Beijing Palace City Scroll at the National Museum of China, Beijing
01 Myth and the City Dissolution of Mythical Traditional Environment (Selected for International Urban Design Conference: DESIGNING PLACES, University of Nottingham, UK, April 2012)
irwan soetikno / ishenstudio@yahoo.com
Myth, as a form of culture, is not merely a product of traditional culture and its society. Myth with its symbol and representation is also palpable in modern society and its city. Beijing as a culmination of ancient imperial city and modern capitalist of new China, emerges as a place of peculiar environment. It lays in between the duality of traditional environment and modern urbanism. Established on cosmic order and currently adopted the principle of ‘generic city’, Beijing is undoubtedly an intriguing study model of modern Asian cities in the age of globalisation. By looking at its historical architectural artefact and new urban fabric, the author attempt to re-establish the notion of: myth of modern city today. Coming from origin where myth are widely celebrated, he believes myth is still an important element to define sense of place in our modern city.
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Shrinking Horizon Wanchun Pavilion is a modest building with
Seeing Manhattan from the 110th floor of the
footprint less than 20X20m. Unlike the Twin
World Trade Centre. Beneath the haze stirred
Towers which rose in heroic proportion and
up by the wind, the urban island, a sea in the
sophisticated glazed-skin, this little pavilion is
middle of the sea, lifts up the skyscrapers over
decorated with delicate ornaments with its
Wall Street, sinks down at Greenwich, then
three layers pitch-roof humbly stretched to the
rises again to the crests of Midtown, quietly
sky. It is a piece of structure which is
passes over Central Park and finally undulates
neglected and almost forgotten, a memory of
off into the distance beyond Harlem. A wave
ancient city, which is now invaded by modern
of verticals. Its agitation is momentarily
iconic buildings.
arrested by vision.1
From this peak, I could observe the historical core of Beijing, which sits in the axial cosmic
Standing at the Wanchun Pavilion of Jingshan
order recognised as Feng Shui. To the south,
Park, the peak of Beijing’s historical core,
series of golden roofs of imperial palace rising
which rises almost 95m above the sea level,
from the hidden ground. Glowing under the
reminds me of Michel de Certeau’s pesonal
warm summer sunlight they reveal a
experience from the peak of New York City.
mysterious ‘text’ to the stranger like me who
Though the point where Certeau observed
simply can only enjoy the poetic harmony of
Manhattan later shrunk to Ground Zero and
their composition. The linear axis to the north
become a memorial site after the September
which is marked by several gate towers,
11 violent attack, the point where I stand
guarded by green landscape which climbs up
survived after more than 500 years history of
to the peak. My favourite scene, the west side,
imperial China and become a memorial after
where the man made water body form series
the capitalism ruled over the city.
of lakes and merge into park. There stood a
World Trade Centre is a masterpiece of a
White Pagoda shadowed by setting sun in the
guilty man, Minoru Yamasaki, after his Pruitt-
unobstructed horizon, signified the end of an
Igoe was levelled to the ground, signified the
episode. Starting from that horizon, I was
death of modernism. Later, when World Trade
awoken by colour of life which I have been
Centre was erected, Yamasaki again suffered
missing for such a long time. A wisdom of a
bitter criticism for his tallest twin tower which
ancient city, a myth which brings me to a
was regarded as anti-urban.2 Today, a decade
curiosity.
after 9/11 tragedy, the world has realised its lost of the most iconic piece in modern history, a monument of its modern civilisation. A memory of a city... 1 Certeau, Michel de. The Practice of Everyday Life, 1988, p91 2 Sudjic, Deyan. The Edifice Complex, How the Rich and Powerful Shape the World, 2005, p350
3
Jingshan Park within the Ancient City layout. (Sketch by the author) Forbidden City from Wanchun Pavilion at Jingshan Park. (Photo by the author)
Jingshan Park Forbidden City
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the new capitalism, breeds new urban form;
Peculiar Environment
shopping malls, apartment blocks, numerous In the twentieth century ‘flat world’, tension
shiny skyscrapers and complex infrastructure.
between globalisation and regionalism still
Within those new urban elements, the myth of
remain a polemic issue, especially in the
modern city, dictated by economic process of
developing Asian region which experiencing
capitalism, replace the traditional myth of
the rapid urbanisation--with tremendous
historical core. As Roland Barthes asserted in
influence from role model of modern cities in
his Mythologies, myth will only remain the
Europe and North America. ‘Roman Operating
letter as it becomes form and the meaning
System’ as elucidated in Mutations3, has
leaves its contingency behind,5 so is the
become a generic principle of the modern
condition of Beijing historical core. The
cities in the West. This condition remains
profound knowledge, idea and concept of
palpable in emerging metropolis globally,
imperial China period in establishing their city
which is recognised as generic city. Beijing--
and living environment remain an artefact now.
the ancient China’s capital--on the other hand,
It is seen as a series of letter which constitute
as theorised by Kevin Lynch in Good City
a bigger text in a new system of modern city.
Form, was built on the foundation of cosmic
With the endless modern theory and
theory. 4 This duality of generic city and cosmic
knowledge of architecture and city we could
historic foundation of modern Beijing now--
attempt to decode those text, but it will remain
under the rule of capitalism--composes its
a myth, as our interpretation from modern
urban condition as a place of peculiar
perspective operates in different realm from
environment.
the one of which the text is created. Just
Its peculiarity exists in a dualism of two
imagine reading a Chinese character. As a
polarities. A resistance of tradition and
foreigner in China which do not read Chinese,
aggression of modernity. An entrapment of
I could still ‘read’ Chinese characters which is
historical foundation--the old Forbidden City--
ubiquitous in every corners of the city.
within the expansion of tabula rasa. The
However my capacity in reading Chinese is
interpolation of cosmic order with new rational
limited in recognising its formal pattern and
urban planning matrix. The philosophy of
stroke without further capability to absorb its
Confucius which become the underlying idea
meaning. In this context, the Chinese
of Beijing’s regular symmetrical architectural
character just function as a myth.
order and Taoism which counterbalanced it with organic natural form in garden was such a dynamic realm both as physical and spiritual. Now the synergy of ‘Chi’ appears as disrupted by the ‘economic influx’ which is enforced by 3 Koolhas, Rem. Mutations: Harvard Project in the City, 2000, p10 4 Lynch, Kevin. Good City Form, 1981, p73 5 Barthes, Roland. Mythologies, 2009, p141
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Myth defines our place and makes our city
Without our enough capacity to read its
interesting. In his entry for the Amiens
profound meaning, this myth becomes more
competition, Leon Krier placed church and
interesting as its interpretation is open to each
bell-tower in the centre of town, though people
of our approaches. One could read it as
didn’t go to church anymore, simple to fulfil
literally massive linear red wall, or enjoy its
mystical and symbolic function. 6 Similar to
ambiguous delicate ornamentation, or
church in medieval age of Europe, empire is
experience the tactility of its ancient structure,
another political organisation which define
and it still remain a myth. As I climb into the
territory, authority and
rights 7 and
capable of
peak of Wanchun Pavilion of Jingshan Park, I
establishing myth in modern city through its
would enjoy reading the peculiarity of its text.
architectural artefact. Just like Krier’s Church and bell-tower, Forbidden City in a more powerful manner has established a myth to modern city of Beijing.
CCTV Headquarters by OMA. (Photo by the author)
6
Ellin, Nan. Postmodern Urbanism, 1999, p35
7 Sassen, Saskia. Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global Assemblages, 2008, p31
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Adjacent to Beijing Television Cultural Centre
Desire for Myth
which was on fire in 2009, CCTV and its Iconic building emerges from the modern city
surrounding remain silent despite the bustling
to establish an identity and ‘brand’ in the midst
traffic and highway of this new CBD keep
of global competitiveness. Old capital of China,
rumbling, obstructing its gigantic figure.
in its wake after economic reform, including
Moving along the street level at its pedestal,
those which embrace the power of myth, of
one can only notice its awkward leaning loop
urban transformation and modernisation,
tower protruding up in the sky and above your
through proliferation of iconic buildings. From
head without ever enjoying its full ‘framed
past decades, Beijing’s urban fabric has
hole’ image.
experienced tremendous changes. The city
If the forbidden city and its traditional myth is
has become an epicentre of modern and hyper
represented from the frontal pictorial view of
architectural objects, a massive collection of
Tian An Men and can be enjoyed by large
works from Pritzker Prize winner, Starchitect,
public from Tian An Men square, then CCTV
famous names, foreign practices, and local
tower and its modern myth is to be perceived
young emerging architects.
in different way. Its complete ‘framed hole’ can
To convince a nation, which once relied on
be comprehend only through vertical hierarchy,
cosmic order--a traditional principle which is
by observer who fly in the sky, or live hundreds
considered myth in modern culture--in
meter away in the top of SOHO apartment by
establishing its auspicious city, Charles Jencks
Riken Yamamoto, or snooped miles away from
insinuated Koolhaas’s CCTV tower as new
the top of Wanchun Pavilion--as what I did
symbol; Chinese moon
gate.8
Although that
before. This paradigm shift from horizontal
intriguing statement was later understood
point of view to vertical perspective obviously
simply as a tactic to inject this new structure
marked the transformation of imperial structure
into Chinese society, CCTV tower is perhaps a
to socialist society and finally to capitalist
Beijing new icon, but never a Chinese moon
nation. Myth which commonly is believed to
gate.
dwell only in ancient or traditional culture, is in fact abides in every age. And only history will
Flanked by the high-speed highway, long
trace its evident and manifestation.
linear ring-road, and massive high-rise, the perfect volume of the CCTV moon gate--a framed hole, or the heavy shape made in bronze and jade thousands of years ago in China as a symbol of exchange9 --can only be captured from high position in the sky.
8
Sudjic, Deyan. The Edifice Complex, How the Rich and Powerful Shape the World, 2005, p135
9
ibid.
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recognised architects in every projects, they
Made of SOHO
brought rich architectural expression to the city In principle, sense of place in the historical city
and provide new bench mark of life-style.
like Beijing can be represented through
There are almost ten large developments
encounter to two different contrast territory.
completed in a decade. Among those iconic
The first territory, old historical core, marked by
development are the white box Jianwai SOHO
the world heritage site of Forbidden City and
by Riken Yamamoto, the vibrant colourful
its surrounding, which undoubtedly become
Sanlitun SOHO by Kengo Kuma, and the
the main tourist attraction into this city. The
currently under-construction futuristic Galaxy
second territory will be the new CBD, a new
SOHO by Zaha Hadid.
business centre which operate the business
When modern urban centre of Beijing like
and financial activities of large influx of foreign
Chaoyang CBD is expanding in rapid
investments. Located at the east of old
transformation, our notion to the identity of
historical core, the new CBD at Chaoyang
place is obliviously distracted from permanent
district, in between the 3rd and 4th Ring Road,
mythical symbol of old city’s core to the new
has spurred the massive development of
dynamic modern architecture collection. The
business and financial core of modern Beijing.
equal tension between this two forces makes
It’s an international home for expatriates, a
the city an interesting playground: a place with
new territory of exchange to the world, which
broad spectrum of spatial diversity for its
perhaps justify Jencks attempt to identify
inhabitant to escape.
Koolhaas CCTV tower as ‘symbol of exchange’.
To mitigate the radical transition from its history, many modern architectural project in
If the forbidden city and its surrounding still
Beijing seeks cultural identity or conceptual
can be navigated pleasantly by foot, Chaoyang
narrative behind its physical manifestation.
CBD will be exhaustedly walked through. At
Red and Golden colour for instance, which is
this area, large and massive development--
palpable in old city’s core, is repeated in
directed by developers--are erected
Norman Foster’s Beijing Capital airport to
spontaneously responding to the economic
resemble a Chinese identity. Or the vibrant red
booming. Office towers, apartment blocks, and
interior of Herzog and de Meuron’s Bird Nest
shopping malls are ubiquitous, shaping every
Stadium, remind us of China’s energy.
street edges. With every ambition to establish city’s identity and to deliver the future dream,
Delicate ornamentation and detail of ancient
modern Beijing’s architectonic qualities is
Chinese architecture which represent the
pushed to the best the country’s construction
finest artistic achievement in the past is also
engineer can achieve.
somehow appear in the urban condition. Each of the massive buildings in Chaoyang for
As the largest real-estate developer in Beijing,
instance, present its modern identity with
SOHO China, is probably one of those who
unique colour, texture & detail, and often in its
responsible in shaping the image of modern
super large scale make the environment
Beijing. By employing different internationally
perceived more chaotic and nauseous. This
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perception is experienced, for example, when
different architectural skin / surface which
walking through several super blocks of SOHO
predominantly dictate the urban image will
development. From white surface of
either raise a spontaneous excitement or
Guanghualu SOHO with decorated circular
delusion. And with plenty super large block
windows, to black dynamic fragmented lines of
which is decorated with ‘unique’ surface and
Shangdu SOHO, to its neighbour of brownish
form, Beijing will obviously emerge as a new
granite cladded surface of Chaowai SOHO,
playground for designer and inhabitant who
one will experience different sensation of
desire for delirium.
place. The radical and frequent transition in short period of time gained by exposure to
Sanlitun SOHO by Kengo Kuma. Its vibrant colour brings attraction to urban environment. (Photo by the author) Chaowai SOHO with articulated building surface, opposite the Shangdu SOHO.(Photo by the author)
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in the midst of consumptive society which
Made of Nature
hunger for massive energy. Sustainability and It’s been obvious that during the past decades
green become the winner of modern myth
nature has become the subordinate to man
when the whole world painstakingly exerts its
which is reflected in modern cities. The
agenda and wish to champion the battle
rhetorical reciprocity of nature and man in
against the deteriorated world which is
design and planning process has been
exhausted of being exploited by its master.
repeatedly discussed though there is not many
Just like a pendulum swing10 , the arising
implication in real practice. The legendary
sustainable agenda of the contemporary city
‘Design with Nature’ by Ian McHarg which is
and urbanism, has in fact oscillated from
articulated again by Charles Waldheim in his
vernacular or traditional culture within many
theory of Landscape Urbanism, remain us to
Asian region, which has been often neglected.
return to nature process as starting point in
The propagation of capitalism and democratic-
designing our urban environment instead of
ism which vastly spread across this region
being dictated by merely economic process.
during the postwar and post-colonialism has
The current emerging sustainable issue and
been easily injected into most Asian countries
green word are again rooted in nature: our
which were in junction of liberation, freedom
dependance of natural resources and our
and revolution. This ideological transformation,
responsibility in maintaining its well being.
and led by modernization and globalization,
However, the propagation of this issue is being
has radically changed the way people live, the
distorted by sustainable and green notion
social structure, and belief which is self-
which simply referring to element of nature and
evident in the form of its architecture and city.
‘green’ as plant or literally green. This
At the tipping point of globalization, where the
condition leads sustainable and green design
ethical and mythical nucleus 11 of traditional
as a fashion where images of buildings
culture are eradicated from landscape of
wrapped by green blanket, or futuristic urban
modern city, Critical Regionalism12 emerges
settlement within dense green forest, often
as a reflection of cultural identity.
become the imaginary vision of designer. Or it often abused by developer to promote their
As the key principle which underlying the
high rating ‘green mark’ development which is
vernacular architecture of traditional Asian
operated by smart building technology that
cities, nature plays important role in
reduced great amount of energy consumption
determining the building process, operation
10 Arnold Toynbee is a pioneer in introducing the pendular swing theory of history (A study of History, 1947). It is often used to conceptualize the succession of ideas as a pendular swing, a cycle, or a spiral whereby a particular spirit of the time is replaced--either gradually or abruptly--by another one. (Ellin, Nan. Postmodern Urbanism, 1999, p297) 11 In defending the regionalism, Paul Ricoeur referred the ethical and mythical nucleus as the creative nucleus of great civilization and culture which is prone to the subtle destruction by ‘universalization’. (Frampton, Kenneth. Modern Architecture, A Critical History, 2007, p314) 12 Critical Regionalism is an approach to architecture that strives to counter placelessness and lack of identity in Modern Architecture by using the building's geographical context. The term Critical Regionalism was first used by the architectural theorists Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre and, with a slightly different meaning, by the historian-theorist Kenneth Frampton. (wikipedia)
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and even the social construct. Within this
comfort. This minimum control over the nature
mechanism, sustainability is obviously
and its element implicate the mythical
embedded into its holistic process. Therefore,
conception of place in traditional environment
sustainability which apparently swing from the
as its natural condition is changeable. In this
phenomenon of climatic change and energy
context, human being is only a performer. The
crisis in 21st century, after decades of nature
rain, hot, wind and constellation of sky, colour
exploitation following the industrial revolution,
of the day, and entire cycle of his environment
is in fact a precious wisdom of traditional
defining the place of his existence. Within this
culture which is diminished under the
complex entity he celebrates and perform his
spectacle of capitalism.
routine and ritual. A simple concept of this mechanism can be comprehend through
Quite similar to ancient China, mythical
performance of Balinese dance; Tari Kecak.
traditional environment in Indonesia was based on nature. The settlement and city is
Set in stage of nature: often during sun set
organised by cosmic order, local belief or
with its magnificent scenery, the dance is
religion, and traditional values. Place is
performed by group of people in circular
experienced beyond the man-made physical
formation which depict the ancient Hindu
boundary or object. The sensation of being in
Ramayana epoch. As the sun lower its position
a particular place is also associated with
and the day getting darker, the roaring voices
smells or aroma, sounds, and the change of
of the performer with minimum instrumental
natural phenomena. Other intangible aspect
tool will occupy the atmosphere. At the peak of
such as ritual, myth, and local belief also
the show, a dancer in his unconscious spirit is
contributed to one’s perception of place. The
believed to communicate with god and jumped
aroma of burning offering in Balinese village
into the bursting fire which enlighten the
will obviously remind one who approach a
darkness of nature. The interplay of natural
certain territory before he/she can visually
setting and the act is deliberately considered in
define the place. Despite its controversial, the
this performance. It is a reflection of mythical
adhan, Islamic call for prayer, creates such a
harmony which is extinct in our rational
mythical ambience when it resounds with the
modern city.
resting sunset in colorful horizon, positioning oneself in a place between physical and spiritual realm. In traditional environment, nature is not just a source to sustain the life but also as a place to perform. If In the modern city where our existence and performance are so much encapsulated by objects; building and infrastructure, traditional environment allows optimum interaction with nature while providing minimum enclosure to maintain human
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The Indonesian Balinese traditional dance (Tari Kecak) performed at the stage of nature, Bali. (Photo by the author)
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Bibliography: Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. London, Vintage Books, 2009. Certeau, Michel de. The Practice of Everyday Life. University of California Press, 1988. Ellin, Nan. Postmodern Urbanism. Princeton Architectural Press, 1999. Frampton, Kenneth. Modern Architecture, A Critical History. Thames and Hudson, 2007. Gauzin-Mler, Dominique. Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism: concepts, technologies, examples. Basel, Birkhauser, 2002. Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Modern Library, 2011. Keswick, Maggie. The Chinese Garden, St. Martin’s Press, 1978. Koolhas, Rem. Mutations: Harvard Project in the City. Barcelona, Actar 2000. Lefaivre, Liane and Alexander Tzonis. Architecture of Regionalism in the Age of Globalization; Peaks and Valleys in the Flat World. Routledge, 2012. Lynch, Kevin. Good City Form. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press 1981. Lynch, Kevin. The Image of The City. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press 1960. Sudjic, Deyan. The Edifice Complex, How the Rich and Powerful Shape the World. New York, The Penguin Press, 2005. Sassen, Saskia. Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global Assemblages. New York, Princeton University Press, 2008. Waldheim, Charles. The Landscape Urbanism Reader. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2006. Wu Liangyong, Rehabilitating The Old City of Beijing; A project in the Ju’er Hutong Neighbourhood, Vancouver, UBC Press, 1999.
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