Isometric drawing of Sansheng Hall, Shanhua Monastery, Datong

One often assumes that a pillar-supported building, whether in China or in ancient Greece, Egypt, or Rome, has a complete column grid, or in other words, the position of a column on the exterior anticipates a row of columns inside that extends to the opposite side. A building with eight columns across the front would have eight across the back and eight, counting those on the exterior, from side...