Wat Sisaket in Vientiane, Laos

Wat Sisaket in Vientiane, Laos, is heavily influenced by Rattanakosin art in its ordination hall and library. It is one of the few temples that were not destroyed during the Siamese invasion, which might explain why it survived the destruction. The ordination hall features a Vientiane-style design with elevated side roofs, differing from the low, ground-hugging roofs typical of Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang. Surrounding the hall is a veranda resembling those found in many Rattanakosin-style temples. The door and window frames are in the shape of a mandapa, similar to the ordination hall of Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram in Bangkok, but the roof follows the Lan Xang style, with unglazed tiles and a central spire or finial typical of Lan Xang architecture. The surrounding cloister houses 120 life-sized Buddha statues of the same style and era. The mural paintings inside the ordination hall were restored in 2014.