Red 3009 2×
- Brick 1 x 4 Dark Red 3010 2×
Step 24 · 14 pieces
- Brick 1 x 1 x 3 White 14716 4×
- Brick 1 x 2 with Grille Dark Red 2877 6×
- Brick 1 x 6 Dark Red 3009 2×
- Brick 1 x 4 Dark Red 3010 2×
Step 25 · 14 pieces
- Plate 4 x 6 Black 3032 4×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3297 4×
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3675 4×
- Brick 2 x 4 Dark Red 3001 2×
Step 26 · 7 pieces
- Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3675 4×
- Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud Pearl Gold 3062b 1×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Pearl Gold 3941 1×
- Dish 2 x 2 Inverted Pearl Gold 4740 1×
Step 27 · 18 pieces

Tip Alternate the nine gold tabbed round plates with eight black round plates, starting and ending with gold, then cap the stack with the gold cone. Count the gold rings before adding the cone.
- Plate 1 x 1 Round Black 6141 8×
- Plate 1 x 1 Round with Tabs Pearl Gold 33291 9×
- Cone 1 x 1 Pearl Gold 4589 1×
Step 28 · 12 pieces
- Plate 2 x 2 Light Bluish Grey 3022 1×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Light Bluish Grey 3941 1×
- Cone 1 x 1 Light Bluish Grey 4589 1×
- Dish 2 x 2 Inverted Light Bluish Grey 4740 1×
- Plate 2 x 2 Dark Bluish Grey 3022 1×
- Plate 4 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3031 1×
- Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3045 4×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Bright Light Orange 3941 2×
Step 29 · 12 pieces
- Plate 2 x 2 Light Bluish Grey 3022 1×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Light Bluish Grey 3941 1×
- Cone 1 x 1 Light Bluish Grey 4589 1×
- Dish 2 x 2 Inverted Light Bluish Grey 4740 1×
- Plate 2 x 2 Dark Bluish Grey 3022 1×
- Plate 4 x 4 Dark Bluish Grey 3031 1×
- Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 Double Convex Dark Bluish Grey 3045 4×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Bright Light Orange 3941 2×
Step 30 · 12 pieces
- Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud Reddish Brown 3062b 6×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Reddish Brown 3941 1×
- Plate 2 x 2 Round with Axlehole Dark Green 4032a 3×
- Plate 4 x 4 Round with Hole and Snapstud Dark Green 60474 2×
Step 31 · 8 pieces
- Plant Flower 2 x 2 Leaves Green 4727 4×
- Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement Dark Green 3941 4×

About this build

Five-story pagodas stand in temple grounds across Japan. They descend from the stupa, the Buddhist monument built to hold relics, and Kyoto's Tō-ji has one of the best-known examples. Their outline is easy to read from a distance: a stack of deep roofs, each a little smaller than the one beneath, topped by a slender spire called the sōrin.

That outline is what this model chases. Dark red posts frame white panels on every story, the roofs are 33-degree slopes in dark bluish gray resting on wide black eave plates, and the spire is nine pearl-gold rings with a cone finial.

At a glance:

Footprint: 24 x 24 studs of light gray gravel
374 parts over 31 steps
Five stories, each built in the same four-step rhythm
Estimated time: about 1.5 to 2.5 hours

The rhythm is the thing to learn. Every story takes two steps of wall (sill, posts and panels, then the beam course), one step of eave plates, and one step for the ring of roof slopes. Stories two and three add a balcony railing on the ledge below them (steps 9 and 14). The lower two stories use lattice fences for their openings; from step 15 up, grille bricks take over. Once the first cycle clicks, the rest goes quickly.

Small gold round plates hang under the eave corners of roofs one to four as wind bells. The stone plinth with its stair (steps 2 to 4), two stone lanterns, a pine and a few shrubs complete the courtyard. If you want a weathered temple look, the dark red could be swapped for reddish brown throughout.

Parts list

How to read these instructions

Parts list
Part	Name / ID	Color	Qty
	Plate 4 x 63032	Black	4
	Plate 6 x 83036	Black	8
	Plate 6 x 63958	Black	4
	Plate 8 x 841539	Black	4
	Plate 1 x 1 Round6141	Black	8
	Plant Flower 2 x 2 Leaves4727	Green	4
	Brick 1 x 1 x 314716	White	8
	Brick 1 x 2 x 3 without Understud22886	White	32
	Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud3062b	Reddish Brown	6
	Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement3941	Reddish Brown	1
	Tile 1 x 4 with Groove2431	Light Bluish Grey	1
	Plate 2 x 23022	Light Bluish Grey	2
	Plate 6 x 83036	Light Bluish Grey	2
	Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement3941	Light Bluish Grey	2
	Plate 6 x 63958	Light Bluish Grey	1
	Plate 8 x 841539	Light Bluish Grey	1
	Cone 1 x 14589	Light Bluish Grey	2
	Dish 2 x 2 Inverted4740	Light Bluish Grey	2
	Tile 2 x 487079	Light Bluish Grey	1
	Brick 2 x 43001	Dark Bluish Grey	2
	Brick 1 x 83008	Dark Bluish Grey	4
	Brick 1 x 63009	Dark Bluish Grey	12
	Brick 1 x 43010	Dark Bluish Grey	1
	Plate 2 x 23022	Dark Bluish Grey	2
	Plate 4 x 43031	Dark Bluish Grey	2
	Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 Double Convex3045	Dark Bluish Grey	8
	Tile 2 x 2 with Groove3068b	Dark Bluish Grey	3
	Slope Brick 33 3 x 43297	Dark Bluish Grey	32
	Slope Brick 33 3 x 23298	Dark Bluish Grey	8
	Slope Brick 33 3 x 3 Double Convex3675	Dark Bluish Grey	24
	Plate 8 x 841539	Very Light Bluish Grey	9
	Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement3941	Bright Light Orange	4
	Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement3941	Dark Green	4
	Plate 2 x 2 Round with Axlehole4032a	Dark Green	3
	Plate 4 x 4 Round with Hole and Snapstud60474	Dark Green	2
	Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud3062b	Pearl Gold	1
	Plate 1 x 1 Round with Tabs33291	Pearl Gold	9
	Brick 2 x 2 Round without Reinforcement3941	Pearl Gold	1
	Cone 1 x 14589	Pearl Gold	1
	Dish 2 x 2 Inverted4740	Pearl Gold	1
	Plate 1 x 1 Round6141	Pearl Gold	16
	Brick 1 x 1 x 314716	Dark Red	20
	Brick 1 x 2 with Grille2877	Dark Red	36
	Brick 2 x 43001	Dark Red	2
	Brick 1 x 83008	Dark Red	16
	Brick 1 x 63009	Dark Red	12
	Brick 1 x 43010	Dark Red	4
	Fence Ornamented 1 x 4 x 2 with Square Lattice32932	Dark Red	8
	Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 13633	Dark Red	26
	Brick 1 x 106111	Dark Red	8
Total pieces			374

Build steps

Step 1 · 9 pieces

Step 2 · 10 pieces

Step 3 · 9 pieces

Step 4 · 9 pieces

Step 5 · 16 pieces

Step 6 · 12 pieces

Step 7 · 8 pieces

Step 8 · 16 pieces

Step 9 · 10 pieces

Step 10 · 16 pieces

Step 11 · 12 pieces

Step 12 · 8 pieces

Step 13 · 12 pieces

Step 14 · 8 pieces

Step 15 · 18 pieces

Step 16 · 14 pieces

Step 17 · 8 pieces

Step 18 · 12 pieces

Step 19 · 18 pieces

Step 20 · 14 pieces

Step 21 · 8 pieces

Step 22 · 12 pieces

Step 23 · 18 pieces

Step 24 · 14 pieces

Step 25 · 14 pieces

Step 26 · 7 pieces

Step 27 · 18 pieces

Step 28 · 12 pieces

Step 29 · 12 pieces

Step 30 · 12 pieces

Step 31 · 8 pieces

About this build

Parts list