Handout 20110119 - Culture, Space and Types

Culture, Space and Types

A.    Introduction
  1.     The Study on History and Theory of Chinese Architecture in a Regional Context
  2.      Man, Nature and Physical Environment

B.     Culture & Space
  1.      Culture Geography and Early Chinese Architecture
        a.  Culture of Earth: Yang Shao 仰韶 / Long Shan 龍山culture in the North
        b.  Culture of Wood and Water: Hemudu 河姆渡 / Liangzhu良渚culture in the South
  2.    Confucianism and the Concept of Li 禮: from Shang 商, Zhou 周 to Han 漢
        a.  Heaven, Earth and Man 天, 地, 人
        b.  Order, Ritual and Spatial Layout  
        c.  Yin Yang 陰陽 and Five Elements 五行
  3.    Beyond  Confucianism  
        a.  China & India: City of Man and Mountain of God
        b.  Square & Circle 天圓地方
        c.  Wood & Stone
        d.  Confucianism & Daoism

C.    Features of Chinese Architecture
 1.    Formal Elements and Spatial Character:
        a.  Components:
        -    Roof: Gabled 硬山/懸山, Hipped 廡殿, Half-gabled and Half-hipped 歇山, Pyramidal 攢尖;  roof  ridge and roof tile
        -    Column and Wall 牆柱 /牆身
        -    Base 基座
        b.  Structure and Construction:
        -    Column and beam 柱樑
        -    Bracket / Dou-gong 斗拱
        c. Module bay / Kai-jian 開間: space between structural frame / columns, walls and partitions to define space
        d.  Courtyard:
        -    Formal: Symmetry, orientation and axis
        -    Social: Order, sequence and hierarchy
        -    Environmental: landscape, fengshui, lighting and ventilation
        -    Functional: use, security and privacy
        e.  Sequence: Jin 進/ numbers of courtyards

 2.    Types of Chinese Architecture
        a.  Dwelling and Ancestor Hall
        b.  Temple
        c.  Institutional Buildings: School and Administration (Yamen 衙門)
        d.  Palace and City
        e.  Tomb
 3.    Hierarchy of Enclosure: from self, family, city, state, to the universe


Reading List

Boyd, Andrew*            Chinese Architecture and Town Planning. London: Alec Tiranti, 1962.  (Chap. 1 and 2)

Liang Sicheng*             A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture: A Study of the Development of its Structural System and the Evolution of its Typ，Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press,

Wu, Nelson I  ( Wu No-sun)           Chinese and Indian Architecture- The city of Man, the Mountain of God, and therealm of the Immortals, New York: George Brasiller, 1963

Pirazzoli-T’Serstevens, M                Living Architecture: Chinese，New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1971. (Chapter 1)

梁思成                          《拙匠隨筆》    北京:中國建築工業出版社(祖國的建築 / 中國建築的特徵)