Borgund stave church. Lærdal, Norway. The all wood church was built sometime between 1180 and 1250 CE with later additions and restorations. Its walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name stave church. The 4 corner posts were connected to one another by ground sills, resting atop a stone foundation. The rest of the staves then rise from the ground sills, each stave notched and grooved along the sides so that they lock into one another, forming a sturdy wall. Used as congregation church until 1868 when a new church was built. UPDATE: A slightly different (less processed) version of this photo is featured on page 388 of A Global History of Architecture, 2nd Edition, in the medieval Scandinavia section. Wiley Books politely asked for permission, and they sent me a copy of the book as soon as it was printed. It's a very thorough and nice book, and I am happy to contribute.