TRADITIONAL CHINESE ARCHITECTURE HISTORICAL TIMELINE
DESIGN THINKING
Left: Lin Huiyin Founding of The Society for Research in Right Liang Sicheng Chinese Architecture ( Gradually ying zao inactive and xue she) in 1929 Fieldwork Research dissolved after Renamed as not receiving zhong guo ying fundings after zao xue she ( World War 2 ) in 1930
Zhu Qiqian
林徽因
朱啟鈐
梁思成
營
造學社
營造學社
道
中國
1930
1946
Confucianism
Taoism
Liu Dunzhen
1918 Discovery of Yingzao Fashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods , 1103, Northen Song Dynasty) Bulletin of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture
Traditional Chinese art believes that unspoken ultimate beauty lies within Heaven & Earth. The theory states that Tao ( ) produced one, one produced two, two produced three, three produced all things. All things leave behind them the obscurity
Qing Structural Regulations
The Annotated Yingzao Fashi
劉敦楨 1932-1937
The Society for Research in Chinese Architecture
Literature
A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture
Beijing Siheyuan COURTYARD IN
THE CENTER
水 相生
木
金
(EN VOI D CL AL OSED L4 SID ON ES)
土
相克
Solid & Void -Conception of Space
MAIN ROOM
Open Space
Open Space
Open Space Open Space
SOL ID
W es t
(According to Feng Shui. It protects the family from exterior intrusion)
Wuxing (Chinese: , pinyin: wǔxíng), usually translated as Five Phases, is a fivefold conceptual scheme that many traditional Chinese fields used to explain a wide array of phenomena, from cosmic cycles to the interaction between internal organs, and from the succession of political regimes to the properties of medicinal drugs. The "Five Phases" are Fire ( huǒ), Water ( shuǐ), Wood ( mù), Metal or Gold ( jīn), and Earth or Soil ( tǔ). This order of presentation is known as the "Days of the Week" sequence. In the order of "mutual generation" ( xiāngshēng), they are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In the order of "mutual overcoming" ( xiāngkè), they are Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal. It discussed architecture in terms of "invisible forces" that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together.
(inhabited by the head of the family)
No rth
Affected the social hierarchy in design considerations particularly spatial layout Associated with fixities
五行
Research of methods in traditional Chinese architecture through fieldwork and measured drawing.
火
SPATIAL LAYOUT CONCEPTION W W ES IN T G
Considers Nature as design element associated with fluidities in architectural experience
Methods
Research on ancient literature and publication of the Bulletin of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture.
Achieving the state of social order with a set of ethical & moral
rules
Achieving state of harmony with nature
Entrance
"SOLID & VOID" is fundamental in the formation of Chinese Architecture, as the void gives function to the space. The placement of building blocks generates open and enclosed space to allow for circulation. The central courtyard plays a significant role in unifying all the building blocks, The width of the building depends on the amount of bays found from its facade. Spatial Composition
Courtyard EAST WING (believed to be higher than the West wing)
Eas t
Floral - pendant gate
- Horizontal axial span
Spatial Composition - Width Screen Wall
Column
Bay/ jian
(Pr th efer a e So wi ma bly fa in nd ut an roo cing h da m S lso ha out ha s sh h, s o sg e oo lter the dl f igh rom tn ing the )
Entrance Main Servants
ENTRANCE
Modularity
Eave Column
The measurement for all woodwork has to follow a strict modular rule. Larger sizes will be used for more important buildings such as palaces.
REFERENCES:
1.Sillbergeld,J.,Sullivan,.Michael and Qiyi,.Liu (2017, April 11). Chinese architecture..Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-architecture/The-Song-960-1279-Liao-907-1125-and-Jin-1115-1234-dynasties 2.Reding,T. (2021, May 19), Chinese architecture, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_architecture#:~:text=Chinese%20architecture%20is%20typified%20by,%2C%20my thological%2C%20or%20other%20symbolism. 3.Yite Shen (1996). Beijing Siheyuan, traditionaleastasia. http://projects.leadr.msu.edu/traditionaleastasia/exhibits/show/eastasiahousing/beijing-siheyuan
Eave Column
Seven Bays
Study Room
Order and Hierarchy
Fluidities
&
Fixities
Geomancy principles or Fengshui in Chinese culture was developed from Yi-jing (The Book of Change).
Fluidities
Its essence works around the interaction of yin and yang, elements of total opposite attributes and characteristics that achieve balance to bring harmony.
"Abundance of moving parts that comprise the Chinese correlative view of the cosmos”
The intention of the ideal landform for the dwelling is to attract and maintain good energy (Qi).
A bracket system called Dou-Gong consists of 3 components. The function is to transfer the load from the roof to the column. It also enables the extension of roof eaves for shading. They are mostly used in large and significant buildings like palaces such as symbols of status and affluence. Its function evolved from structural to decorate at a later time.
Principle Column
Fixities “Certain fixed conventions necessarily emerge in the fluid correlative whole”
A south-facing site with enfolded surrounding hills with an open space with a lake or a meandering river is favourable to keep the Qi
The order and hierarchy can be seen in the arrangements of building blocks so the heights known of the building blocks signify the function or status of the They are split into primary spaces. and secondary space based on their function. The front hall is usually higher than the corridor and because the corridor is a transition space or in comparison with the front hall, the status of the corridor is much lower. Therefore, it's usually lower than the front hall but the main hall which houses the altar in the deities has more significance in terms of functions of space. So that's why the size or heights of the main hall is usually bigger than the rest and we can also see the significance from the floor level so once people come to the main hall the flow level is lifted up to signify that we are entering a temple which has an important function and when it comes to the courtyard or the air well, the floor level is lower than the front hall like to signify the transition space and when Main Hall coming to the main hall the floor is lifted up again but this time it's much higher than the floor level at the front hall because the main hall has more important of Primary Space significance in comparison with other building blocks. So this is how the building Secondary Space block signifies order and hierarchy.
Side Airwell Corridor
Airwell
Front Hall
The organic & free-form brushstrokes show fluidity. At the same time, they are composed using fixed conventions with composition rules. This corresponds to the rigid arrangement of building blocks and the free-form arrangement of traditional Chinese gardens.