Dissertation i dec 2017 0303742 wong ai ling

Translating landscapes: Interpreting spatial qualities of traditional Chinese gardens in contemporary architecture

WONG AI LING 0303742

Master of Architecture Aug 2017

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY

Unit coordinator: Dr. Sucharita Srirangam Supervisor: Dr. Veronica Ng Foong Peng

Table of Contents Declaration..................................................................................................................... 4 Preface ........................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgement......................................................................................................... 6 Abstract.......................................................................................................................... 7 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 8 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................10

1.3 Research Question................................................................................................ 11 1.3.1 Main Research Question ...........................................................................................11 1.4 Research aim, objectives and significance .................................................................11 1.4.1 Aim............................................................................................................................11 1.4.2 Objectives .................................................................................................................11 1.4.3 Significance...............................................................................................................11 1.5 Research methodology .................................................................................................12 1.5.1 Literature Review ......................................................................................................12 1.5.1 Case study ................................................................................................................12 1.5 Dissertation Overview ...................................................................................................14

2.0 Literature Review .................................................................................................. 15 2.1 Relationship between garden and architecture ...........................................................15 2.2 History of Chinese gardens ..........................................................................................18 2.3 Relationship between Chinese gardens and architecture ..........................................20 2.4 Experiential space in Chinese gardens........................................................................22 2.4.1 Hide & Reveal ...........................................................................................................22 2.4.2 Guide & Hint..............................................................................................................22 2.4.3 Depth & Layers .........................................................................................................23 2.4.4 Spatial contrast .........................................................................................................23 2.4.5 Meandering paths .....................................................................................................23 2.4.6 See & be seen ..........................................................................................................24 2.4.7 Solid & void ...............................................................................................................24 2.4.8 Height and levels.......................................................................................................25 2

2.4.9 Route ........................................................................................................................25 2.5 Chinese gardens and contemporary architecture .......................................................30

3.0 Case Studies .......................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Ningbo Museum.............................................................................................................31 3.2 Suzhou Museum ............................................................................................................38

4.0 Findings & Discussion ........................................................................................... 45 5.0 References ............................................................................................................. 46

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Declaration This is to certify that 

The dissertation comprises of only my original work towards the Master of Architecture where indicated in the Preface



Due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other materials used



The dissertation is compiled between 10,000 and 15,000 words, exclusive of figures, tables and bibliographies.

Signed by Wong Ai Ling Date:

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Preface This is an original dissertation by the author, Wong Ai Ling, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Master of Architecture. It contains work and research done from August 2017 to June 2018. The submitted work focuses on the translation of spatial principles of Chinese gardens in contemporary architecture.

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Acknowledgement I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the individuals who have extended their assistance throughout the course of this dissertation.

First and foremost, my supervisor, Dr. Veronica Ng Foong Peng, whose knowledge, understanding, generous guidance and support made it possible to work on a topic that is of great interest to me. Her patience and constant encouragement has been a great asset to me during this course of dissertation.

I am also grateful to all my lecturers, family and friends who have been a source of strength, wisdom and encouragement throughout the course of this dissertation.

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Abstract As one of three major garden systems in the world, Chinese gardens are known for their symbiotic relationship between architecture and nature. They are typically structured around the dominating feature of the pictorial idea, which aims to evoke imagined affections that are beyond physical touch and tangible encounters. Following this principle, the traditional Chinese scholar gardens are thought to define a type of bodily experience that intertwines mind and image, and therefore to be subject to an aesthetic that is identical to that of scholarly landscape paintings. However, despite the vast documentation of Chinese gardens in terms of philosophy and spatial planning, there is a lack of analysis regarding the translation spatial principles of Chinese gardens into contemporary architecture. The experiential space, which is unique to Chinese gardens, is a potential element that can be designed in the contemporary context. By applying the analytical framework by Peng (1986) and Unwin (2010) this paper aims to identify methods of translating landscape into architecture in a contemporary context via the works of Wang Shu and I.M. Pei. This paper will analyze the orthographic plans and pictures of the selected case studies via methods of diagramming. The findings will serve as to expand a better understanding towards the implementation of Chinese garden principles in modern architecture, and to provide methods of translation, which are applicable in defining the relationship between landscape and architecture.

Keywords: traditional Chinese gardens, spatial principles, contemporary architecture, Wang Shu, I.M. Pei

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1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background The art of making gardens originated in the zone of interchange between lifestyles of nomads and settlers (Turner, 2011). Asia’s fringe was a zone of interchange: a vast landscape in which herders encountered farmers and the design of symbolic gardens began. According to Lerhman (1980), garden design is a form of art because they reflect a specific culture, philosophy and period. Minford (1998) has described the garden as a symbol and setting for the endlessly repeated quest for self-knowledge, self-confinement, and self-transcendence. Throughout history, gardens have been associated with numerous functions – utilitarian, religious, entertainment and recreation.

Nonetheless, there is a common misconception about garden design that it is about gardening. Instead, it is about design; the manipulation and organization of a three-dimensional space. It is complex in a sense that it does not only exist in its own space, but needs to make sense of the context of space; how it relates to buildings and the wider landscape (Patton, 2012). The relationship between gardens and architecture is evident in gardens which were built along with accommodation as seen in the Italian villas, Persian gardens and Chinese scholar gardens. The interconnection of between gardens and architecture in Chinese scholar gardens is unique as the architectural structure does not dominate the garden. The architecture in conjunction with the garden contributes to the spatial narrative. Rogers (2011) asserts that the notion of landscape as a place of memory and association, an experiential space in which to stroll and enjoy the unfolding of sequential views were fundamental to the Chinese gardens.

The poetic qualities of the Chinese gardens also inspired Japanese gardens and the serpentine gardens of 18th century English gardens. Despite parallels which exist between Chinese and English gardens, there is a lack of interdependence of architecture and garden that was lacking in the English landscape gardens.

Moreover, in contrast to the usually unsettled position of garden study within architecture, the Chinese garden had an extraordinary association with contemporary Chinese architecture in the 1980s. By transplanting the notion of experiential space into traditional painting and theories, the Chinese garden was established as both a historical prototype and a national epitome of modern space. Peng (1987) further describes the Chinese garden as a reservoir of creative ideas and design artifices ‘Even the most recent architectural theories, such as the ‘grey space’ proposed by Kisho Kurokawa, or the ‘spatial multidimensionality’ proposed 8

by the American architect Charles Moore, or the ‘complexity and contradiction in architecture’ proposed by another American architect Robert Venturi, all kinds of these most fashionable architectural theories have, unbelievably, found their manifestation in the classical gardens of our country [...] Perhaps this is why the trend of studying Chinese classical gardens is so enduring.’

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1.2 Problem Statement From the literature review, it can be concluded that relationships between gardens and architecture does exist. This relationship differs in terms of western and eastern contexts, which relates back to their perception of nature. In European and English gardens, the garden and the architecture appears to interact in a more direct, simplified manner, whereas this interaction is more complex in Chinese gardens due to their symbolic approach. The connotation of poetry and landscape painting has inspired garden creators in laying out a visual narrative that is inherent in Chinese gardens. The experience of Chinese gardens has been described as a three-dimensional picture scroll, which is experienced as a series of visual events.

Considerable amounts of literature have been published on the history, meaning and principles of Chinese gardens. In Ji Cheng’s treatise - the craft of gardens (2012), he has described on how to design experience via the placement of architecture. Many scholars have expanded on this notion (Peng, 1987; Yang, 1999, Fung, 2016). This affirms that the experience in Chinese garden can be designed via architecture. While there are Chinese architects who have implemented these principles in architecture, the analysis of these contemporary buildings is lacking spatial wise. The principles in Chinese gardens were limited to the typology of a traditional ‘house’; it also brings to attention as to how these principles would apply to different contemporary typologies? The selected works of Chinese architects, Wang Shu and I.M. Pei embody the potential to be analyzed as case studies, as both have referred to Chinese gardens in their works, either via a direct or indirect manner. Hence, this paper aims to dissect the methods of translation as applied by Wang Shu and I.M. Pei in their selected works.

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1.3 Research Question 1.3.1 Main Research Question Findings reveal how spatial qualities in traditional Chinese gardens can be interpreted in the current urban context. Hence, the main research question is “What are the methods of translating spatial principles of Chinese gardens into contemporary architecture?’

1.4 Research aim, objectives and significance 1.4.1 Aim To study the methods of translating Chinese garden spatial principles into contemporary architecture.

1.4.2 Objectives a) To study the spatial principles of Chinese gardens b) To investigate the application of Chinese garden principles in the selected works of Wang Shu and I.M. Pei

1.4.3 Significance The significance of this research will provide a foothold for future generations of architects, students and researchers for ideas that may be applicable in the designing of experiential space as referenced in Chinese gardens. It also contributes to the architecture discourse on the relationship between gardens and architecture.

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1.5 Research methodology This dissertation employs a mixed method methodology. Literature review and case studies was used as a method of research and inquiry. The background literature forms the basis of the research problem. Data is collected only in the form of literature so as to get a more in-depth knowledge of the topic. The main advantages of this method are the availability of resources and the capacity for in-depth analysis (Groat & Wang, 2002). The main disadvantage of this method, however, is that the results might appear biased since there are no regulatory approaches. The case study will focus on the selected works of Wang Shu and I.M. Pei in order to identify and understand their approach in applying spatial principles in Chinese gardens. The analysis of the case study will employ a framework derived from the reviews and theoretical writing from various sources.

1.5.1 Literature Review The literature review studies the relationship between architecture and gardens in the context of Chinese gardens. This will form the basic understanding of theories, and reasons to support the application in contemporary architecture. Citing works from key thinkers on the spatial element in Chinese gardens such as Peng (1987), Fung (2016), Bedingfeld (1997), Rinaldi (2001), Wang (1998), provides valid references that can be grouped into common themes, allowing for the research to develop an analytical framework.

1.5.1 Case study The case study approach explores the spatial arrangement and array of design approaches.

The analytical framework is derived from both Unwin (2010) and Peng (1987) where both authors make use of methods of re-drawing and diagramming in analyzing buildings.

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Figure 1 Flow chart (Source: Author, 2017)

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1.5 Dissertation Overview Chapter 1 is an introduction to present the overall content of the research. It provides a summary of the background study to inform a research gap that identifies the research problem and issue.

Chapter 2 forms the main background study of the dissertation. It explains the relationship of gardens and architecture, and how Chinese gardens are particularly unique in this form of relationship. The history of Chinese gardens is briefly discussed to summarize factors which contribute to the spatial planning of these gardens. The spatial planning in Chinese gardens is discussed and this forms the analytical framework which will be used to study the selected case studies.

Chapter 3 is a case study on two buildings which have applied principles of Chinese gardens, whether via a direct or indirect manner. The selected case studies are the Ningbo History Museum by Wang Shu and Suzhou Museum by I.M. Pei. The choice for these case studies are due to their function and significance in re-defining vernacular architecture in a contemporary manner.

Chapter 4 will develop a matrix based on the two approaches by the Wang Shu and I.M. Pei as featured in the case studies. This chapter will conclude which principles is most often used or translated, hence defining the strongest and weakest patterns) and how these methods of translation are similar or differ from the traditional Chinese gardens.

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2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Relationship between garden and architecture The Oxford dictionary of English Etymology defines “garden” as an “enclosed cultivated ground”. As culture advanced and humans gained more control over the natural world, humans organized landscape for physical and spiritual comfort (Boults & Sullivan, 2010). The idea of the garden as a managed pleasure ground evolved from the simple enclosed hunting grounds of Europe and Asia. In the early medieval gardens in Europe, there were no significant relationships between architecture and gardens. They were primarily of utilitarian usage, which include the growing of vegetables and herbs. The architecture appears to be solitary from the garden where it is defined as a separate open space.

However, in Italy, the 15th century garden opened itself to the landscape, relieved of its function as food source, hunting ground, or sanctuary. The house and garden formed a single unit, related through geometry, proportion and use. Architectural elements such as loggias and porticos provided architectural transitions between inside and outside spaces. The villa suburban, consisting of house, garden, and agricultural component, embodied the ideal of country living as promoted by Alberti. Such examples include the Villa Medici at Careggi and Fiesole. In ‘Italian Gardens and their villas’ (2012), Edith Wharton wrote that ‘the old Italian gardens was meant to be lived in – a use to which, at least in America, the modern garden is seldom put’. She also noted that the architectural element is as important as the plants.

Pergolas, pavilions, gazebos and gateways were planned in harmony with the landscape and the main house formed outdoor garden rooms. Furthermore, Persian style gardens have often attempted to integrate indoors with outdoors through connection of a surrounding garden with an inner courtyard. Designers often place architectural elements such as vaulted arches between the outer and interior areas to divide the areas to open up the divide between them.

Persian influences are seen in Moorish gardens, with their extent usage of courtyards and patios. This is eminent in the gardens of Alhambra, where the palace complex comprises a series of courtyards and patios that connect interior rooms. The scale of open spaces and their relationship with the architecture create a dynamic experience of movement for the visitor.

Likewise, the relationship between buildings and gardens is heavily emphasized in the Chinese gardens. According to Bedingfeld (1997), architectural buildings form the framework around which the garden is designed. The garden and building are designed hand-in-hand, not as separate entities. This characteristic is especially prominent in the scholar gardens of 15

Suzhou. The Chinese beliefs and artistic styles had a huge impact on the Japanese gardens.

Kenzo Tange wrote that buildings in the shinden-zukuri courtyard style were not merely open but were completely integrated with the gardens surrounding them. They were prime examples of the interpenetration of building and setting. The outer sides of the buildings were composed of partitions instead of walls. This allowed the partitions to be movable to allow a panoramic view of the garden beyond. In conclusion, the relationship between gardens and architecture is materialized in the form of transitional spaces such as loggias, porticos, and pergolas. The planning of the western and Persian gardens is structured, geometrical and axial while the eastern gardens follow a naturalistic layout with meandering paths. This is in tow with western analogy of nature where man is seeks to dominate nature as opposed to the eastern analogy of forming a harmonious relationship with nature.

Aside from its completely different topography and its own distinctive forms of expression, the Chinese art of gardening differs from European gardens above all in the interpretation and significance of the individual elements, from which emerges a combination and arrangement of garden space which depict a symbolization of nature. In the western format, the garden usually surrounds the building as landscape. On the contrary, in Chinese gardens, the buildings encompass the internal landscape, which promotes the views of looking inwards.

Figure 2 Layout of gardens (From left to right: Islamic, Chinese, Japanese (Source: Peng, 1987)

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Figure 3 Modes of relationship between gardens and architecture: Western (top) Eastern (Bottom) (Source: Peng, 1987)

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2.2 History of Chinese gardens The origins of the Chinese garden can be traced back to the end of Shang (BCE 1700 – 1027) and the beginning of western Zhou (BCE 1027-771) dynasty. Chinese gardens expressed a cosmology based on a fusion of Confucian, Daoist and Buddhist tenets. All shared a common respect of nature and hence the gardens imitated the balance of opposites found in nature (Boults & Sullivan, 2010). There is a special aesthetic to the Chinese gardens, which gives them uniqueness differing from European or even Japanese gardens. This aesthetic is based on naturalness in both appearance and design, where Ji (2012) defines ‘Though man-made, it appears to spring out from nature.’ By comparison, European gardens were characterized by symmetrical and artificial arrangements, which demonstrated their belief in the triumph of human over nature. This is apparent in the geometrical arrangements in the Garden of Versailles in France. In fact, reports of Chinese gardens by missionaries and other travelers in the 1700s had a profound impact in reshaping European ideas for gardens.

Chinese gardens are divided into two types: imperial gardens and scholar gardens. The gardens of Suzhou were scholar’s gardens, and the common emphasis in their design is on the escape from society. The Chinese garden was a place where government officials could retreat from city life, conveniently situated within the city walls (Bedingfeld, 1997). This combines the Daoist ideal of becoming a hermit in nature with the Confucian requirements of being an official in the government. The Chinese garden was also part of the family house, primarily a place in which to enjoy nature and gain inspiration. The artistic conceptions, temperament, theory of composition and layout embodied in poetry and paintings gave rich nourishment to the classical gardens of Suzhou. Garden design and landscape painting shared a language of visual conventions that was established during the Song dynasty. The garden layouts were inspired by compositional techniques used by landscape painters. The usage of foreground, middle ground and background in paintings was interpreted as layering of spaces in Chinese gardens. Voids in paintings were also synonymous of the usage of water in the gardens. The Daoist awe of nature is one of the main proponents which encourages the harmonious relationship between built form and landscape. Therefore, term ‘yuan lin’ or garden in the traditional Chinese context is inclusive of both of architecture and landscape. It is concluded that both Daoist ideals and landscape ‘shan shui’ paintings had significance impact on the conception and layout of Chinese gardens.

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Figure 4 Chinese scholar garden (Source: Rinaldi, 2001)

Figure 5 Chinese landscape painting (Source: Fung, 2016).

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2.3 Relationship between Chinese gardens and architecture According to Ji (2012), the most important element in the layout of gardens is the siting of the principal buildings. This statement is further supported by Chen (2009) and Bedingfeld (1997).

Keswick & Hardie (2003) reaffirms this by stating that gardens are conceptualized as an aspect of architecture, rather than being related to botany, as in the West. Ji (2012) further describes the use of architectural elements such as corridors in curating the garden experience. In Chinese gardens, building density occupy 15%-30% of the garden area. Chinese gardens include a substantial amount of construction in the form of halls, pavilions, and covered walkways, much more closely spaced than comparable structures in European gardens. Kuang & Zhang (2002) further elaborate on the role of buildings in the landscape of Suzhou garden is twofold: connecting sceneries and selecting landscapes. The former refers to the role of buildings as places to take pleasure from the garden landscapes. The latter refers to the integration of buildings with the landscape, which in return magnify the landscape’s value.

Rinaldi (2001) discusses how the usage of openings and latticework provide a sense of transparency, hence dematerializing the architectural component. Losing its tectonic component, architecture is completely integrated with the landscape.

After the mid-Tang period, Chinese garden and architecture increasingly moved away from the earlier tendency to open up to an extensive eternal space, and instead sought to construct an exquisite, harmonious and integrated scenic system within an even more confined ‘universe within a pot’ (Wang, 1998). The result of this development was that in order for every minute element of space and scenery – including the interior space for the building – to be completely blended into the entire garden system, it was necessarily for each such element to be set within a complex system of balanced relationships with the other constituent elements of the garden’s many scenes. From the Han times on, the emergence of social structure based on the centralized power of a patriarchal clan and a highly stratified system of state made increasingly explicit demands on architectural aesthetics, so that the early reverence for tall buildings standing in isolation gave way to a reverence for deep architectural space and architectural layering. In particular, this externalized architectural space became congealed into a more profound psychological space. The relationship between the art of the garden and the art of residence is elaborated (Wang, 1998) in the novel, The Red Mansion. From the perspective of architecture, the divisions, openings and transformations of interior and exterior spaces within Chinese gardens were initially determined by the fact that Chinese timber construction employs a combination of beams, columns and crossbeams to support the weight 20

of a structure, while the walls play no such load-bearing role. The divisions or connection between interiors and exteriors was an important technique for framing scenes. Moreover, because of the influence of the fundamental Chinese philosophical concept of ‘the interface of Heaven and Man’, the art of gardens strove to blend aesthetic consciousness into the limited realm of ‘Heaven and Man’. As a result, designers of gardens not only generally strove to achieve harmonious feeling of interior and exterior space, but through architectural artistry, they also emphasized the limitlessness of the space outside the rooms to the person occupying the dwelling. The long development of the Chinese classical garden led people increasingly to pay attention to a high degree of harmonization and integration of interior space and interior decoration with garden in its entirety.

Figure 6 Process of constructing a garden (Source: Cho, 1998)

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2.4 Experiential space in Chinese gardens According to Chen (2009), the gardens in ancient times were enclosed, yet creates a sense of infinite space within a limited area. They are described as a series of pictures which unravel as the user occupies the space. As the garden exists in an extremely limited area, the designer will use all methods to increase the landscape’s feeling of depth, making the garden’s space rich and variable, as well as creating, a deep remote and unlimited spatial illusion – all in order to obtain the profoundness of the environment. Numerous contemporary scholars have analyzed the layouts of gardens in architectural terms, and how the effects of illusion and depth can be achieved. Peng (1986) relies on orthogonal architectural drawings to decompose garden form to fit with a modern style of spatial analysis. Bedingfield (1997) in her study of spatial devices employed in Chinese garden design summarizes several points, which include 1) arrangement of planes 2) scaling 3) non-geometrical planning. Fung (2015) describes on the nonperspectival effects in Chinese gardens via visual studies. Chen (2009) associates garden making with the metaphorical imagery found in scholar painting and literature. He further categorized Chinese gardens into the type: in position viewing and in-motion viewing, which can make an area seem to expand or contract. According to Kuang & Zhang (2002), spatial changes are created by divisions and connections of space. Users are separated physically but connected to the spaces visually via permeation of openings. Rinaldi (2011) describes the wall was internal divisions delimiting different parts of the garden. It separates the garden space into thematic units to organize sequences of different scenes. The spatial principles of Chinese gardens are summarized as shown below: 2.4.1 Hide & Reveal Referring to Chen (2009), the garden should be gradually revealed to a visitor as the designer intended. The sequence of enclosure and revealment is the most dramatic spatial device in the garden. Nothing should be exposed initially. Peng (1987) describes how all views are hidden, so it is seemingly appears yet disappears. Smaller gardens make use of these methods to increase the richness of space.

2.4.2 Guide & Hint In Chinese gardens, long, narrow paths act as circulation paths, which lead visitors to the focal points. The paths normally hint what lies at the end, and is usually combined with other principles such as hide & reveal. As mentioned by Peng (1987), if there are paths leading to the 22

hidden views, then what is hidden loses its meaning. Elements such bridges, stairs are such elements that suggest to spaces that lie beyond. Not knowing where the path leads thus generates curiosity in the visitor.

2.4.3 Depth & Layers According to Kuang & Zhang (2002), without division of a big space, there will be no alterations of depth. Only after division there exists appropriate connection, and only then will a person’s line of vision reach from one space to another, resulting in ‘division, not detachment’. Most chinese gardens are surrounded by walls and buildings, showing its boundaries very clearly (Munakata, 1988). All units have a varying number of scenic views, which in turn concerns a portion of the unit’s area and is made up of a defined of viewing zone of ‘jing’, the view enjoyed (Rinaldi, 2011). The multiple openings, which permeate the divided spaces creates a deep, remote spatial illusion. Open halls made it possible for people to observe exterior landscapes and objects through openings. The line of one’s vision is from outside to inside, inside to outside, and in this way it permeates depths of interior and exterior spaces, making changes in depth even richer.

2.4.4 Spatial contrast Due to the limited scope of classical Chinese gardens, the method of contrasting spaces is used to achieve the result of a small space appearing larger than it originally is. Smaller areas are usually laid out before entering the main areas; hence the latter will appear to be large than its original size. When entering a long, winding area, one’s line of vision is constrictive, hence giving a feeling of pressure. Subsequent entering to the large space will provide a sense of relief. Scenic contrasts are often applied in Chinese gardens where there is a distinction between artifacts and naturalistic features. Examples include the contrast of water to architect, light versus heaviness, void versus solid, moving versus still.

2.4.5 Meandering paths Corridors are not only used to connect single buildings, but also used to divide spaces, penetrating the landscape and objects of a corridor’s two sides and adding spatial depth. Even though the scope of a Suzhou garden is limited, its crisscross network of corridors gives one a feeling of being lost and unable to find the end. Bedingfeld reaffirms this by describing how the space is deliberately confusing and non-geometrical in its layout to the extent that an otherwise straight corridor is kinked zigzag preventing any kind of measurable or perspectival views.

Covered walkways define winding routes through the scenery. Variation of the path adds to the 23

perceived size of the garden by heightening the visitor’s awareness of the space and slowing him or her down.

2.4.6 See & be seen Halls and pavilions were the owner’s main places of activity in the past; they were also the entire garden’s main points of visual enjoyment (Kuang & Zhang, 2002). Researching principles for the line of vision and for organizing landscapes and objects was one of the main principles in designing the Chinese garden. Several methods in designing views include: a) Opposite sceneries which attract people’s attention by means of spatial change. These changes are caused by the forward direction of roads and corridors, the entrance, and curves as well as the front views that can be observed through frames of doors and windows. b) Open sceneries where line of vision is wide, letting all landscapes be seen viewed simultaneously c) Divided sceneries are obstructive sceneries that impede vision and guide turning.

d) Framed sceneries and leaking sceneries which makes use of a simple yet slightly heavy frame of view to comprise the foreground of the composition, causing a person’s eyesight to focus on the main feature and thus giving a strong artistic influence. e) Borrowed sceneries allow exterior landscapes and objects appear in the line of vision in order to expand the feeling of a limited space. f) Long views (Bedingfeld, 1997) where the user is able to views across several layers. For example, In Wang Shi Yuan, one can see almost to the back of the boundary wall from the entrance of the garden.

2.4.7 Solid & void The most important creator of space in a painting is the void. In the Chinese garden, the element of the water is interpreted as the void, which contrasts with the architecture elements and rockery. Openings such as windows, lattices and doors represent void as composed to solid walls.

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2.4.8 Height and levels Unlike other types of architect that seek to build on flat land for the sake of convenience, some Chinese gardens were built on the hillside in order to utilize of the steepness of the natural topography. They are normally designed in coincidence with meandering paths. In cases where the gardens are built on flat land, artificial mountains are created to generate sense of variation.

Pavilions are built on top of such artificial mountains.

2.4.9 Route According to Chen Congzhou (2000), the designer always has in mind a planned tourist route.

The spatial program of sceneries and movements had been identified with the assumed ‘traditional’ jargon of garden-making: ‘paces forward sceneries changed’, which means that new and often contrasting pictorial views appear as one moves forward and thereby absorb viewers into a plastic experiences through their own motion. Kuang & Zhang (2002) describes how the spaces in the Chinese garden are aligned based on visual enjoyment. Views are connected one by one. Similar to the architecture of traditional places, following an axis, one spatial compound after the other is disclosed in an orderly manner. Visual enjoyment can also be arranged according to the principle of dissemination, which takes one particular spaces as its center; the other spaces are distributed around this. However, for large gardens, it is difficult to detect an obvious road of visual enjoyment.

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Principles

Description

Diagrams

Design elements

A) Hide & Reveal

Obscuring some

or

part

of

the

partitioning

the

See

garden

from

viewer.

The

slow

of

views

revealing

Fictitious

hide

generates suspense.

through

elements including lattice, Obstructing views

windows,

and openings Actual partitioning Elements

(Source: Kuang & Zhang, 2002)

that

obstruct views and hinder passage Framing of views (Source: Peng, 1987)

B) Guide & Hint

Including

walls,

rocks and trees

Pathways suggesting

Long,

narrow

what lies beyond the

corridors,

bridges

space (focal point).

or pathways. Can

The end of pathways

be linear or angled.

is usually accompanied with an

Linear pathways

opening or gateway.

(Source: Kuang & Zhang, 2002)

Curved pathways (Source: Peng, 1987)

C) Depth & Layer

Layering of planes,

Placement of

voids

Fictitious

and

architectural

partitioning

elements Foreground – middle

Actual partitioning

ground – background Penetration of layers

Divisions of larger (Source: Rinaldi, 2001)

(linear)

space to smaller

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compartments, while still providing connectivity.

Penetration of layers (angled)

Corridor as an element of layering (Source: Peng, 1987)

D) Spatial contrast

Transition

space

Constrasting

size,

from small to big or

form and

vice versa

of two spaces

Transition

texture

from

interior to exterior (Source: Rinaldi, 2001)

Narrow to large space

Exterior to interior (Source: Peng, 1987)

E) Meandering paths

Winding, non-straight

Zigzagging of

paths

corridors, walkways

Zig-zagging paths

Connection of buildings to buildings (flowing

(Source: Kuang & Zhang, 2002)

space)

Flowing space (Source: Peng, 1987)

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F) See & be seen

Curating views:

Position

of

Borrowed scenery

points

Opposite scenery

gazabos, pavillions

such

focal as

Open scenery Divided Scenery Framed Scenery Long views Viewing internally and externally (Source: Kuang & Zhang, 2002)

G) Solid &void

(Source: Peng, 1987)

Permeability

Placement of Fictitious

Solid – buildings Void

–

partitioning

water,

openings

Actual partitioning

Usage of softscape (Source: Kuang & Zhang, 2002)

Lattice and windows (Source: Peng, 1987)

H) Height & Levels

Allows

paths

to

Placement of views

traversed vertically

and buildings

Multi-level views

(Source: Kuang & Zhang, 2002)

Multilevel views (Source: Peng, 1987)

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I) Route

The

sequence

of

Circulation paths

experience.

(Source: Rinaldi, 2002)

(Source: Peng, 1987)

Table 1 Spatial framework (Source: Author, 2017)

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2.5 Chinese gardens and contemporary architecture Since the 1930’s, the study of Chinese gardens have helped enrich the notion of ‘Chineseness’ in architecture and further influenced the design of modern Chinese architecture. The wide circulation of Chinese garden was due to it being a symbol of traditional dwelling, but also due its extraordinary association with the concept of space (Lu, 2011). Modern architects who have interpreted Chinese gardens in search of a national form include Mo Bo Zhi, Miao Pu and Feng Zhi Zhong (Xue, 2005). Two of the prolific architects would be Priztker award winners, I.M. Pei and Wang Shu. The Pei family had already been involved in efforts to preserve and develop the historic areas of Suzhou, which was being increasingly threatened by the economic explosion of the country. I.M Pei has often mentioned ‘In cultural buildings, gardens and buildings are one –they are not separate’ (Jodidio, 2008). He claims that there is no distinction between garden and rooms; they are joined together, and always designed on a human scale. Pei’s experience In Suzhou taught him the importance of the coexistence between nature and humans.

Similar to I.M. Pei, Wang Shu is also proactive in redefining Chinese vernacular architecture. The spatial qualities of Wang Shu’s works seem to suggest that there are indications of principles of Chinese gardens. Chinese virtues such as calligraphy, garden architecture, and landscape painting are central in Wang Shu’s works. As described by Xue (2005), Wang Shu has applied ‘Chinese gardens’ to his interior designs, where his interiors seem to tell a story, conjuring up subtle suggestion of literature.

The research process will include one case study each from I.M. Pei and Wang Shu, which both are museums. Museums share similar connotations with the traditional Chinese gardens as they are heavily dependent on creating experiences. The research will then combine analytical research on project information, interview videos and documentary and the architect’s presentation regarding the particular subject of inquiry.

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3.0 Case Studies 3.1 Ningbo Museum

Figure 7 Ningbo History Museum (Source: arcdaily, 2009)

Introduction Architects: Wang Shu, Lu Wenyu Year Completed: 2008 Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang, China Dimensions: 144m (L) x 65m (W) x 23m (H) Floors: 3

The design of the Ningbo Museum is a conceptual combination of mountains, water and oceans, as the East China Sea has played an important history in the city of Ningbo. Wang Shu describes the Ningbo Museum as a mountain, and hence by creating an artificial mountain, he has shaped an architectural topography that is filled with the abundance of nature-inspired experiences. The building is mainly characterized by a rectangular base, which gradually ‘breaks’ and ‘opens up’ until the top. The fortress consists of three valleys, four caves and four sunken courtyards. Externally, its scale and pointed ends of the walls overwhelm its visitors, who feel small when faced with its enormity. The building massing appears monumental but once inside, the architecture is focused around experience. Wang expresses the building’s key moments of space and circulation as natural phenomena (Wang, 2010). Understanding Ningbo 31

Historic Museum as a landscape is key to perceiving the project’s meaning. Movement through the building is not expeditious, but slow and thoughtful. Wang has imagined his architecture as a kind of Chinese garden where a likely scenario involves a thoughtful scholar meandering through the landscape. The building’s circulation was conceived as a ‘labyrinth of pathways’, which multiple paths interconnect with public spaces. The private realm of the museum is located on the south side, while the private realm is located on the northern side.

Hide & Reveal Despite its massive façade, the Ningbo History Museum consists of four hidden courtyards, which is left to the exploration of the visitors. The courtyards are located not along the main route, but visitors may stumble across these spaces unexpectedly. Openings or windows act as hints for visitors to speculate on what lies beyond these spaces. The sandblasted glass which surrounds the central atrium helps to filter light into the interior but does not provide views. Only upon reaching the top floor, visitors are able to view down to central court.

Figure 8 Second floor plan depicting four hidden courtyards (Source: Author, 2017)

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Guide & Hint The long, linear pathway leading to the entrance acts as a guide, which leads visitors to the bright atrium or focal point. The experience is heightened due to the linearity of the entrance pathway compared to cuboid blocks on the two sides. According to Wang (2010), the entrance is meant to simulate the experience of walking through a cave. This principle is also seen in the design of the grand staircase, which is characterized as a valley. The staircase is unique in a sense that it narrows down in width as it slowly descends from the second floor to first floor.

This also creates the perception of a strong one-point perspective.

Figure 8 Linear pathway entrance leading to atrium (Source: Author, 2017)

Figure 9 Grand staircase leading to exit (Source: arcdaily, 2009)

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Spatial Contrast The visitors enter this mountain of structural concrete via a 30metre wide rectangular wide hole in East. The entrance pathway is dark, narrow and linear. The block of mass provides a oppressive outlook. However, upon approaching the entrance, the visitor is greeted with a triple volume atrium, which is bright and provides a drastic contrast to the pathway. Spatial contrast is also seen when visitors are guided through narrow spaces before entering into a bigger space (exhibition halls). The second floor/ top floor provides a drastic contrast as compared to the rectangular interior due to its five peaks.

Figure 9 Spatial contrast upon entry (Source: Author, 2017)

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Meandering Paths The paths in the exhibition part of the Museum is not characterized by straight corridors but rather angled due to the diagonal planes formed by the five peaks on the second floor. These angles in turn create an interesting shift of width of the paths, where the widths are inconsistent throughout.

Figure 10 Paths characterized by diagonal planes. First floor (Left) Second Floor (Right) (Source, Author, 2017)

Route On the ground and first floor, the exhibition areas are located on the north side while on the south side are the offices and archive, to which dozens of small windows on the face of the building correspond. A system of vertical movement unfolds there which brings the visitor to the first and second floor respectively. The patio in the heart of the building brings light to the first floor through the sandblasted glass that surrounds it. At the same level, the visitor may go outdoors into two isolated courtyards, closed on all four sides with limited views to the city and their only opening to the sky. On the second and final level, which is the climax of movement, the scene created is completely different. The galleries are independent blocks that create sloped surfaces and define the oblique shapes in four corners of the building. The movement and transition from one block are made possible through the external environment, creating completely different qualities than inside the buildings. The visitor is outside, but inside the building at the same time. In essence, the main movement from one block to the next is made through the external environment. Strolling down the wooden paths, one comes into contact with the faรงades and vistas created by the empty spaces formed by the walls. A microcosm is created in the upper levels of the building, with the visitors being in between the blocks being no more than 10 meters.

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Figure 11 Visitation route for Ningbo History Museum (Source: Author, 2017)

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See & be seen The curating of views in the Ningbo Museum is of less emphasis as compared to its circulation Views are only fully exposed upon reaching the exterior of the top floor, where visitors can view down into individual courtyards. Random sized windows punch through the external walls but they do not appear to be focused on creating specific views.

Figure 12 Openings as indicated on the elevation (Source: Author, 2017)

Solid & Void To lighten the solid mass of the museum, there are a total of five voids which direct natural lighting into the building. The large water feature, surrounds the northern part the museum, which further softens the rough faรงade.

Figure 13 Roof plan depicting the location of five voids (Source: Author, 2017)

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3.2 Suzhou Museum

Figure 14 Suzhou Museum (Source: Architizer, 2013)

Introduction Architects: I.M Pei Architect, Pei Partnership Architects Year Completed: 2006 Location: Suzhou, China Area: 150, 000 sqm

The new Suzhou Museum is located in the northeast section of the historic quarter of Suzhou. It adjoins the landmarked Zhong Wang Fu, a complex of 19th-century historical structures, and the Garden of the Humble Administrator, a 16th-century garden listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The design of the museum takes its cues from the rich vocabulary of Suzhou’s traditional architecture, with its whitewashed plaster walls, dark grey clay tile roofs and intricate garden architecture. However these basic elements have been reinterpreted and synthesized into a new language and order, one that is contemporary and forward looking and hopefully one that is a possible direction for the future of Chinese modern architecture. As with traditional Suzhou architecture, the design of the Art Museum is organized around a series of gardens and courts that mediates between the building and its surrounding environment. The main Museum Garden is a contemporary extension and commentary of the Garden of the Humble Administrator to the north. As visual connections between the two properties are not possible due to the high garden walls, water is used physically and metaphorically as a bridge between 38

the two properties. The landscape design of the new Museum Garden and its smaller Gallery and Administrative Gardens is not based on traditional and conventional approaches. Rather, new design directions and themes were sought for each of them, where the essence of traditional landscape design can be distilled and reformulated into potentially new directions for Chinese garden architecture.

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Depth & Layer Spatial depth is most eminent when there a multiple layers along one’s line of sight. These layers can be in the form of softscape, as seen view A. The bamboo garden adds more mystery and depth to the views as opposed to the visitor viewing the gazebo directly. View B also illustrates how I.M. Pei uses the bridge as a layer that cut through the lake, adding more variety to the spatial depth.

Figure 15 Application of spatial depth in the Suzhou Musuem (Source: Author, 2017)

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See & be seen I.M Pei has applied principles in aligning visual enjoyment in the Suzhou Museum. The expanse view of the pond from the veranda of the great hall is considered as open scenery. The octagonal windows along the walls of the corridor are framed and leaking sceneries that provide insight of what occurs beyond the wall.

Figure 16 Cross-viewing of focal points (Source: Author, 2017)

Figure 17 Framing of views (Source: Architizer, 2013)

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Solid & void Aside from the numeral windows along the corridors, what stands out in Suzhou museum is the use of skylights and high windows. Light can be filtered in through louvered windows at the apex of the reception hall. The lofty, angled windows bring the changing skies into the interior space.

For I.M. Pei, a fundamental principle is to allow the light to form the design. His use of natural light is brilliant therefore he is called ‘ the magician of light ‘ (Suzhou Museum, 2010). As visitors walk around the museum, they are able to observe how sunlight and reflected light come together to create all kinds of light and shade. Soft light and shade cover the floor surfaces as well as the walls, changing according to the movement of the sun. The sudden changes of light and shade provides different visual and emotional sensations. Because of the introduction of natural light, there is a relationship between the interior and exterior spaces, which are woven together in light and shade.

Figure 18 West corridor (left) and Great hall (right) (Source: Architizer, 2013)

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Route The primary circulation of the Suzhou Museum mainly occurs on one level, similar to the traditional Chinese garden. The circulation is a closed loop with the pond as the central point.

Upon entering into the double volume main hall, the visitor is greeted with an extensive view of the pond and pavilions. Proceeding to the west wing, the visitor gets a glimpse of exterior via the windows along the corridor, which creates a shifting perspective, similar to a painting scroll.

The climax of the museum is when visitor arrives at the bridge of the pond and is surprised with a full view of the museum complex. After crossing the bridge, the visitor then heads back to the interior art galleries before arriving at the main hall.

Figure 19 Primary and secondary circulation of the Suzhou Museum (Source: TiffanyDellAquilla, 2012)

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Hide & Reveal

Guide & Hint

Spatial Contrast

Meandering Path

(TO BE FURTHER ELABORATED WITH DIAGRAMS)

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4.0 Findings & Discussion Principles

Ningbo History Museum

Hide & reveal Guide & hint Depth & layer Spatial contrast Meandering path See & be seen Solid & void Height & levels Route

(To be further elaborated)

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Suzhou Museum

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