JOINT STUDIO 2015 - Green Book by Simone Vioglio

POLITECNICO DI TORINO

DIPARTIMENTO DI ARCHITETTURA E DESIGN

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

ZHANGJIAKOU SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS FOR 2022 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES

JOINT STUDIO 2015

POLITECNICO DI TORINO

DIPARTIMENTO DI ARCHITETTURA E DESIGN

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

ZHANGJIAKOU SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS FOR 2022 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES

JOINT STUDIO 2015

MASTER DEGREE THESIS

ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015 AUTUMN SESSION

Meet the mentors

Professor

Gustavo Ambrosini

Mauro Berta

Michele Bonino

Davide Vero

Zhang Li

Liu Jian

Xia Mingming

Professor

Tutor

Professor

Tutor

Meet the team

Sustainable Architecture

Matteo Ponsetti

Simone Vioglio Sustainable Architecture

FOREWORD

LOCAL THINKING IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD

NEW AND OLD RURAL ARCHITECTURE 2.1 Architecture diversity in China 2.2 Northern dwellings

3.1 An overall view on the footbridge system 3.2 The “moments”

4.1 The railway station 4.2 The gate buildings

THE CINEMATIC PATH

FOCUS ON THE DESIGN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

FOREWARD

前言

This volume is the second part of an overall work, composed of five volumes, which collect all the works developed within the Joint Study 2015, an international workshop which takes place every year between Turin Polytechnic and the Tsinghua University of Beijing. To read about the learning experience, the studies, research and the development of the common masterplans together with the students and professors of Tsinghua University refer to the first volume. That volume was developed jointly by the eight participants of Polytechnic of Turin to the workshop. This volume contains insights arising as a result of the experience developed in the first book. This book consists of four chapters, the first two sections contain theoretical issues and the other two focus on a more detailed projects of the common masterplan developed in Beijing. For theoretical arguments, we face the theme of “regionalism” as a design method analyzed in relation to contemporary society. We have tried to interpret the Chinese case, full of interesting and contradictory topics, through the interpretations already theorized in the West in the second half of the ‘900. The project developments in the last two chapters covers the design of the entrance to the new village of Taizicheng, in northern China where one of the “in altitude” Olympic villages will be built for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games “Beijing 2022”.

Fig 1: Wu Guanzhong, Shaoxing, Ink and color on paper, 53 x 68 cm.

LOCAL THINKING IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD

第一章

Fig. 2. A men are watching out from your “Frenc Style” house in Tianducheng, suburbs of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. In the background, a copy of the tour Eiffel.

“Only 10% of the historic buildings in China has survived up to us” writes Wang Shu, one of the most important Chinese Architect. In China, the aspect of the city is characterized by demolitions. With the demolition of the historic city, the Asian society has to deal constantly with the concept of “Tabula Rasa”. The design process becomes a mechanical procedure as a manufacturing industry and there isn’t time for critique and research. The velocity of execution and the will to characterize the site are conducted mostly through examples of copying western models (we can see the “One City Nine Towns” in Shanghai, new town built in European style). China wants international respect and exposure, the tendency of the government is to build recognizable architectures, iconic and impressive, look for a global recognition. (for example the case of Deng Xiaoping that wanted to Pudong in Shanghai, the “Chinese Manhattan”, which takes up the idea of New York as the iconic image of the financial center). Chinese society are searching for an identity of Chinese architecture through the idea of rebuilding whole sections of the city in a traditional style, across the way of progressive scale growth of cultural tradition images: as lanterns, fans, dragons, coins, to instill in their facilities a few Chinese features. Today, students with Western education, can be interpreted as the last attempt to import new ideas and knowledge from the West, but there is a good part that rejects the nowadays architectural situation, choosing a language based on the purity of tectonics, traditional materials and vernacular simplified construction technologies.

Even the government tends to find an end to the senseless construction of buildings that do not reflect the culture or any topic that belongs to China, we can find an example in the assertion of Chen Gang, the capital’s vice mayor: <<…building ordinances to govern the city’s building size, style, color and materials…>> a clear stop to the “weird buildings” as exposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.1 Stepping back to last century. We can say that it was characterized by radical changes in terms of social cultures within the great Asian nations, starting from Japan and China, that have developed and will develop different lifestyles based on the principles of the Western ones. Academics and researchers have interpreted as “westernization” a kind of development based on the western culture.2 The main elements that are cause and amplifier of social changes are essentially identifiable in globalization and urbanization. The first one tends, through mainly economic processes, to encourage the creation of relationship of interdependence among countries, with the intent of creating a worldwide network of goods and services exchange, in a common economic system. The second one is a phenomenon that for reasons of convenience, leading large numbers of people to live in the cities, which in the twentieth century led to the creation of mega-cities, limitless urban spaces, which will soon represent the place where will live the most part of world population. Different societies that intensify its interactions create dynamics that of gradual homogenization. They are constantly influenced and modified, passively through processes of indige-

1.McKirdy E., Beijing set to take aim at ‘weird buildings’, CNN, December 5, 2014, accessed 9 Aug 2015, http://edition.cnn. com/2014/12/05/world/asia/beijing-weirdbuildings/ 2.Latouche S., The Westernization of the World: Significance, Scope and Limits of the Drive Towards Global Uniformity, 1996.

3.Bhabha H., Nazione e narrazione, Meltemi, Rome, 1997. 4.Koolhaas R., Generic city, in S,M,L,XL, The Monicelli Press, New York, 1995. 5.Koolhaas R., Singapore songlines, Quodlibet, Macerata, 1995.

nization, and voluntarily as a form of adaptation against barriers from cultural diversity, that slow down links and exchanges. These are fundamental when the economic interaction among economic company became the most important variable to conquest the wellness of the state they represent. Trough these dynamics are creating real new cultures, that for affinity of relationships and interdependence become homogeneous, calls “transnational cultures”,3 that is not the result of the sedimentation of the history of a place, but of an economic worldwide system, the amount of earlier cultures mutations. Cities are the symbol of this new society structure based on transnational cultures, as attractors of the major economic and commercial flows, and as the most important places for number of people. Like a mirror of culture, the city expands its boundaries becoming mega-cities, becoming homogeneous, becoming a white paper on which cultures can set their new identity, where the main discriminating is “the generic”.4 The West was the place where cities developed with this conception, from the beginning of the century until the 80s of the twentieth century, when European and United States cities grew in considerable quantities. The stop was when in the west there was the exhaustion of the “news” and the Eastern economic exploded. Asia become, in terms of conceptualization and construction of the city, the leader of contemporary urban culture.5 Moreover, China is the “world factory” a fundamental step in the creation of global civilization based on a per-

spective of consumption. (It is now known by the investigations of the NYT in the series “Leaving the land” about the policies of forced urbanization with a view to increase the consumption of housing units and goods). The development model, globally accepted and shared in the results is now contemplated in terms of sustainability, in a global sense. Is very important to have an international understanding about these topics. From the cultural point of view, the UNESCO, through the “ Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity” of 2005 identifies cultural diversity as the only possibility for the human development, like the biodiversity: without diversity, there isn’t development, a statement in opposition with what is observed in the development trends described in previous periods. The architecture can have a key role in the preservation of diversity, as in its famous definition of William Morris: <<… it is the whole framework of human life [...] is the whole set of changes and alterations made on Earth’s surface, in view of human activities, except the pure desert >>6, specifying that it is an exclusive task for architects, but it is a responsibility of all people, and everyone is given the task of << monitor and safeguard the just ordering of the earth landscape, each with its spirit and with his hands, in the proportion they deserve >>.6 A whole environment around us, from the rural landscaping to the skyscraper, architecture is an element that inevitably is influenced and influences the culture of a place.

6. Morris W., Prospects of Architecture in Civilization, his speech at the London Institution March 10, 1881, trans. It, in William Morris, Works, edited by M.Manieri Elijah, Bari, 1985 Fig. 3. View of financial center in Pudong, Shanghai. Fig. 4. View of some chinese traditional architecture in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.

Following the characteristics of contemporary society, the architecture developed following different styles and trends. On several occasions, they need clarity and popular understanding on an increasing scale, following the logic of global production and consumption, started and never ended, with the modernism, which have created similar architectural models in the all more important cities of the world, we can find an example in the skyscrapers of financial districts, or in the working class neighborhoods with high density structure. These examples follow models related to a globally recognized imaginary of places, instead a local cultural model. We can find the means of these practices in the treatises, which avoid any connection with history to propose a design process unconnected to the constructive process and limited to resolve few “rules” or a list of preset points.7 In parallel, we can find several constant and voluminous activities that somehow tries to find in the design process an added meaning, rooted in history and local culture, linked to territories and lifestyles, free from rules that are setting from the start, as a guarantee of the outcome quality, trying to resist to become homogeneous by the dogmatic post-modern society, it is the “architecture of resistance”.8 The “regionalism” are approaches that don’t contract out the design process from the building process, because only with the combination of the two components may be incorporated in the new architecture the modern technological level, with the knowledge that humans have conquered in their

7. Los S. (edited by), Regionalismo nell’architettura, Muzzio, Padua, 1990. 8. Frampton K., Anti tabula rasa: verso un Regionalismo critico, in Casabella, n. 500, 1984.

9. Frampton K. Luogo, forma, identità culturale, in Domus, n.673, 1986. 10. Frampton K., (op. cit.), p. 20. 11. Eisenmann P. Critical Architecture in a Geopolitical World, In Architecture Beyond architecture, edited by Davidson C.C. and Serageldin I., Academy Editions, London, 1995.

the whole history. The goal is to integrate innovative solutions (technology, style, etc.) in the operations that have always been at the service of architecture (in the extended meaning of the term) or in the creation of the built environment, as an evolution, and no how innovative because is the result of an advanced society. They have been theorized for the first time by the historian Kenner Frampton, he identify regionalism as: <<…it is, in theory, a culture of building that, while accepting the potentially liberative role of modernization, nonetheless resists being totally absorbed by the globalization of production and Imperatives consumption.>>9 Frampton speaks about critical regionalism, not to be confused with the various historicist or romantic trends, an extraction populist visions, that create the images of architectures we would expect, about this the historian writes: << Populism is based, unlike the critical regionalism, the instrumentalization of the communicative sign, does not evoke a critical perception of reality, but the sublimation of a desire for information. Its purpose is to achieve the most economically feasible, a bias level of gratification. >>10 The adjective “critical” in fact is the way to see that the development of a new thought, that can give true answers to the construction problems, can only get from a process of knowledge: << ... the criticism is a matter of knowledge which examines the conditions of the various possibilities that lie ahead >>11 said Peter Eisenmann. Even Frampton identifies in the criticism the only means of understanding the context, that increasing the knowledge, can lead to a correct interpretation of local characters.

Fig. 5. View of campus in Xiangshan (Photo: J.Bruter) designed by Amateur Studio. The wall in a symbol of the research of Wang Shu, the union of tradition and innovation, in this case made by a mix of recycled element used as coating.

Nowadays, there are many and famous the architectural works done with this kind of approach, the quality of their work is confirmed to the assignment of Pritzker Prize to Wang Shu, one of the leaders of this movement, which has made possible the start of many new direction of architectural research in China, that will develop in different ways. Wang Shu, with his Amateur Architecture Studio, try to start from the critics and from the study, to propose architectures full of identity, and material and stylish relationship with the traditional architecture: << I design a house instead of a building. The house is the amateur architecture approach to the infinitely spontaneous order. Built spontaneously, illegally and temporarily, amateur architecture is equal to professional architecture. But amateur architecture is just not significant. One problem of professional architecture is, that it thinks too much of a building. A house, which is close to our simple and trivial life, is more fundamental than architecture. Before becoming an architect, I was only a literati. Architecture is part time work to me. For one place, humanity is more important than architecture while simple handicraft is more important than technology. The attitude of amateur architecture, though first of all being an attitude towards a critical experimental building process , can have more entire and fundamental meaning than professional architecture. For me, any building activity without comprehensive thoughtfulness will be insignificant.>> The RUF (Rural Urban Framework) tries to find, through experimentation on

rural types, the true role of the architect within the society: <<We live in a time when architects are so needed in cities, by developers and governments, that we fail to question our role in society. To begin to make architecture in villages is a unique opportunity to rethink the role of architects, since the undertaking originates without a clear necessity for their involvement. To start with, nobody hires us. We offer our services to charities and governments. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work with a single client but with the community.>>12 It design the House for all seasons an experimental project of building a prototype of country cottage with participated planning process: : << After some investigation we decided to help build one prototype house that contained a set of ideas for sustainable living. It would aim to incorporate traditional materials such as mud bricks with other contemporary solutions. The idea was not to make a house to be duplicated throughout the village. Rather, the villagers are individually involved in an ongoing process of upgrading their houses, and we wanted to help inform that process.>>13 The Li Xiaodong Atelier focused on small, often self-initiated projects, develops propositions about an appropriate â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chinese architectureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that brings together traditional and contemporary modes of expression, technical knowledge and artistic judgment. His architecture combines a spiritual exploration of ideas with rational thinking and is based on a continuing inquiry into the underlying concepts of space in the Chinese context.

12.Lin J., The paradox of architecture, Domus 970, June 2013 13. Rural Urban Framework, House for All Seasons, Shijia, China, 2013.

These are the trends that offers the Asian overview, particularly in China, answers of â&#x20AC;&#x153;resistance architectureâ&#x20AC;? against cultural homogenization, against a common language only because simplified and worldwide clear. Find solutions to global problems, starting from understanding the local ones, that already in the past the human intellect has been able to solve, and we lost under the impulse of unlimited consumption. Trends that the West knows and has already tried many times, without deeply understanding, and that the rediscovered awareness of the great Chinese culture gives us a second chance to understand.

NEW AND OLD RURAL ARCHITECTURE

第二章

2.1 Architecture diversity in China General principles and technical aspects

In this second part we are going to analyze the large amount of diversification in the extremely rich vernacular architecture of China and try to connect them with contemporary projects. The purpose is to show how much and in what way the architects in China try to reinterpret the natural and cultural context when they have to operate in a non-urban environment.

Fig. 1. (Next pages) Maps of China showing climatic, phisical and social diversities. (personal reworking) (Source: www.chinamaps. org, en.wikipedia.org).

To understand how rich is the overview of traditional rural dwellings in China is important to realize the size of the reference frame. The Chinese country is the third in the world for extension which area is almost the same of the whole European continent. Consequently it offers a wide variety of climates and landscapes that range from the semi-arid climes of the Loess plateau in Northern China, to the humid subtropical climate in the South regions and from desert environments like the Gobi desert to water towns in Jiangsu region and to the highest peaks in the world of the Tibetan plateau. Along with the geographical and climatic features, even the ethnic composition is particularly diverse with a total of fifty-six distinct ethnic groups. The multiethnic nature of China is somewhat the result of the incorporation of territories made during the Qing Dynasty (1616 - 1912) which correspond approximately with the current boundaries of the country. Han Chinese, which now represent around 91.9% of the total population, is the largest group but the distribution is very irregular as in large areas of western China where ethnic Han is a minority.

The principles of Chinese architecture. Despite the great diversity mentioned above, Chinese architecture has few common principles that influence all the architectural choices in the various areas of the country and concerning buildings of various scales and typologies: from the most modest to that of rich temples and imperial palaces. The essence of Chinese architecture has been well summarized by Oswald Spengler1 writing that it is “build and calculate according to the landscape itself” and the buildings “do not do violence to nature, but are shaped by it”. In fact traditional architecture in China prefers horizontal low-rise buildings that do not dominate the natural landscape and are more on a human scale. This is also related to the massive use of timber structures that cannot support buildings of many floors. Wood is one of the five sacred elements of Taoism and the fact that it is a perishable material indicates another important peculiarity of Eastern culture: the acceptance of transience of the natural world and the circularity of life. According to this point of view it is not important to erect eternal stone monuments to the divinity like the tall gothic cathedrals in the western world, while it is more sacred and adequate an architecture that respects the natural cycles of life and death.

1. O.SPENGLER, Il tramonto dell’Occidente, trad. it. Longanesi, Milano, 1981.

2. M. BRUSSAGLI, Architettura orientale, Electa, Milano, 1981

As mentioned before, another principle is the human scale architecture. It is obtained with the constant use of regular proportions and symmetry in harmony with humans and nature, in order to obtain functional and accessible spaces. That said, it seems almost a contradiction the introvert characterizing most of the building complexes in China. In fact people live in a series of personal enclosed spaces that give a feeling of restriction and isolation from the outside, but from the inside it seems very airy and open even if in itself. Other important principles are given by the Feng Shui, a philosophical system that deeply influence architecture and urban planning according with nature and the invisible force of â&#x20AC;&#x153;qiâ&#x20AC;?. it has the aim to harmonizing everyone and everything with the surrounding environment. These principles are all interconnected with each other and have their roots in the two main Chinese religions, Taoism and Confucianism. The latter, with its pragmatism, is the author of axial symmetry and hierarchy of Chinese architecture, while the Taoism is the origin of the sensitivity to nature2.

Overview of the common technical aspects. As regards the technical aspects shared between the majority of traditional housing in China, it is interesting to focus on the conventional and characteristic spaces, the plan and the general layout. Chinese structures are composed following the spatial units Jian and Jia. Jian as a fundamental measure is the space between two columns that constitutes a bay, but it also can be viewed as the space between four columns that often constitutes a room. Jia is the depth of a single four columns Jian, each jia refers to one of the horizontal longitudinal timbers needed to support the common rafters of a rising roof. The width of each jian in north China generally ranges between 3.3 and 3.6 meters, while those in south China are typically between 3.6 and 3.9 meters. The depth of bays is usually also deeper in southern China, reaching as much as 6.6 meters; those in the north rarely exceed 4.8 meters. The depth of Southern China dwellings usually is reached increasing the number of Jia. Most traditional dwellings are composed of at least three Jian placed side by side and are normally found in odd multiples. The central jian of a three or fivebay rectangular dwelling typically is wider than flanking jian, since it is often the principal ceremonial or utility room. The side rooms next to the main one are usually used as bedrooms.

Fig. 2. The components of a simple northern three-jian dwelling. The structure is a Tailiang frame system. (Source: RONALD G. KNAPP, Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old Wdwellings, University of Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i press, Honolulu, 2000)

Fig. 3. Tailiang framework (left) and Chuandou framework (right) (Source: RONALD G. KNAPP, China’s old Wdwellings, University of Hawai’i press, Honolulu, 2000)

Exterior open spaces are a crucial element that complement the covered spaces. To understand a Chinese architecture is fundamental to consider both covered and open spaces as equally important and in relate to each other. According to the size they are named “courtyard” or “skywell”. The former are more common in northern china and the latter in southern because the ratio of open spaces to enclosed spaces generally decreases from northeast to southeast. Usually the buildings erected around a courtyard are disposed symmetrically and perfectly oriented to the cardinal points. The northern one performs the function of the main hall for family elders, while the eastern and western are additional living spaces for the youngest. In the southern side are placed the entrance and service rooms, such as kitchens, warehouses, latrines and barns for farmyard animals. As said above, wood is the main construction material for traditional buildings. The types of wood that can be found are pine, spruce, white cedar and bamboo. It is used mainly for the bearing structures with circular section pillars that usually support a complex timber frame of the roof. The two main family of roof framework are named Tailiang and Chuandou. The simplest tailiang comprises pairs of corner pillars that each support a long beam upon which are raised two small posts that lift another beam on which is set a central crown king-post that holds a ridgepole. Purlins, horizontal longitudinal timbers, are set directly upon a beam above a pillar below.

Chuandou framework have purlins placed directly above the pillar, while the beam are mortised or tenoned through the pillars to form an interlocking matrix which increases the stability of the structure. In this family of framework the number of pillars is greater. The roof could be covered by gray clay tiles or in situations of greater poverty, thatch or mud. Roofs are mostly gambled, while flat roofs are quite uncommon. They can be straight inclined, have two or more sections of incline or have a peculiar sweeping curvature. Curved and multi-inclined roof have powerful symbolism but also functional meaning. In fact in areas of substantial rainfall, quickly moving falling water to the eaves in order to minimize the infiltrations is the major concern; however this type of roof are used only in higher class constructions. The stones are used mainly for foundations and even the bricks are little used. They can be found mostly in dwellings of wealthy families in bearing walls, in sections particularly prone to wear or sometimes even as exterior cladding. Instead Adobe or tamped earth are widely used to build walls both load-bearing and non-load-bearing, because of their low-price and the availability of the material. To slow down their deterioration they are often plastered. Bamboo is widely used for bearing structures or interlaced to form a woven lattice and panels to fill the space between pillars.

3. Laurie Baker (1917 – 2007) was a Britishborn Indian architect, renowned for he promoted the revival of regional building practices. He was a pioneer of sustainable architecture as well as organic architecture. (Citation source: GAUTAM BHATIA, Laurie Baker. Life, Work & Writings, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 1994.)

A country composed of 56 different nationalities living under the same flag, not without conflicts, in a continental size territory with an ancient and glorious past and rooted traditions, reflect this unique diversity in a richly varied vernacular architectural tradition unrivaled in the world. Thanks to many year of development and different cultural influences, rural architecture is a great teacher of all aspects relating to what we now call “sustainability”: maximum utilization of local materials, natural elements, local handcraft for maximum performance with low-cost solutions and sensibility towards the natural environment. Many ideas from tradition together with the invaluable contribution of the knowledge developed in the twenty-first century may be useful in developing a contemporary architecture respectful and efficient, but also able to find a cultural and formal Chinese identity that has been partially lost in past years.”But this addition [the contemporary knowledge and technologies] should be a contribution, not a contradiction”, as said Laurie Baker3.

4. Ronald G. Knapp (PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 1968), is professor Emeritus at SUNY New Paltz in the Department of Geography. He has been carrying out research on the cultural and historical geography of China’s countryside since 1965 (RONALD G. KNAPP, China’s old dwellings, University of Hawai’i press, Honolulu, 2000) Fig. 4. The traditional dwellings in China (Source: MIT Sustainable urban housing, Accessed 04 september 2015, www.chinahousing.mit.edu/english/china/vernacular/index. html).

In the following sections we are going to analyze the traditional architecture in northern China and the connection with the contemporary architecture along with the context where both are located. The classification of the different dwellings follows the division conceived by Ronald G. Knapp in his extensive research in the territory of China. China can be divided into three broad regions basing on the division given by geographer Jin Qiming according to cultural, climatic and topographical common characteristics found in each of the three areas. These regions are: Northern China, Southern China and Western China. We will focus on the northern region, a perfect example of the ability of architecture and population to adapt in a harsh environment.

2.2 Northern dwellings An architecture with great ability to adapt.

The northern region is composed by the extreme cold north-east areas, the dry and windy areas straddling the Great Wall, all of the North China Plain and the Loess Plateau, both crossed by the Yellow River. It includes about fifteen Chinese province, whole or only parts of them. The old dwellings located in this region have adapted to severe climate conditions. Winter in northern China is long and cold, lashed by strong dry winds and very little precipitations. In spring dust storm pummel much of the region, while summer is hot and humid with few rainfalls. Annual changes in temperature range from below freezing in winter to about forty degrees in summer and even the daily changes are considerable. The inhabitants of the most remote rural areas which lived in poverty by pastoralism and farming are those who have developed the most interesting and unique housing solutions in the region. Between several different vernacular architecture it is possible to identify three main general typologies: the common single story rectangular farm house (pingfang), the courtyard houses (siheyuan) and the subterranean dwellings (yaodong).

Single story rectangular farm house (Pingfang) The rectangular dwelling is the most common and basic form for housing in northern China and represent the penury and simplicity of traditional rural life. Those simple forms are still the reference to the expensive brick dwellings being built today. This type of building is usually a single-story with a depth that is always less than one-half the length, with one of the two longer sides facing south and open to maximize the solar irradiation while the other three sides are windowless with thick walls. They were usually built using the cheap and readily available adobe bricks or tamped earth blocks for the external walls and timber for the structure and the framework of the gabled roof. The south elevation is composed in most cases of separated windows and door but also of latticed door panels. When glass windows were not available in the past the openings were sealed during winter with large and resistant sheets of paper holed to allow a minimum of air exchange. The basic type is composed of three jian and is usually reflected by the perfectly symmetrical frontal elevation, with the entrance in the middle and large windows on the sides. Inside it is divided in three rooms, the central one acts as entrance and distribution of the side chambers and kitchen while the other two are bedrooms and living spaces. In the central room there are one or more brick stoves that are used for cocking but also to heat the house thanks to an archaic underfloor heating system.

Fig. 5. A sketch of a Pingfang. (Artwork by Bonnie Shemie).

The stoves are connected with an elevated platform called kang arranged in the adjacent room which is heated by the hot smokes of the stoves passing through a warren of flues embedded in the brick of the platform. The heating system is carefully sealed so that no smoke can penetrate the room on its way to the chimney where it vents. In summer the smoke from the stove is shunted along the periphery of the kang toward the chimney without raising the temperature in the living space. The kang is a very important element in northern dwellings resulting as the center of the family life. In fact the elevated platform is used at night as a warm place where to arrange the bed, and during daytime it is used as dining and work area. The kang is almost always placed along the wall that faces south near the windows, in order to warm up through the solar radiations and to have maximum natural illumination for the everyday work. It was not uncommon for this dwellings to have a delimitated space in front of the south side of the building to use as an activity space for the household. This could be delimited with low mud walls or even tall brick walls with an entrance portal.

Fig. 6. The kang heating system. (Source:“Household energy in high regions”,in Boiling Point, 38, ITDG, 1997).

LI YUAN LIBRARY Architects: Li Xiaodong atelier (Li Xiaodong), Beijing based. Location: Huairou village, Beijing province, China. Function: Library and reading hall. Project Year: 2011

The Li Yuan library is located five minute walk from the rural village of Huairou, set in a beautiful unspoilt natural mountain landscape. The edifice is a single story, box-like structure that have an incredible capacity to blend into the landscape through the delicate choice of materials and the careful placement of the building volume. This project is strongly inspired by the traditional architectural principle of great respect for nature and by the will to be led by the environment for the design choices. The architect didn’t want to compete with the beauty of nature and he choices to design a human scale building with simple facades strongly characterized by the use of wooden sticks embedded on a steel frame of the same color. The clever choice of the material started from the study of local traditions.

Fig.7. The Li Yuan library in its natural context. (Source: “LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier” 24 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 27 Jul 2015.)

They notice that villagers have large amounts of locally sourced wooden sticks piled around their houses, used to fuel their cooking stoves (the kang). The architect than decided to use this ordinary material in an extraordinary way. This solution create a familiar texture that is able to connect with local traditions and the natural context without mimic the shape of the surrounding topography or local architectural forms. Even the choice of location was very accurate. The new building was not constructed inside the village but within a setting of quiet contemplation that fits perfectly the function of library and reading space. Moreover the position between a river and the mountains recalls the teachings of Feng Shui concerning the placement of new housing and the importance of water as a source of peace and reflection. The weight given to water and to the contemplation of the landscape is emphasized by the presence of terraces and walkways that start from the building to insert in the surrounding. Despite the sensation of introspection given by the modest and almost windowless exterior of the building, the interior has a very expressive character. The building is fully glazed to allow a good natural illumination protected from direct sunlight by the facade sticks. The various areas inside the library are identified by using steps and small level changes that create a complex and stimulating space.

Fig. 8. (left) The bundles of sticks next to the houses of the village. “LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier” 24 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 27 Jul 2015. Fig. 9. (center) Detail of the façade. ”LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier” 24 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 27 Jul 2015. Fig. 10. (right) The interior of the library. ”LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier” 24 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 27 Jul 2015.

Fig. 11. Plan, elevation and sections. ”LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier” 24 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 27 Jul 2015. 5. Interviews by Anna Hotz, Cecilia Obiol and Huang Xuseng during seminar week of the Chair of Prof. Dr. Josep Lluís Mateo to Beijing and Pingyao. (Source: http://www.architecturalpapers.ch)

The few glasses not covered with the sticks frames views towards the surrounding landscapes allowing the nature to enter the building. A vibrant interior space enclosed by an austere shield is another principle of traditional Chinese architecture that we can find here. In this project forms are clearly contemporary and the great connection with traditions and the environment was made possible by applying the principles of Chinese architecture and with an unusual reuse of local elements without the need for the external shape to be manifestly traditional. As the architect said in an interview5 : “For me identity is not formal, is not iconic. Identity thing is more how we interpret the issue, the problems, it’s a condition. [...] For the last 30 years we were doing design based on an iconic formalistic kind of work. We talk about traditional form and modernization, but traditional form has nothing to do with modernization, they are two different concepts.” Bibliography - “LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier”, ArchDaily, Accessed 27 Jul 2015, http://www.archdaily.com/256525/liyuan-library-li-xiaodong-atelier/ - Li Xiaodong, “When you copy the things around you, you never become the center because you give up your own voice”, Digital Architectural Papers, Accessed 22 aug 2015 http://www.architecturalpapers.ch/index.php?ID=141

Fig. 12. Beijing Siheyuan components (1) Main gate (2) Southern rooms (service) (3) Courtyard Gate (4) Spirit wall (5) Eastern wing room (sons) (6) Bedrooms for unmarried daughters (7) Main hall (elders) (8) Main courtyard (9) Western wing room (sons) (10) Covered corridor (Source:

Courtyard houses (Siheyuan) Courtyard houses are in many ways the classic model of Chinese domestic architecture. Northern courtyard dwellings are composed of four freestanding buildings arranged around a central courtyard which is the core of the house and the place for all major living. This basic composition can be scaled or stretch or multiply to form complicated architectural complexes and richly decorated palaces as well as modest rural dwellings. The archetypical courtyard house is the Beijing Siheyuan. It is characterized by a square shape where the freestanding gabled roof buildings are connected with narrow covered corridors and it is all enclosed by a high outer walls of gray bricks and clay roof tiles. The only way to access the Siheyuan is through the only entrance portal usually place in an asymmetric position southeast. Passing through the doorway which is decorated according to the importance of the family, you access an entrance space where is located a spirit wall or screen (yingbi) that serve to shield the interior from the gaze of passing strangers and to block evil spirits according to the ancient beliefs of Feng Shui. The entrance space and the main courtyard are divided by another portal.

The courtyard occupies about forty percent of the dwelling and is often paved with stones with planted fruit trees or potted flowers. Around the courtyard the four buildings are individually quite similar to the single story rectangular house, usually composed of three or more jian, three sides windowless and the one facing the courtyard open. The typical functions of the buildings are the canonical ones as mentioned a few pages ago: the main hall to the north is used for ceremonies and for family heads, the side buildings are used by the other members of the family and the building to the south is used for different services. The Siheyuan found in the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi are different in appearance and form than those of Beijing. It is characterized by buildings with single-sloped roofs that drain only into the courtyard where the water is collected. The patio have a long and narrow shape that is three or four times longer in the north-south direction than it is wide. Even if the basic elements of Beijing Siheyuan can be discerned, regional characteristics are very particular and recognizable.

Fig. 13. (left) A Siheyuan in Pingyao, Shanxi (Artwork by Wang Qijun) (Source: RONALD G. KNAPP, China’s old Wdwellings, University of Hawai’i press, Honolulu, 2000) Fig. 14. (right) The plan of a dwelling in Dangjia, Shaanxi (Source: RONALD G. KNAPP, China’s old Wdwellings, University of Hawai’i press, Honolulu, 2000)

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The dwelling is composed of elements arranged with increasing heights so as to give a great hierarchical sense to the composition. In fact it is common that the courtyard have some series of steps that create different levels increasing the height of rooflines as one progresses from the front to the back. At the end of the courtyard the typical northern main building have often a flat roof where it is possible to survey the complex or relax. The side buildings of the courtyard are more than one per side to obtain the length of the complex. From outside the dwelling appear like one high massive building block, but from inside the low line of the eaves of the single-sloped roofs gives the house a human scale and a sense of openness to the sky and the nature. The single sloped roof is also highly effective in protecting the courtyard from the strong and cold wind of the region.

Fig. 15. The Qiao Family Compound in Qi County, Shanxi. (Source:http://www.tripchinaguide.com/)

WELL HALL Architects: MADA s.p.a.m. (Ma Qingyun), Shanghai based. Location: Lantian, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China. Function: Hotel. Project Year: 2005 64

The “Well Hall” is a small guesthouse that is a part of the “Jade Valley Hotel Village”, a mixed-use resort and winery which collects the work of local vintners. The hotel was founded by the architect that have designed all the buildings, Ma Qingyun, in his hometown. The well hall is situated upon a grassy hill in the Xi’An countryside, in Shaanxi province. This project is characterized by a strong closeness to the traditional Shaanxi siheyuan appearance and a “slow” construction method.

Fig. 16. The Well Hall and the surrounding landscape. (Geoff Manaugh, “Dean’s List”,in Dwell, 08, 2008, pag. 203-206).

Fig. 17. (left) The building during construction with the local workers. (Source: www.madaspam.com) Fig. 18. (right) The internal courtyard. (Source: www.easytourchina.com)

The lodge is a reconstituted courtyard house in the traditional forms of Shaanxi typology. It is a austere building volume with single-sloped roof constructions that face a narrow courtyard connected with a second square courtyard occupied by a pool. The architect wanted to use local traditional techniques and materials and to do so worked with a group of local craftsmen who were not familiar with typical architectural plans. His masterplan, elevations and sections for the building amounted to hand-drawn sketches, coupled with face-to-face dialogue. Ma Quingyun completely entrusted the experience of the locals for the technical aspects and some decorations without impose to them methods which they were not used to adopt. To minimize the costs the architect has taken a â&#x20AC;&#x153;slowâ&#x20AC;? approach. The construction of this small building took three years because the builders where local inhabitants that spend most of the year farming and that were hired only in winter when the field work is much less. Building in stages allow Ma to buy lesser quantities of materials at times saving on heavy machinery. In the same time the design has had time to mature and improve over the years.

Fig. 19. Plan of the dwelling, the base floor and the second floor. (Source: www.housevariety.blogspot.it)

Despite the great similarity to traditional buildings, some elements allow it to be distinguished from a true ancient siheyuan avoiding the risk of creating historical falsehoods: the external wall have a unique stitch-like pattern of grey and red bricks; the constructions are two-story buildings to provide loft spaces in the bedrooms; the traditional windows and doors were crafted using a contemporary pattern of trapezium shapes; of the two courtyard inside the building, one is a pool and other less important elements. Ma Qingyun’s approach to the project concerning the connection with traditions is totally the opposite of the one chosen by Li Xiadong for the Li Yuan library described previously. In this design the traditional forms are adapted to contemporary principles, capable of responding to the needs of today’s tourism. Bibliography - JOSEPH GRIMA, “The MADA volcano”, in Domus, 889, 2006. - “Well Hall Hotel”, phaidon atlas, Accessed 27 Jul 2015, http://phaidonatlas.com/building/wellhallhotel/ - GEOFF MANAUGH, “Dean’s List”,in Dwell, 08, 2008, pag. 203-206 - F.EDELMANN, J.DESCAMPS, “Positions”, ACTAR, Paris, 2008

A HOUSE FOR ALL SEASONS

Architects: Rural Urban Framework (John Lin), Hong Kong based. Location: Shijia Village, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China. Function: Civic center, residential. Project Year: 2012 The “House for all Seasons” is a prototype dwelling for a modern rural courtyard house. The project was developed and funded by the Luke Him Sau Charitable Trust and the University of Hong Kong where the architect John Lin teaches as a professor. The building is located in Shijia, a poor rural village of farmers in Shaanxi province.

Fig. 20. Aerial view of the building (Source: JOHN LIN, “The paradox of architecture”, in Domus, 970, 2013).

The design process started as a learning workshop with students from The University of Hong Kong. The architecture students under the supervision of John Li analyze the lifestyle of the villagers and their homes. The investigation revealed the dramatic situation of the village, that can be extended to the situation of the whole Chinese rural area. As observed by the architect6 , the reckless mass urbanization over the last 30 years resulted in tragic economic situation, social and physical changes in the rural. The vernacular architecture shift from regionally specific building types to generic, concrete, brick and tiled buildings that look the same whether they are located far to the north or south. As the houses transform from mud brick to concrete and tile and a large part of the workforce left the countryside, the construction process itself has been radically altered: the hiring of outside labor and materials has replaced collective self-construction and transform economic self-reliance into a system of dependency, weaken the very concept of a rural livelihood. From those considerations John Lin started thinking about the role of the architects in this scenario. For the fact that in China what is designed by architects only constitutes a tiny fraction of total construction output, he “became concerned how the few specific buildings designed by us architects can begin to address and hopefully change the mass of buildings not designed by us7 ”

6. JOHN LIN, “The paradox of architecture”, in Domus, 970, 2013. 7. Idem.

With these thoughts in mind, the architect chose to design a building that have almost all of the traditional Shaanxi siheyuan characteristics but that are completely reinvented, with new meanings and functions. First of all the typical single-sloped roofs are rotated of 90 degrees in order to facing the south. In this way the roof is able to collect rain water, accommodate solar panels and it can be used to grow plants. Furthermore the outward appearance is still massive and windowless thanks to an external brick screen with a pierced fabric-like texture. Behind it there is a structure made by concrete pillars and concrete roof, with outer walls constructed using locally made mud bricks as insulating material with openings and windows. The external brick screen protect the mud wall and shades the windows. The interior layout is based on the courtyard, but instead of having one long and narrow patio, this building have four different courtyards related to the main functional rooms: kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedrooms. One courtyard is occupied by stables for pigs of which the manure is collected to be used as biofuel for the kitchen stove. The fumes produced by the stove heated a kang. As in the traditional houses the kang is placed near the south window to collecting solar radiation, in this building the kang is placed behind a trombe wall that collect solar radiation thanks to a greenhouse system.

Fig. 21. Construction phases. It can be seen the concrete structure, the isolation in mud blocks and the brick screen. (Source: JOHN LIN, “The paradox of architecture”, in Domus, 970, 2013). Fig. 22. (right) The plan of the building. (Source: “A House For All Seasons / John Lin”, ArchDaily, Accesed 22 Jul 2015.)

Fig.

Fig. 23. The bioclimatic systems adopted. (Source: “A House For All Seasons / John Lin”, ArchDaily, Accesed 22 Jul 2015.) 8. PETER EISENMAN, Critical Architecture in a Geopolitical World, In Architecture Beyond Architecture, edited by Cynthia C. Davidson and Ismaïl Serageldin, Academy Editions, London, 1995.

Differently from the two case studies presented earlier, the traditional forms and techniques are maintained but updated and completely molded. This design wanted to show that a evolution of the traditional rural courtyard dwelling is possible. It could be an incentive to preserve the intelligence of local materials and techniques, but also a way for the locals to revalue the self-construction and give to them new ideas and solutions. One crucial element in this project that I think it’s worth pointing out is the indepth investigation phase. It was made possible thanks to the dialogue between the university and external institutions and sparked a series of considerations that go beyond the project itself, enriching the national and international critics of new ideas and solutions. The result is a “critical architecture” that became “a relevant ideological instrument in an emerging world”. Bibliography - “A House For All Seasons / John Lin”. ArchDaily. Accesed 22 Jul 2015. http://www.archdaily.com/252501/a-house-for-all-seasons-rufwork - JOHN LIN, “The paradox of architecture”, in Domus, 970, 2013.

Subterranean dwellings (yaodong)

In remote areas of the Loess Plateau, the lack of resources and the challenges that come from a severe environment have leaded the inhabitants to discover different ways of living that have ancient roots as old as the Paleolithic: dwellings carved into the earth. This peculiar type of dwelling is common in the province crossed by the Yellow River of Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Gansu, and in smaller quantities can be found in several other provinces in north China. In some areas of these regions more than 50 percent and sometimes than 80 percent of all villagers live below ground. The number of cave-dwelling population was around 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;000â&#x20AC;&#x2122;000 in 1981 according to a symposium held in Hong Kong in 1986. The development of these dwellings is due to the adaptation to different conditions. One is the scarcity of timber in the area, due to a large deforestation and the arid climate, that along the economic impossibility of the inhabitants to bring in building materials from outside the region has led to minimum use of the wood, used only for small details.

Another factor of great importance is the type of soil. As the name implies The Loess Plateau is composed of loess, an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt from the northwest Gobi desert and Mongolia. This soil is soft and compact, easy to dig with basic tools, usually those used in agriculture, but not suitable to be used as construction material like tamped earth walls or other. Earth is also a good isolation material and those dwellings have a constant temperature around 14-15 degrees, despite the large temperature changes that characterize the climate of the region. The presence of very low precipitations minimize the risk of structural collapse along with a constant maintenance and a careful choice of a location with good drainage and sun exposition. There are three different type of yaodong dwellings in northern China: Cliffside yaodong, sunken courtyard yaodong and surface yaodong.

Cliffside dwellings (Kaoshan yaodong) are cave-like structures dug horizontally in the south faces of hills slopes. They can be found in the Guanzhong and northern portions of Shaanxi and in central and southern Shanxi province. The dwellings are often excavated in an elliptical shape or semicircular, with side walls vertical for perhaps 2 meters before arching upward to form a vaulted ceiling. Internally the walls are plastered with loess plaster and lime, necessary to counter peelings and drying of the interior. The facade have usually the arched shape of the interior space and are built with bricks, adobe or tamped earth that support windows and the door, protect from rainwater and reinforce the structure. The earth removed from the excavation is used to create flat terraces in front of the entrance that sometimes could be walled to create a courtyard. Inside is on average five meters deep and three meters high. The interior is very rustic, with a bedroom next to the entrance provided with a kang attached to the window and an open living space with the stove which ends with a food storage space placed in the most inside part of the house, which is dark and cool in summer. If the kang is not present, the bedroom is placed at the bottom of the dwelling which is the warmest space in winter. A family dwelling is often composed of several yaodong excavated parallel to each other into the slope and sometimes connected by internal passages.

Fig. 24. Cliffside dwellings in Shaanxi province. (Source: www.reflectionsofchina.com)

Sunken courtyard dwellings (Aoting yaodong) are subterranean homes that are found in flat areas of western Henan, southern Shanxi and eastern Gangsu. This yaodong is composed of an open courtyard excavated vertically into the ground with depths greater than 6 meters. Several cave-like rooms are dig horizontally into the four perimeter earth face of the sunken courtyard. The rooms are similar to the Cliffside yaodong both in its vaulted interiors both concerning the external brick facade. It is present the heating system based on stoves and kang. The limited amounts of rain or snow that falls in these semiarid areas is not a major problem, while blowing dust and dirt are of major concern. As a result, low parapets of stone, brick, or tile are frequently laid along the upper edge of the excavated opening of better dwellings to impede the cascading of earth into the courtyard. The shape of the courtyard is generally squared, but it can also be rectangular or L-shaped. The access is via a ramp or staircase dug into the ground with a slope and size sufficient to let harvests and agricultural equipment passing through. The courtyard is a very important space in the everyday life, for working, but even for dining and cocking during summer, thanks to portable stoves. Inside the patio is easy to find a fruit tree, which helps to shade the dwelling during the hot summers, a well, a covered water cistern and a drywell-type drain.

Fig. 25. Aerial view of an underground city near Tungkwan, Shaanxi. (Source: LĂŠopold Lambert, www.weaponizedarchitecture.wordpress.com)

Fig. 26. (left) Sunken courtyard dwelling in Luoyang, Henan (Autor: Kevin Poh, Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org) Fig. 27. (right) Luoyang Cave Dwelling, (source: www. easytourchina.com)

Fig. 28. Plan of a sunken yaodong in Henan province. (Author: Paul Sun Source: RONALD G. KNAPP, Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old Wdwellings, University of Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i press, Honolulu, 2000)

This yaodong have a lot of elements in common with the surface siheyuan courtyard dwellings. The entrance to the sunken courtyard is passing through a decorated gate on the south-east side, with sometimes a spirit wall in front of it; orientation and functions of the rooms facing the patio follow the canon (main rooms facing south, services rooms facing north and bedrooms for the sons in the eastern and western side). This kind of dwelling, like the cliffside type, have several excellent features: the thermal stability, it have open spaces sheltered from the wind, it is cheap, it is constructed with local materials, local manpower and with basic tools. But it also have some weaknesses. In fact the depth of the courtyard creates shading during winter and direct exposure in summer not to mention the terrible ventilation. Furthermore the humidity inside the rooms is very high and the stability of the construction is vulnerable to violent earthquakes, which the province is subject.

Surface yaodong (guyao) are not buildings dug in the ground, but surface constructions that imitate them in many ways. Those type of dwelling can be found in flat rural areas with an excessively thin loessial soil in Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, but also, in a much more rich and expensive version, in urban environment. The construction is composed of thick walls and a flat roof that work basically like a box filled with earth. They are usually rectangular in shape, arranged in a minimum of three jian alignment and have wooden arched facades quite similar to the yaodong found in the same region. The jian are vaulted and constructed using bricks or stone. The same material are used for the external and internal walls, which are thick respectively one and a half and half a meter. The parapected roof is filled with a thick coat of earth as insulation and together with a walled courtyard provide working spaces for the household.

Fig. 29. Three-bay guyao next to each other similar to cliffside yaodong dwelligs (Author: Hwee Young How Source: Hwee Young How website)

Fig. 30. Drawing of a guyao with the most common measures. (Source: G.Golany, Chinese Earth-sheltered Dwellings: Indigenous Lessons for Modern Urban Design, University of Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i Press, Honolulu, 1992)

This dwelling have the same positive characteristics of the other yaodong houses, but in addiction can overcome much of their downsides, like humidity, poor ventilation and low sun exposure. Guyao complexes are constructed side by side with interconnected rooftops, resembling the jagged slopes of the cliffside yaodong complexes. Guyao could be find even inside three or four buildings complex enclosing a long and narrow courtyard, but only in urban environment and constructed by wealthy families. This solution is a variant of the Shaanxi and Shanxi Siheyun and in fact it can be found in those provinces. It is usually composed of a guyao as the main building facing the south, while the others are the typical timber structures with the single-sloped roofs.

YUNGANG GROTTOES MUSEUM Architects: Do Union Architecture (Dapeng Cheng), Beijing based. Location: Datong, Shanxi province, China. Function: Museum. Project Year: 2011

The Yungang Grottoes Museum is located southwest the Yungang Grottoes, a set of ancient Chinese Buddhist temple caverns near the city of Datong. All together, the site is composed of 252 caves with more than 51,000 Buddha statues and statuettes. In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building contain an exhibition hall concerning the Buddhist monument and a multi-functional performing arts center. With a total construction area of 9939 square meters, the architects decided to sink the huge volume into the ground in order to not overcome the natural landscape and the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The only element that comes out from the ground is the roof. It is composed of several arching-shaped strips in 4 meters wide by 40 meters long each arranged staggered between them in order to evoke the surrounding hills.

Fig. 31. Aerial view of the museum. (Source: www.allesti-blog.it/) Fig. 32. (next page) Night view of the project. (Source: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yungang Grottoes Museum in Datong / Do Union Architectureâ&#x20AC;?. ArchDaily. Accessed 28 Jul 2015.)

Fig. 33. Plan and sections. (Source: “Yungang Grottoes Museum in Datong / Do Union Architecture”. ArchDaily. Accessed 28 Jul 2015.)

In front of the main entrance of the exhibition hall there is a courtyard-like open space sunken into the ground. This space have a jagged and rocky edge that look like it was cut into the rock, like the Yungang Grottoes. The sunken open space and the vaulted exhibition hall are the only elements inspired by the yaodong dwellings that allow a small connection with the local traditions, even if functions and scale are totally different. Another Chinese element is the choice to preserve the natural landscape, but the explicit mimic of the hills with the roof and the “arrogance” to use it to create a sort of artificial landscape are solutions inspired by western contemporary architecture and do not suite the Chinese Taoist-based philosophy. In this project we can see a building able to blend beautifully into the landscape but unable to fit into the context seen as a combination of environment and local traditions. In fact, even after a close look to the design choices and principles it is impossible to figure out where in the world it could be located if not explicitly written. Bibliography - “Yungang Grottoes Museum in Datong / Do Union Architecture”. ArchDaily. Accessed 28 Jul 2015. http://www.archdaily.com/217309/yungang-grottoes-museum-in-datong-dounion-architecture/

THE CINEMATIC PATH

第三章

Fig. 1. Concept of the generation process of the footbridge system

Our masterplan for the new Taizicheng Village can be divided in three parts following the sequence dictated by the squares that cross the village. After defining the guidelines and the characteristics of the masterplan in the four-members group, we divided in two groups in order to deepen the design of that different parts of the village. We have worked on the western part and in a lesser extent on the residential units of the eastern side. More specifically we have focused the most on the architectural design of the walkway, the elements that it meets and connects and the two â&#x20AC;&#x153;gate buildingsâ&#x20AC;? in a more detailed scale.

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3.1 An overall view on the footbridge system The footbridge beetween the gate buildings and the train station

The overall Olympic plan of infrastructures includes as a main element a highspeed railway to serve main Olympic venue’s sites: Beijing, Yanqing, Zhanjiakou and Thaizicheng that enable an efficient connection, in terms of number of people and time, between the event locations. The location of Thaizicheng, in a mainly mountainous site, do not allow the positioning of the railway near the village. For this reason the proposed railway station will be located approximately 200m from the site of the new Olympic Village, which will be built to replace the rural nowadays village. It comes the need for a connection element between the railway station and the Olympic village. Our proposal addresses the concept of infrastructure, to expanding it, not only a connection between two points, but a complex path, not just a structural linkage but an architecture. Building the stretch of land between the village and the railway becomes an opportunity for design the whole west front of the new village, “the gate”, it is the first part that we can find coming from the valley floor from Zanghjiakou. The walkway design started as a close connection between the railway station and the village then the project expanded to become a path that connects the two mountain’s opposite slopes of the valley, becoming a kind of extension of the mountain paths already present, and a fast passage through the valley. It is thought as a fine line (for its proportions between height and length) that, as an element of landscape design, passes through the whole valley suspended

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for about seven meters above the ground. It starts from the first floor of the railway station building, overcome the valley’s depression and intersecting the build volumes of the new village forms a public space used as a square. There is the problem for the possible future use of this infrastructure, certainly useful during the peaks of visitors expected for the Olympics Games and other remarkable related events, but probably destinated to an under-utilization in other periods. Our proposal is to create an articulated path which have elements coincident and at the same time parallel to that infrastructure. This way we were able to deepen the definition of footbridge making it more complex and multipurpose. This was made possible by intersecting other different functions below or above the walkway (that we call “moments”) functionally independent from the railway station, and useful for the village, in order to disconnect the infrastructure from its original role, which continues to exist, but it isn’t the only one. The design of these elements cuts the continuity of the pedestrian walkway. The shape of them derives from the analysis of the agricultural textures and follows the perpendicular directions to the walkway, which both has been used as guidelines. This forms trapezoidal elements able to become itself a new agricultural texture.

Fig. 2. General view of “the gate” of the village. On the right the walkway and the “moments”. in the next pages: Fig. 3. Ground floor general plan Fig. 4. First floor general plan Fig. 5. Cross section

3.2 The ”moments”

Fig. 6. (next pages) An axonometric view of whole footbridge system. On the east side of the village.

The walkway is cross section “U” shaped element, to adapt the structure to the climatic character of the context (very windy) while the user may control the perception of the landscape walking through the walkway. It is composed by a walking floor, six meters wide, punctually interrupted by vertical connections between the ground, lower and overhead structures. In correspondence of the “moments” the floor becames wider to accommodate the bike sharing stations. The side walls are three meters high and are made of wooden elements at regular distances. Their function is to decrease the force of the wind that hits the walkway (very strong in Thaizicheng) and at the same time, to not create determinated viewpoints on the path avoiding people to stop that could become problematic in a crowded condition. This will allow a fluent people trasfer, without erasing the perception of the landscape that remains a steady component between the vertical elements.

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The mountain observation platform + The roots of the mountain These elements represent the two ends of the route that crosses the whole valley through the walkway. They make connections with the elements already present in the area, the trails that descend from the mountains, the already existing parking, and a the picnic area. Towards the north, the element have a roots shape, which copy the terrain profile, modeled on it. To the south is a trapezoidal element, which is a large rooftop overlooking the village and north valleys. 116

Fig. 7. View from the observation platform to the village

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The nature moment It is a designed greenery element, to become the background of the ground floor exit of the railway station. The greenery is variable with a gradient increasing from west to east. To the west is punctual, with cobbled areas, which divide the parking areas of the railway station, reachable from the countryside. To the east of the walkway, in the first part the amount of green becomes scattered, interrupted only by small cobbled paths that extend in areas equipped with seats and tables. At the extremity, the paved paths become small walkways that connect to the riverside the surrounding areas of natural vegetation. 118

Fig. tion

8. on

Footbridge cross secthe nature moment.

The climbing and valley viewpoint moment This moment is a space with sports function. It is a covered space that exceeds the height of the walkway, forming a sort of bridge above it. It can be used both on the ground floor where we suppose to set up climbing walls, to take advantage of the height of the side walls, and spaces for other sports practices, under the others covered spaces. The roof space is thought as a great view point that takes advantage of its central position in the valley, it allows a three hundred sixty degrees view all around, from the village, the mountains, the countryside and the perspective to the valley floor. 120

Fig. 9. Footbridge cross section on the climbing and view point moment.

The farm market moment It is a long roof covered space for the creation of a local products market, in close connection with the farmland. It is reacheable by vehicles through a circular route directly from the main road, reserved to private sellers, and from the walkway by stairs. It is a multifunctional space that becomes a space for leisure, and other outdoor activities when the market is not active.

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Fig. 10. Footbridge cross section on the farm market moment.

The transition moment It is an extension of the railway station, designed as a point of exchange between different conveyance. It consists of car parking lots, and a covered space with the bus travel services like ticket office, information point and waiting areas. It is not just the outside area of the station but also the point where people leave their car and enter the city through the walkway.

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Fig. 11. Footbridge cross section on the transition moment.

FOCUS ON THE DESIGN

第四章

4.1 The railway station

The train station represents the place where will take place the majority of interregional movement to leave and to reach the village of Taizicheng. As already planned by the Chinese Olympic Committee it must be able to meet the needs of an high-speed railway which path has already been defined. It will be characterized by an inconstant flow of travelers, with very high peaks during the Winter Olympics in 2022, and probably during the ski season. On working days rail traffic is expected to be very low because of the temporary nature of most of the residences of the village and so the low number of commuters. The concept is based on harmonizing the large volume needed for a high number of travelers with the context. The project is composed of two main elements which interpenetrate each another: The curvy roof and the box-like stone block. Each of the two elements identify a specific function of the station: the station building and the platforms.

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The curvy roof is able to give an immediate Chinese feeling to the project but the main reasons why this has been adopted are others. This type of cover is capable of minimizing the volumes of the building. In fact where there is no need of vertical free space the roof is relatively flat and low, while the height of the ceiling increase rapidly in the central part, above the trains, where are needed a minimum of 7,5 meters of free space. To increase the dynamism of the project that is well connected to the topic of the train and the speed the roof has been transformed, by staggering the two slopes of the roof between them and disconnecting the coverage of the trains from that of the platforms. The two slopes of the roof are also divided into two single-slope roofs in order to let the natural light to enter the building and illuminate the platforms area. The roof will have a steel bearing structure that follow the traditional tailiang disposition of columns and beams that let the central part under the cover free of columns. It will not have walls on either side to allow passengers waiting for the train to enjoy the surrounding landscape. The central block have a regular shape that allow a better use of the interior spaces. It is divided into two parts by the footbridge that passes through it. The “cut” is completely glazed to allow natural illumination of the hall and shelter and intersect the division of the curvy roof in the center of the lobby. This intersect form a cross that symbolize the crossing of the fast flow of the trains and the slow pedestrian flow of the footbridge. Even if this “cross” is on the top of

Fig. 1. Axonometric view of the railway station. Fig. 2. (next pages) the ground floor plan of the railway station. Fig. 3. (next pages) the first floor plan of the railway station.

1. didascalia immagine o testo o elaborato 2. didascalia immagine o testo o elaborato

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platform 2 (and possible 3)

railway services areas

railâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service segment

bar and shop

entrance

platform 1

inspection area

tikets supevising

police room waiting room walkway to mountains luggage storage

Hall WC

tiketing office and dressing room walkway to the village

1. China Railways CRH380A, Wikipedia. Accessed

10 Jun 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_ Railways_CRH380A

Fig. 4. The second floor plan of the railway station. Fig. 5. (next page) cross section of the railway station building.

the building, it will be still visible from the slopes of the surrounding mountains. The block is covered with stones and pierced by narrow windows to make a massive feelings. The materiality of this volume balance that of the two portal buildings on the opposite side of the walkway and the lightness of its curvy roof. This design try to follow the traditional Chinese principles and characteristics, in order to better root the project in the cultural context. These elements are the great horizontality of the construction, the use of the curvy roof but also the will to not dominate the natural environment by reducing the volume to the maximum and by fragmenting the roof to better blend it into the context. The dimensions were assessed taking as reference the characteristics of the high-speed train CRH380A which is currently used in the Beijing-Shanghai railway in addition to reference examples and design manuals. The CRH380A is 203 m long, 2,38 m wide and 3,7 m high. The high between the platform and the rails is of 1,2 m. It is powered by alternating current and therefore requires an overhead catenary system for distribution network at a height of 7 meters from the floor of the platforms. It has a maximum load capacity of 480 passengers.1 These data led us to design a station sizing based on the expectation of about 1,000 travelers during rush hour. The station building is positioned perpendicular to the direction of the railways as a bridge 7,5 meters over the railway track and the platforms. It contains all

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the main areas to serve the travelers: at the footbridge level there are the hall, the luggage storage room, ticketing, waiting rooms, bank branches and information desk. The hall allows to distribute the different areas and to reach the two platforms, but it is also a covered public space because it is a portion of the footbridge. At the platforms level there are a bar and a temporary shop facing the park of the “nature moment”. In addition to the services for travelers it also contains some technical spaces, offices and rooms for the staff and other services for railway operation. The platform are 220 m long and 8 meters large, covered by the curved roof. The entrance to the platforms is allowed only with the possession of the ticket thanks to a control area equipped with turnstiles placed in an interstory between the lobby and the level of the platforms. The railway is composed of two external rails near the platform that allow the operations of loading and unloading and two internal rails designed for the passage of high-speed trains that do not stop at the station. In the southern part of the station there is a trunk of rails for stocking and re-organization of the wagons. One couple of these rails is placed along the platform two and can be used as an additional track if needed during periods of greater flow. The arrangement of service tracks together with the shape of the floor plan of the station gives to the railway complex a trapezoidal shape which recalls that of the “moments”.

Fig. 6. Cross section of the platform areas and the curvy roofs.

4.2 The Gate buildings

Fig. 7. (Next page) The gate buildings as seen from the visitors who came from Zhangjiakou

The main entrance of the village in the eastern side is marked by the presence of two massive stone buildings that frame the access ramp to the main street and the passage of the footbridge. They are placed as a landmark and visual starting point of the new town for the people that approach it by car from Zhangjiakou City, and act as an actual entrance for those who came by foot from the train station. The southern construction is an auditorium while the other is a food court. They are placed in the middle of two open spaces on different levels, connecting them by access to the buildings on both levels. The concept for the design of the architecture are essentially two interconnected ideas. The first born from the need to better connect the footbridge with the two volumes; for this reason the wooden pattern of the footbridge continues on the ground floor facades of the “gate” buildings, “cutting” the heavy stone volumes

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Fig. 8. General plan of “the gate” of the village, with the food court and the auditorium. Fig. 9. (next page) a view of the gate buildings, the food court on the left and the auditorium on the right. In the center the starting place of the main pedestrian street.

with “soft” wood vertical blades in front of glazed walls. The “cut” is made even more visible pulling back the whole ground floor (meant as the level of the footbridge) of one meter to the line of the facade. This way the footbridge element is not hidden behind the entrance buildings but it is merged with it, strengthening both of them and emphasizing its role of connection between the two sides of the valley and not only from the station to the city. Here, as already happen in the train station concept, a light element balance an heavy one. The second concept has allowed us to better organize the irregular interior of the two volumes in accordance with the first concept. In fact the buildings have an irregular form defined by the rhombus shape of the eastern square which they both face and the need to leave the west facade perpendicular to the line of sight of the valley road. Furthermore the almost totally glazed ground floor could become a problem for the internal division. The solution is a regular and rectangular “box” structure put inside the irregular volumes. The regular space contain the main function, while the irregular areas originated from it became open spaces for the people enclosed by glazed walls open to the surrounding natural landscape. This way the outward appearance reflects the internal use of the building. The design of the two buildings follow the same concept, so we decided to focus mostly on the auditorium to better understand the practical applications of those ideas. Nevertheless we set a basic setup for the food court.

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Fig. 10. Axonometric view of the auditorium.

The Auditorium The southern building contain an auditorium and several other spaces related to this functions. Following the general concepts, the main function, the auditorium, is placed inside a wooden box like structure in the middle of the irregular building. The other spaces in the ground floor are occupied by the foyer. This way the users can enjoy the mountains while waiting for the event through the glazed walls. The glazed belt occupied the facades of the ground floor while in the north-east corner it widens and occupy the front of the other levels in order to emphasize the entrance area. One of the two entries is on the -7 meters level while the other one is on the ground level. Both the entries leading to a bright totally glazed lobby area on three levels connected by stairs and elevator. The three levels of the building have different functions and specific users. The ground floor is designed for the audience, with the lobby area, the ticket office, the coatroom, the bar and the entry of the auditorium. The auditorium hall has a capacity of 392 seats, with four places reserved for disabled people in wheelchairs. The different sizing have been designed maintaining the minimum spacing of seats, passages and respecting the line of vision for an optimum use of the space by the users. It is present an orchestra pit and a stage both movable thanks to a piston mechanism under the stage, connected to the laboratories of the second floor below the footbridge level

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Fig. 11. Axonometric section of the Auditorium. (next pages) tecnichal drawings for the auditorium: Fig. 12. First floor plan Fig. 13. Second floor plan Fig. 14. Third floor plan Fig. 15. Sectioned view of the auditorium. Fig. 16 The auditorium from the upper square

The first floor below the ground one have all the spaces for artists and for the staff of the show, with dressing rooms, make up room and the backstage. The second floor below is designed as a flexible space. There is the main rehearsal room that can be used also as an exposition space, four musical rehearsal rooms of different sized that can be used by the show artists but also by the villagers and laboratory to prepare the sets and organize workshops. In this way this floor can be used even by the inhabitant of the village. The equipment of services listed above allows to use the building as a theater of medium size. Although the village is mainly a tourist village with few permanent inhabitants, the use of space for the citizenship or the ability to open theater workshops aimed at catchment area on a regional scale, not only urban, easily accessible thanks to the excellent train connections.

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1 2

1.entrance hall 2.ticket desk 3.tickets check 4.lobby 5.bar 6.coatroom 7.storage 8.wc 9.stage 10.orchestra pit 11.control room (upper level) 12.relax room 13.dressing room 14.make up room 15.backstage 16.sets lifter

third floor plan

8 10

7 13

8 13 13 13 13 14

second floor plan

2 2 2

9 5

14 14

6 7

3 3

4 1.entrance hall 2.music rehearsal 3.storage 4.WC 5.orchestra pit 6.understage 7.sets lifter 8.rehearsal room 9.control room 10.engine room 11.circuit breakers room 12.boyler room 13.accumulators room 14.transformation cabin 15.electrical room 16dressing room 17.administration office 18.sculptures atelier 19.carpentery 20.assembly room

16 17

18 19

first floor plan

cross section

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The food court The northern building contain a food court, with different restaurants and place where to taste typical local foods but also the cuisine of different countries as a legacy of the multi-ethnicity and the different tastes that could be found during the Winter Olympics Games in the village. All the restaurants and service rooms are placed in a box like structure inside the irregular gate buildings volume, while the eating areas are organized in the remaining parts as a single open space, following the . This way the restaurants are small spaces composed mostly of a kitchen and a retail space. Restaurant without the dining rooms that sell food directly on the outside are very common in China thanks to a strong street food culture. The eating areas became a great place to socialize and share different dishes, while observing the beautiful landscape toward the glazed walls

Fig. 17. typical street food store in Beijing

BIBLIOGRAPHY

参考书目

Critical Regionalism BOOKS Bhabha H., Nazione e narrazione, Meltemi, Rome, 1997. Bhatia G. Laurie Baker. Life, Work & Writings, Penguin Books, 1994.

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Frampton K. Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance, in The Anti-Aesthetic. Essays on Postmodern Culture, Bay Press, Seattle, 1983. Koolhaas R., Generic city, in S,M,L,XL, The Monicelli Press, New York, 1995. Koolhaas R., Singapore songlines, Quodlibet, Macerata, 1995. Los S. (edited by), Regionalismo nell’architettura, Muzzio, Padua, 1990. Manier Elia M. (edited by), William Morris, Opere, Laterza, Bari, 1985. Pagano G., Guarniero D., Architettura rurale italiana, Hoepli (Quaderni della Triennale), Milano, 1936.

Zevi B., Controstoria e storia dell’architettura Vol. 3, dialetti architettonici, Newton & Compton, Rome, 1998. Zevi B., Il linguaggio moderno dell’ architettura, Einaudi, Turin, 1973. ARTICLES Botz-Bornstein T., Wang Shu and the Possibilities of Critical Regionalism in Chinese Architecture, in Nordic Journal of Architectural Research 1, Vol 21, 2009. Eisenman P. Critical Architecture in a Geopolitical World, In Architecture Beyond architecture, edited by Davidson C.C. and Serageldin I., Academy Editions, London, 1995. Frampton K., Luogo, forma, identità culturale, in Domus, n.673, 1986. Frampton K., Anti tabula rasa: verso un Regionalismo critico, in Casabella, n. 500, 1984.

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Chinese vernacular architecture BOOKS Bertan F., Foccardi G. (edited by), Architettura Cinese, Il trattato di Li Chieh, UTET, Torino, 1998. 166

Bussagli M., Architettura orientale, Electa, Milano, 1981. Golany G., Yachuan Village, Gansu, and Shimadao Village, Shaanxi, Subterranean villages, in Chinese Landscapes, the village as a place, edited by Knapp G.R. University of Hawai’i press, Honolulu, 1992. Knapp G.R., China’s old dwelings, University of Hawai’i press, Honolulu, 2000.

THESIS Feifei S., Chinese climate and vernacular dwellings, sup. Yannas S. and Schiano Phan R., Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, 2012.Courtyard, in Asian Social Science, Vol. 6, No 3, 2010. ARTICLES Yanjun L., Analysis on the Characteristics of Guanzhong Traditional Residential Courtyard, in Asian Social Science, Vol. 6, No 3, 2010.

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Case studies BOOKS Descamps J., Edelmann F., Positions, ACTAR, Paris, 2008. ARTICLES 168

Lin J., The paradox of architecture, in Domus, 970, 2013. Grima J., The MADA volcano, in Domus, 889, 2006. WEB ARTICLES Ad EditorialTeam, AD Interviews: Li Xiaodong / Li Xiaodong Atelier, ArchDaily, accesed 12 Jul 2015. <http://www.archdaily.com/770056/ad-interviews-li-xiaodong-li-xiaodong-atelier/>

Xiaodong L., When you copy the things around you, you never become the center because you give up your own voice, lecture by Li Xiaodong, Digital Architectural Papers, accessed 22 aug 2015 http://www.architecturalpapers.ch/index.php?ID=141 Mateo J.L., Glocal China, Interview with Wang Lu, Li Xiaodong and Zhu Wenyi, Digital Architectural Papers, accessed 22 aug 2015. http://www.architecturalpapers.ch/index.php?ID=108 Wilson R., Architects also need to think, right? interview with zhang ke of standardarchitecture, Uncube, accessed 04 Aug 2015. http://www.uncubemagazine.com/ sixcms/detail.php?id=15286311 WEBSITES http://www.archdaily.com/ http://www.domusweb.it/it/home.html http://phaidonatlas.com/

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Train station and Gate buildings BOOKS Collenza E., L’architettura delle stazioni ferroviarie, Officina edizioni, Rome, 2007. Neufert E., Enciclopedia pratica per progettare e costruire, Hoepli, Milan, 2013. Nuzzo V., La stazione ferroviaria verso l’alta velocità, CIFI, Rome, 2008 170

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Linee guida per la progettazione di piccole stazioni e fermate, 2007. Zaffagnini M., Manuale di progettazione edilizia Vol. 1: Tipologie e criteri di dimensionamento, Hoelpi, Milan, 1992.

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