<<

CULTURAL CENTER

GUANGZHOU

By

YIRAN LIU

B.F.A. Normal University 2016

A Report Submitted to the Lamar Dodd School of Art

of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment

of the

Requirements for the Degree

MASTER OF FINE ARTS

ATHENS, GEORGIA MAY 2019

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER

GUANGHZOU CHINA

by

YIRAN LIU

Approved:

______

Saral Surakul, Major Professor

______Date CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 3

2019

Yiran Liu

All Rights Reserved

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 4

ABSTRACT

Guangzhou, the capital of the province of , is the most populous city in the province. Guangzhou is located in the south of China, and the city has more than 2,000 years of history. Guangzhou gained worldwide recognition after hosting the Asian Games in 2010. The increased recognition brought financial investments to the city. It is not surprising that new and modern businesses are replacing traditional culture. Many old buildings were torn down and replaced by new mega shopping malls, offices, fast food restaurants, and luxury apartments.

According to the 2015 Guangzhou city update annual plan, 44 districts would be renewed and 13 would be reconstructed (Guangzhou Government, 2015). As the city expands, the residents of

Guangzhou are gradually substituting heritage for luxury.

The process is mainly occurring in the old districts. As the most ancient town in

Guangzhou, Liwan is reputed for its many traditional examples of architecture and culture that are preserved there. However, the government has already planned to spend 17 billion dollars on reconstructing the old buildings and transforming them into malls, fast food restaurants and new apartments (Wangyi, 2016). Even the Mansions, the most prominent examples of traditional architecture in that district, are being torn down and replaced by luxury apartments.

Restaurants serving traditional are also affected. According to

Yangcheng evening news, Guangzhou increased its quantity of restaurants from 64,292 to

126,218 between 2015 and 2016; nevertheless, the market share of traditional Cantonese restaurants decreased 6.3% during this period (Yangcheng evening news, 2016).

Cantonese opera, which has been declared an Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity

( advisory committee), is gradually disappearing in Guangzhou city. The quantity of houses for Cantonese opera has decreased from 30 to only one in the last 20 years CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 5

(CCTV, 2017). Rather than demolish traditional culture, however, I advocate preservation and improvement as a better course of action.

Guangzhou has a Xiguan Mansion museum, but the unconventional transportation system and the simple activity program make it difficult for the museum to attract visitors. The annual quantity of visitors was only 200,000 in the last three years, while the expectation of the government was 720,000 visitors annually (, 2015). In order to better preserve the traditional culture of Cantonese, I would like to combine the culture with other popular programs, which can help more people to learn about the culture.

The proposed cultural center would showcase different aspects of Cantonese life and provide fun activities for visitors while learning about the culture. I hope the cultural center would ignite interests in Cantonese culture among Chinese and visitors alike.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 6

ACKONWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank the following people who kindly contributed their knowledge, resources, patience, resources, and advices: Saral Surakul, Thom Houser, and Moon Jang.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 7

Table of Content

ABSTRACT ...... 1

ACKONWLEDGEMENT ...... 6

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...... 11

PROBLEM STATEMENT ...... 11

PURPOSE OF STUDY ...... 11

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 12

1. IDENTIFYING SPACES AND THE IDENTITY OF VISITORS ...... 12

2. SPATIAL PLANNING ...... 17

3. ARCHITECTURAL WAYFINDING COMMUNICATION ...... 19

4. GRAPHIC INFORMATION ...... 25

5. CANTONESE CULTURE ...... 28

CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDIES ...... 37

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 37

CASE 1: WORLD OF COCA-COLA ...... 37

CASE 2: THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ...... 42

CHAPTER 4: DESIGN ...... 45

4.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 45

4.2 DESIGN CONCEPT ...... 45

4.3 FLOOR PLAN ...... 47

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER ...... 50 CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 8

PERSPECTIVE ...... 50

INTRODUCTION ROOM ...... 51

CANTONESE HISTORY EXHIBIT ...... 51

XIGUAN MANSION EXHIBIT ...... 53

TRANSPORTATION EXHIBIT ...... 56

FOOD EXHIBITION ...... 57

FOOD COURT ...... 57

CLOTHING EXHIBIT ...... 59

CHAPTER 5: MFA EXHIBITION ...... 60

REFERENCE ...... 62

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 9

Table of Figures

Figure 1. Kennedy Museum Design Concept ...... 22

Figure 2. “Star” Exhibition Design ...... 23

Figure 3. Color Sheet ...... 28

Figure 4. Xiguan Mansion Layout ...... 29

Figure 5. Granite Foot of Wall ...... 31

Figure 6. Granite Window Frame ...... 31

Figure 7. Oyster Shell Wall ...... 32

Figure 8. Wooden Window Frame ...... 33

Figure 9. Cantonese Barbecue Shop ...... 34

Figure 10. Barbecue Stove ...... 34

Figure 11. Dishes ...... 35

Figure 12. Cantonese Rickshaw ...... 36

Figure 13. World of Coca-Cola ...... 37

Figure. 14 Loft ...... 38

Figure 15. Coca-Cola Theater ...... 39

Figure 16. Milestone of Refreshment ...... 40

Figure 17. Taste It! ...... 41

Figure 18. The National Museum of Singapore ...... 42

Figure 19. The Art of Rehearsal ...... 43

Figure 20. The Singapore History Gallery ...... 44

Figure 21. Main Restaurant ...... 44

Figure 22. Map of ...... 45 CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 10

Figure23. Taiji and Koi Fish ...... 46

Figure 24. Top View of Cantonese Cultural Center ...... 47

Figure 25. 1st floor ...... 48

Figure 26. 2nd floor ...... 48

Figure 27. Section ...... 49

Figure 28. Elevation ...... 49

Figure 29. Night View ...... 50

Figure 30. Day View ...... 50

Figure 31. Introduction Room ...... 51

Figure 32. Cantonese History Exhibit 1 ...... 52

Figure 33. Cantonese History Exhibit 2 ...... 52

Figure 34. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit ...... 53

Figure 35. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit 2 ...... 54

Figure 36. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit 3 ...... 54

Figure 37. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit 4 ...... 55

Figure 38. Transportation Exhibit 2 ...... 56

Figure 39. Cantonese Food Exhibit 2 ...... 57

Figure 40. Food Court ...... 58

Figure 41. Clothing Exhibit 2 ...... 59

Figure 43. MFA Installation ...... 60

Figure 44. MFA Installation Poster ...... 61

Figure 45. MFA Installation Bamboo Baskets ...... 61

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 11

Chapter 1: Introduction

Problem Statement

Cantonese culture is losing in different perspective. As a native Cantonese, I can

foresee that losing our own culture could be an issue. Therefore, I would like to propose a

design of a cultural center focusing on the Cantonese culture in Guangzhou. I will

research from the late to the early republic of China period (1880-1920).

During this period, Guangzhou was the only port city in China. As a result, Cantonese

culture was highly influenced by other cultures as reflected in architecture, entertainment

programs, and food. The Xiguan Mansions, Cantonese Dim sum and opera were

extremely popular during those years.

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to design a cultural center which is mainly focus on

teenagers and children. The main idea for this cultural center is to provide a theme park

experience to audiences. Therefore, the activities in this center need to be designed to

have more interaction with the target audiences. Also, the interior design should be

inspired by Cantonese characteristics, because the main goal for this project is to convey

the Cantonese culture to next generation.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 12

Chapter 2: Literature Review

1. Identifying spaces and the identity of visitors

Wayfinding design is mainly concerned with how to help people make correct

decisions in regard to arriving at the location that they want to go. Therefore, we need to

know what elements will influence people when making a decision and what elements

might confuse them.

1.1 Principle

When people try to find their way in a space, they will try to understand what the

setting contains and how it is organized. However, a simple guide is not enough to find a

destination. In order for people to construct a mental map of a setting, they need to

identify landmark’s points of interest to map. Among the basic building blocks of

cognitive mapping are spatial entities. People can recognize these entities only if they are

distinct and have an identity that differentiates them from their surroundings (Arthur,

1992). This situation is similar to decision making and decision execution. Decision

making can be maintained only if the destinations and intermediate sub-destinations have

an identity that distinguishes them from another place. Decision execution occurs after a

place is recognized (Arthur, 1992). According to these concepts, distinctiveness is very

important in order for people to perform decision making and execution, because

distinctiveness give the places their identity, which is a major requirement for

wayfinding. Distinctiveness can be achieved through the form and volume of the space

that defines architectural and decorative elements and by use of finishes, light, colors, and

even graphics. Activities and the atmosphere which are created by people’s behavior can CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 13

generate a form of distinctiveness. However, this factor is not stable and people likely

will forget it in a short time. For example, an open-air market can give a very strong

sense of distinctiveness to a street for the time it is occupied. Once the stands are taken

away, the street might not be recognizable to visitors anymore (Arthur, 1992). Therefore,

when designers try to create distinctiveness, they must remember that people cannot

memorize the elements of distinctiveness, so designers need use a variety of means to

express important information. This principle is very important for wayfinding design.

1.2 Identity of visitors

Visitors’ experience

For the learning purpose exhibition, designers should consider how to cause

visitors to be interested in the content and how to make them enthusiastic to learn the

information presented in the culture center. Creators need to provide visitors with means

to build on their own knowledge rather than trying to cram visitors with new knowledge

that we think is important for them to learn (Kamien, 2013). Therefore, before starting to

design the cultural center, designers should consider how to provide the visitor with a

good experience.

1.2.1 Defining the audience

The first problem that designers should verify is who the primary audience for

the exhibition is, A knowledge of the audience is helpful to provide a better

connection to audiences or even increase the number of visitors. If a creator can

connect with the target audience accurately, it will be easier to make the visit CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 14

enjoyable and accessible for them. Also, other visitors will find some experiences

and information that they will enjoy as well. The most important point of this step

is to identify the audience that the designer primarily wants to serve, so he or she

can consider what basic visitor needs they should addressed (Kamien, 2013). Both

in terms of sophistication and of the content and in the possible delivery methods

they might use can be gauged easily after considering the basic visitor needs.

1.3 Children and exhibition

The target audience group of this cultural center mainly focuses on children and

teenagers whose ages are between 6 to 18. Of all visitors, children are possibly the most

critical because they can have negative feelings toward exhibits that do not engage them

(Philip 2015). Also, if the contents are too difficult for them to understand, confused

feelings could make them lose the patience to focus on the exhibits. Children likely have

an incomplete map of how the knowledge relate to each other. If designers can give the

background knowledge to children, they might understand the meaning of displays more

easily. Therefore, for most of the learning purpose exhibition, designers should consider

how the background information can be related to each other and design their profression

accordingly (Philip 2015).

1.4 Presenting to children of differing ages

The learning purpose exhibition that focused on children will also include their

family, often with more children of differing ages. This situation requires that the CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 15

displays have to present to different age groups at once. According to Philip Hughes,

children will not be interested in displays that are too young for them. However, young

children will be attracted by the content which is aimed at an older age group because

they aspire to have the same experiencer as the older children (Philip, 2015). Hence, the

best solution is to pitch the design towards older children.

1.5 Engaging the children

Before the design begins, a designer should ensure that the activities in the

exhibition will engage children to stay longer. Most children enjoy group interactions

with exhibits and are social in their approach. Children may stand back from displays

until other children come to explore, and will join in only when they feel their presence is

acceptable. For example, a child plays on a machine and there is space for other children

to see what he or she is doing, when the first child has finished playing, the other children

will follow their cue from the reactions of their peer group. If the feedback is good, other

children are often to become involved (Philips, 2015).

Sometimes parents will explain how to use a display or machine, and children just

can follow their parent’s instruction to join the program. However, most children enjoy

the freedom when they visit the exhibition because they often do not have much choice in

their lives. Designers should consider how to allow children to exercise freedom while

they are visiting the exhibition and ensure that they will be safe. Most exhibition designer

agree that the activity is the most important element to successful exhibits. For example,

the best way to show European children how a Japanese woman dresses traditionally is to CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 16

provide them with an opportunity to try the dress on (Philips, 2015). This experience will

be much more fun than just observing a sample in a display.

1.5.1 Popular culture program

Sometime the content that is presented in exhibition is too far away for

visitors. The content may have been created many years ago or has already

disappeared. Therefore, a designer can relate their content to popular culture

because popular information sources can provide insights into what lay audiences

may find attractive about the subject matter and what starting points may be most

useful (Kamien, 2013). TV programs, websites, common misconceptions, news

headlines or books can provide insight into different people of different ages, and

a designer can learn about their inclinations of this content.

1.5.2 Human development

Often, visitors will make their own meaning by linking prior ideas,

feelings, questions, and facts to the materials that they encounter in the

exhibitions. Designers should try their best to make this kind of memory and

connection process as rich as possible for visitors. Recalling a memory, shedding

a tear, sharing personal information with in the exhibition, or placing a bit of

loose information in a newer, more interesting contest could make visitors have

more interest in staying at the exhibition (Kamien, 2013). The most useful tool for

attracting a variety of visitors to stay in an exhibition is emotional an experience.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 17

1.6 Basic requirement for exhibition

How to attract children and teenager to visit a museum or even cultural center is a

difficult problem for the operator, because may museums are boring and do not to provide

a good visit experience to their audience. According to Philip Hughes, the exhibition

should follow some principles to attract more audience members. Providing a comfortable

environment is very important for leaving a good impression with visitors. Therefore, the

cultural center should provide enough service and equipment which can meet audiences’

basic needs. Designing a good floor plan that can help visitors to easily find their way

around is also necessary because visitors will become frustrated and quickly decide to

leave if they struggle to find each other (Bitner, 1992). If the exhibition needs to attract

more people, they have to realize that different people will likely have a different

understanding of what the exhibition is displaying (Philip, 2015). Designers cannot expect

visitors to have some basic understanding before they come, so if the content is too

difficult for audiences to understand, they will likely not stay for too long. Hence,

designers should create some communication and interaction between the displays and

audiences in order to help them to have a better understanding of the content and an easier

way to learn new knowledge.

2. Spatial Planning

The difficulty of wayfinding is affected by two major physical factors: the layout of the

setting and the quality of the environmental communication. The layout is defined by its

spatial content, its form, its organization, and its circulation. Environmental communication CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 18

includes all of the architectural information for wayfinding (Arthur, 1992). In order to create

an organized layout, we need to follow two phases of spatial planning principles:

• Grouping of spatial units into destination zones

• Organization and linkage of unit and zones

2.1 Grouping spaces into destination

The basic grouping should be the primary objective to plan in a complex setting.

When users enter a setting, they will think about which destination they will visit and

regard these places as specific facilities. Each individual space in the setting will be a

potential destination, giving the complex setting a large number of destinations. Consider

hospitals for example. Most of the rooms inside were likely allocated to some degree by

chance, so staff members, patients, and visitors often cannot find their destination

efficiently even though hospitals have the most sophisticated information system for their

clients (Arthur, 1992). If the designer does not group them with similar functions, users

will easily lose their way in the space.

Proper articulation for each destination zone is also very important for wayfinding

and it can affect the wayfinding system in two ways. It could facilitate the cognitive

mapping process by emphasizing the spatial units to be mapped and can support the

decision-making process (Arthur, 1992). Identity and equivalence are important factors

for designers to use in order to identify spatial characteristics which will allow them to

create the articulations between each zone. Identity is the characteristic that allows us to

differentiate one space from other. Equivalence is the characteristic that allows us to

group the destinations into zones with some common traits (Arthur, 1992).. In order to CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 19

distinguish one destination from another, a destination must have some unique features,

but the spatial unit within the zone also needs some common characteristics

2.1.2 Linking and organizing spaces

Linking the spatial unit is the most difficult among these three steps and

concerns linking the spatial unit that has been identified as having functional

relationships. Linking the space can go in one of two directions. It can start with

the form and conclude with the circulation system, or it can leave the form and

end up with overall form (Arthur, 1992). No matter which way you start, form

and circulation are closely related. The form of a building’s volume provides users

with cues about the internal organization and circulation system. Circulation is the

key organizing factor of a layout. We would like to use it as the framework of a

setting or bone structure, which is the organizing feature of human body. The

circulation system is equally important determining the layout of the setting,

which is also the space where people move and navigate (Arthur, 1992). Thus, if

we can understand the circulation system, we can also understand the spatial

organization of the setting.

3. Architectural wayfinding communication

Many people think that signage is the most important means of providing

wayfinding information in an urban or architectural setting. However, people have to

understand the circulation information in order to find their way. Designers should learn CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 20

about some architectural features that can define the circulation because architecture

features communicate the relevant wayfinding information.

3.1 Entrance

Most of the time, the door is the ultimate sign of an entrance, which is often the

first element to be found when visitors try to enter the building. However, doors may not

be visible from a distance and some entrances do not even have doors or gates. This

example can indicate the importance of the legibility of an entrance. The legibility of an

entrance or a gate varies with the angle of approach. An entrance can be approached in a

frontal or indirect way. The frontal approach gives the greatest visual access to the

entrance. When the approach is indirect, the visual access will diminish as the approach

becomes more oblique and finally disappears (Arthur, 1992). Also, the form of the layout

can help people to find the entrance. If the space uses an asymmetrical layout, it will be

more difficult to interpret. This form of layout requires more special features to

distinguish the entrance. A building which has an asymmetrical layout usually relies on

additional cues to indicate the location of the entrance.

3.2 Exits

Although an exit has the same structure as an entrance, from the user’s view, an

exit differs from an entrance. For the visitors who are unfamiliar with the building, the

entrances should be the first thing to be found, while the exit in most settings requires a

simple return to the point of the entry. If the people are able to map the entrance route,

they will require only limited environment information to return to the exit. However, if CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 21

the setting is too complex for users to map their route back to the entrance, they will need

to search for the exit. They will do the same searching operation that was required to find

the entrance. Therefore, it is necessary to make exits easily detectable. Even though the

door is limited by height from the inside, but distinctiveness is more important in terms of

legibility than size. The limitation of size can be easily helped by making efficient use of

the light from outside (Arthur, 1992). Natural light in the right context signifies the

possibility of an exit.

3.3 Paths

The path is one of the most important parts in wayfinding because it will tell people

where they can go and whether they are allowed to a path. A path can be perceived by

markings on the ground, a guiding structure on the side or above, or by a combination of

these elements (Arthur, 1992). According to Foltz’s paper, the path should be well-

structured with a set of characteristics which are continuous and have a clear beginning,

middle and end while users view the path from each direction (Foltz, 1998).

3.3.1 Single path

The features of a well-structured path should correspond to concepts that relate to

the content of the space. The beginning and end of the path form an introduction and

a conclusion, and progress is marked by moving from one concept or message to the

next. Using the single path design is a good way to represent this idea. Consider the

Kennedy museum, for example. This museum has a well-constructed path which

consists of a spatial timeline. The beginning of the path in this museum is the 18- CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 22

minute introductory film. When visitors move forward, they can learn about president

Kennedy’s life through his campaign, administration, family life, assassination, and

legacy, and the pavilion provides an end-point (Foltz, 1998). The ambiguity of

direction in this museum is solved by whether movement is forward or backward in

the spatial timeline through the events in Kennedy’s life.

Figure 1. Kennedy Museum Design Concept

3.3.2 The multiple path

The multiple path design in exhibition can cause the fewer traffic problem to

visitors since they can choose other exhibits to engage with while a particular art work is

busy. This design also provides better freedom and gives visitors more opportunities to

follow their own interest. However, the multiple path design also requires to provide

more signage and orientation information to audiences. Although visitors can follow their

own interest to find the artwork, they still need information to locate themselves. The

exhibition can be divided by different routes through displays, guide group, and different

subjects (Hughes, 2015). CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 23

3.3.3 “Star” exhibits

“Star” exhibits design is a useful way to design the path when exhibitor wishes to

engage audiences before other less important displays draw their attention. “Star”

exhibits design could arrange artworks predominantly around outstanding objects which

could easily makes audiences to focus on the most significant artworks (Hughes, 2015).

Consider the Victoria & Albert Museum, for example. The “star” exhibit design

highlights the most dramatic and exciting examples in the collection which could

maximize visitor enjoyment and experience.

Figure 2. “Star” Exhibition Design

3.4 Vertical access

It is necessary to consider the vertical circulation when visitors need to change

levels. Stairs, escalators, and elevators should be directly perceived upon entering the

setting. They can be either strong architectural features or signage boards with

information. The installation of signs can give visitors a clear direction to the vertical

circulation, which provides convenience to visitors and reduces their confusion.

However, one of the most common problems in understanding signs for visitors is

information overload. In terms of providing a better mental communication to users,

designers should use fewer signs and make signs easier for visitors to understand. CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 24

3.5 Landmark

Using a landmark is the best way to create a distinctiveness for a place. According

to Foltz’s paper, landmarks can serve as two purpose. The first is as an orientation cue. If

the user knows where a landmark is and how it relates to his present position, he can say

comment about where he is and provide a cue for other people to confirm his location. A

desirable property of a landmark for this use is visibility, which means the landmark can

be seen from a wide surrounding area. Such global landmarks can help the navigator

judge his orientation within a wide area, as the Eiffel tower does in Paris, for example

(Arthur, 1992). In contrast, local landmarks can be seen only in a close vicinity. A system

of local landmarks which exhaustively cover the space can also provide the same cues as

a single, towering landmark (Foltz, 1998). The second use of a landmark is to be a

memorable location. According to Lynch’s sketch-map interviews, he noted that different

respondents would like to mark or mention many of the same places (Lynch, 1960). In

other words, memorable places can help the people to recognize one’s location instantly.

A shared feature of landmarks also provides the basis descriptions of locations or routes.

Landmarks can be decision points from where users must choose one path of many to

follow (Lynch, 1960). Therefore, landmarks are extremely useful as they make the

location and the associated decision more memorable.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 25

4. Graphic Information

Graphic information in wayfinding has the function to inform people of the

surroundings in an unfamiliar building environment. It is very important to show

information at strategic points to guide people in the right direction (Designworkplan,

2017). Therefore, graphic information in wayfinding must be legible and readable in

order to reduce visitors’ confusion whey they are finding their way (Arthur, 1992).

Graphic information in wayfinding design should follow the principles listed below in

order to give visitors a better understanding: Graphic information should create a

comprehensive, clear, and consistent visual communication system with concise

messaging; show information relevant to the space, location and navigation path and

remove unnecessary elements to create a clear visual environment ahead

(Designworkplan, 2017).

4.1 Graphic information for decision making and executing

The information can be divided into two parts, one is for decision making and the

other one is decision executing. Orientation and general information about the setting

provide users an overview of what shape the building has, where they are, and where

visitors’ destination is. For example, the maps, floor plans and building directories are all

the information for decision making. Information that guides people along a designated

or preselected route to a destination, and provided at the destination is for decision

executing. For example, signs with names or pictographs at the entrance to a destination

(Arthur, 1992). The decision making and executing processes will be changed sometime

because visitors will change their way in mid-route. However, we must start somewhere CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 26

and even if visitors change their destination, the sequence and the information that are

needed, particularly the graphic information, remain the same.

4.2 Location of Signs

The placement signs in the setting can be a significant problem in wayfinding

design. According to Foltz’s paper, signs should be placed only if they are necessary at

decision points (Foltz, 1998). In executing a decision plan, visitors are usually asked to

make many decisions at decision points in order to reach their final destination. Decision

points mainly relate to the corridor intersections where visitors must have assistance

frequently in the form of signs. However, the placement of signs is useless and self-

defeating at every intersection and provide directions to every location in the building.

The most important goal of signs is not quantity but the content on the sign. If the

concept of destination zones has been incorporated into the planning of the building, the

answer is obvious, and the results will be more efficient (Arthur, 1992). Therefore, the

information on signs should follow a different strategy. First, the information must be

established (through maps or directories or both) that the particular destination is in a

general area; for example, a certain level or a certain wing of the building. Then,

directions to these large areas need be provided. Finally, more finely tuned information

about the particular destination needs to be provided to the visitors after they arrive at the

large area (Arthur, 1992).

4.3 Color coding CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 27

Color coding is the first thing that staff members are likely to suggest as a solution to

situations in which wayfinding is acknowledged as a problem. However, for most people,

color coding is rarely practical and can considerably increase initial as well as long-term

maintenance costs. One serious impediment to color coding by function is that the

requirement is probably for a large number of colors. However, in facts, color coding

should not be more than nine hues including black, white, and grey for coding purposes.

Too much color in the setting can cause people’s memory to overload, so no more than

five colors at most should be used (Arthur, 1992). More than five colors can cause people

to neither remember nor distinguish between the colors that are used.

4.4 Color selection

Any color may be used on a sign provided there is enough contrast when it

combines with other colors in order to create a message. There is a reliable formula based

on light reflection which concern the percentage for each of the two colors involved.

When the brightness differential is over 70 percent, the legibility of this combination is

pretty well assured. When brightness differential less than 70 percent, the combination

should not be used (Arthur, 1992).

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 28

Figure 3. Color Sheet

5. Cantonese Culture

China has 23 provinces and Guangzhou is the capital of the Guangdong province.

Cantonese culture originated from Guangzhou City and it is one of the most popular

cultures in China. Cantonese culture started to be popular in the late Qing dynasty (1840-

1912), because Guangzhou was the only port city in China. This situation gave Cantonese

people a great opportunity to reach foreign culture. Therefore, could

learn other foreign cultures and combine it with their own culture to create a new

lifestyle. The food, house, clothing, and transportation culture was the four-main

perspectives to explain why Cantonese culture was unique all over China during the Qing

dynasty.

5.1 Xiguan Mansion

5.1.1 Background information

The Xiguan Mansions were created in the middle of the Qing dynasty and

started to be popular at the end of this period. Wealthy merchants, governors, and

people who had a high social status were the main residents of these mansions.

The Xiguan Mansions normally occupied large sizes of land with well-designed

layouts and were mainly built with luxurious materials and decorated with rare

embellishments.

5.1.2 Layout CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 29

The Xiguan Mansions use symmetric ways to design the interior layout.

All of the living rooms are arrange along a middle line. People count each living

room as one Jin. Each Jin equals around 7 meters. The rooms along with middle

line include porch, lobby, tea room, main living room, dining room, bed room for

grandparent, dining room and a small bedroom (Lu, 2013). Each Jin would be

separated by a small courtyard which is open to the top. This design could easily

bring the daylight and fresh air into the mansion (Yang, 2012). Reading room,

bedrooms, kitchen, and indoor garden are arranged near by the middle line.

Figure 4. Xiguan Mansion Layout

5.1.3 Materials

Exterior CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 30

Guangzhou is located in the south part of China and belongs to the

subtropical monsoon climate area, so typhoons and rain will always influence the

city. Therefore, choosing materials for the exterior of the Xiguan Mansions was

one of the most important missions for architects. Granite, an excellent damp-

proof material, is the main material for making the base, the frame of walls and

windows, and the floor of kitchen and hallway. The granite foot of the wall could

be built around 120 to 140 centimeters which makes it provide a better protection

to the wall for avoiding the damage from rain and water logging (Yang, 2012).

Also, the granite made door frames, window frames, column bases, stairs, and

handrails are more durable in humid weather than other materials.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 31

Figure 5. Granite Foot of Wall

Figure 6. Granite Window Frame

The wall of the Xiguan mansion is made up of two layers. Both the

interior layer and the exterior layer is made of black brick and attached by lime

mortar. Each black brick would have 257 millimeters’ length, 100 millimeters’

width and 63 millimeters’ depth (Yang, 2012). The surface of the black bricks is

hand polished by workers. This process makes the surface of the bricks become

extremely smooth and eventually the high quality black brick wall could improve

the mansion’s luxurious feeling. The secondary part of the mansion would use

oyster shell as the main material to build the wall. Because Guangzhou is not far

away from the ocean, it is easy to buy oyster shell at a low price. Oyster shell is

also a high level thermal insulation and sound insulation material.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 32

Figure 7. Oyster Shell Wall

Interior

Guangzhou was the only port city during the Qing dynasty. This situation

allowed people to easily import different kinds of wood from other locations.

Also, high level hard wood not only could represent the high social status of the

owner, but also was a nice durable and mothproof material. Therefore, the high

quality hard wood became the main material to decorate the interior of Xiguan

Mansion. The doors, columns, and screens were mainly made by Giam wood.

Furniture and decoration used mahogany as the main material (Yang, 2012).

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 33

Figure 8. Wooden Window Frame

5.2 Cantonese Cuisine

5.2.1 General information

The Cantonese are fastidious about daily food and drink, which is known

to the world. The Cantonese cuisine is a general term for the Canton, Teochew

and Hakka dishes in the cultural circle of region. As one of the four

Chinese major cuisines, Cantonese cuisine is of remarkable locality in terms of its

distinctive dish varieties and tastes. It is also a key part of the civilization of the

province, reputed as the “Chinese image ambassador” popular access the country

and around the world (Lin, 2010).

5.2.2 Cantonese barbecue

Cantonese style salted and roast meat is available at take-away food sale

counters along the streets or within the restraints of Guangzhou, in bright red, an

appetizing color. Cantonese barbecue includes roast porker, goose, duck, squab,

rib, chicken, etc. Cantonese barbecue is different from northern style barbecue in

China. Northern people used to hang the meat above the fire till it is done.

Cantonese people would like to heat up the stove first, and leave the meat in the

middle of stove to bake the meat (Lin, 2010). CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 34

Figure 9. Cantonese Barbecue Shop

Figure 10. Barbecue Stove

5.2.3 Dim sum

Dim sum is one of the most popular food styles in Cantonese cuisine. It

usually serves as small bite sized portion in small steamer baskets or small plates.

Dim sum is usually served with tea and together forms a full tea brunch.

Therefore, Cantonese people would call dim sum brunch as “”, which CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 35

means “drink tea” in Cantonese. A traditional dim sum brunch would include

different kinds of steamed buns, rice, dumplings, and rice noodle rolls. Also, Dim

sum includes various types of ingredients such as beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, and

vegetables, which can provide enough nutrition to dine. Steaming and frying is

the most popular way to cook Dim sum. Because it is usually served as a small

size, the chef would provide three or four pieces in one dish.

Figure 11. Dim sum Dishes

5.3 Transportation system

Young Cantonese people who visited the started to return to

Guangzhou City, and there are no more determined agitators in China than before. These

young people use the knowledge they learn from the United States to build the tall,

modern houses along the river banks. (Bonnrd, 1926). Both urban construction and

population in Guangzhou started to grow rapidly. This situation pushed the transportation

system to create more variety and more choice of public services. Non-wheeled carriages CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 36

such as sedan chair began to disappear, and the rickshaw became the main transportation

tool in the city. According to GZSSZGY, the number of rickshaws in 1920 rose from a

total of 3000 to 3200 on 1922 and 3600 in 1924, and in 1929 reached 4100. In 1933,

there were 5806 registered rickshaws in operation in Canton’s street, of which 206 were

registered for private use. This data could easily prove the importance of rickshaws

during the early 19th century.

Figure 12. Cantonese Rickshaw

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 37

Chapter 3: CASE STUDIES

1. Introduction

This chapter includes two case studies, which are The World of Coca-Cola and

The National Museum of Singapore. The World of Coca-Cola aims to provide a theme

park experience to visitors. The target audience is teenagers and children. The National

Museum of Singapore uses their own history for inspiration to design the project. Visitors

can learn about how Singaporeans lived from the past to now through different exhibition

and activities.

Case 1: World of Coca-Cola

Figure 13. World of Coca-Cola

The World of Coca-Cola is located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a museum to

showcase the history of the company. The 81,000 m2 complex was opened to the public

in 2017, relocating from the original exhibit that was founded in 1990 in underground CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 38

Atlanta. This museum uses the secret formula of Coca-Cola as the main inspiration to

design the complex.

At the very beginning, visitors will come to the Loft, where they receive basic

introduction. On the ceiling hang numerous billboards from all over the world, from the

past to present. The colorful billboards easily arouse visitors’ interest and attract their

attention. Also, the design elements all come from the Coca-Cola bottle design.

Aluminum finish beams, red billboards, and exhibitions that relate to Coca-Cola make the

interior atmosphere extremely easy to recognize. Visitors easily feel that this museum is

all about Coke without finding a logo and slogan.

Figure. 14 Loft

After finishing in the Loft, the staff guides visitors to the next space, which is the

Coca-Cola Theater. The movie in this theater is about a celebration of life’s Moments of

Happiness. This six-minute video celebrates happy and memorable moments experienced CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 39

by people of different ages and cultures around the world. The director chose to use

milestone life experiences as inspiration to create the movie. These include skydiving for

the first time, surprising a loved one on a special occasion, and celebrating shared

moments of happiness both large and small. When the movie ends, the screen rises up

and visitors go through the door that is behind the screen to the next area. This design

provides a special welcome feeling to audiences.

Figure 15. Coca-Cola Theater The first section after the theater is the Vault of the Secret Formula. The vault is

the place where the legendary secret formula for Coca-Cola is secured. Visitors can travel

through the exhibit on an immersive multimedia journey toward the chamber of the

Secret Formula. Along the exhibition, visitors can learn about the origins of the secret

formula, how competitors tried to copy the success of Coca-Cola, how the owners of

Coca-Cola kept their formula throughout the years, and how the secrecy spawned a trove

of myth and legends. CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 40

Milestones of Refreshment is an exhibition for exploring the fascinating story of

the Coca-Coca company. The designer used a history timeline for inspiration to design

the gallery. Beginning in Atlanta and reaching out all over the world, Coca-Cola is

influential in soda history. There is a total of ten galleries to introduce the history of the

Coca-Cola company and some of its most significant possessions, including a circa-1880s

soda fountain, a 1939 delivery truck from Argentina, and the Coca-Cola contour bottle.

Walking through Milestones of refreshment, visitors can learn how the company grew to

be what it is today. In this gallery, visitors will also see more than 1,000 original artifacts,

some dating back to the earliest days of Coca-Cola’s history.

Figure 16. Milestone of Refreshment The funniest part of the museum is Taste It! Visitors in this part can taste more

than 100 international and domestic beverages made by The Coca-Cola Company. There

are five tasting stations arranged from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, to North

America. Each station provides different beverages that are unique to that region. This

exciting part can not only provide a fun activity for visitors to interact with, but also give

people a special experience. CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 41

Figure 17. Taste It!

The only thing that this museum could improve on is the layout. As a complex

that attracts tons of children annually, designers should have really considered children

when arranging the layout. Once visitors walk into the main atrium, there are too many

directions for children. If children get lost in an exhibition, parents cannot easily find

them.

. CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 42

Case 2: The National Museum of Singapore

Figure 18. The National Museum of Singapore The National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in the nation that seeks

to inspire with stories of Singapore. The history of this museum dates back to 1887 when

it opened on Stamford Road as the Raffles Library and Museum. The museum mainly

focuses on exhibits that relate to the history of Singapore, and it is one of four national

museums in the country.

The reason why the museum is popular is because it has numerous features and

exhibitions. The Art of the Rehearsal is one of these. This exhibition is a three-channel

immersive video installation that depicts Singaporean dancers across various cultures

practicing along the back lanes of cultural districts in the city. The main purpose of this

video installation is to present the process of the dance rather than the final outcome.

Using this way to present history makes the content more vivid and easier to attract CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 43

audiences.

Figure 19. The Art of Rehearsal One of the most attractive designs for the museum is the designer’s use of history

for inspiration. The Singapore History Gallery uses their history timeline to create the

exhibits. The gallery starts with Singapura (1299-1818), then (1819-

1941), then Syonan-To (1942-1945), and finally Singapore (1945- present). The different

sections use the most significant characteristics for inspiration. Also, designers made lots

of activities based on the history for visitors to interact with. This design can not only

provide an opportunity for visitors to learn the history, but also makes younger visitors

enjoy the learning process.

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 44

Figure 20. The Singapore History Gallery The main thing that I am not satisfied with this museum is the restaurant. This

museum attracts thousands of children and their parents annually. However, the

restaurant is not well-designed for visitors. The main restaurant’s focus is fine dining;

both the interior design and the finitudes are extremely classic and elegant. Also, the only

relation between the café and the museum is the food, which uses stories from the

galleries for inspiration. Lacking attractions for children will cause them to lose interest.

Figure 21. Main Restaurant

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 45

Chapter 4: Design

4.1 Introduction

This cultural center is mainly focused on children who are under the age of 16.

Therefore, students in middle and elementary schools are the main target audience of my

project. is the selected location of this center. It includes shopping malls,

the Guangzhou International Finance Center, and the Chow Tai Fook Finance Center.

There are also has many office buildings in this area. Most importantly, this district is the

most significant place for visitors to enjoy cultural activities because of the presence of

the , Guangzhou Opera, and Guangdong Province Museum. Also,

three subway stations are located in this area, and more than 330,000 tourists visit the

area daily. Therefore, Tianhe is the most appropriate location for the cultural center.

Figure 22. Map of Zhujiang New Town

4.2 Design Concept

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 46

Guangzhou is one of the most important port cities in China because it is close to

the ocean, and the is located in the middle of Guangzhou. Therefore, from the

Feng Shui perspective, Guangzhou belongs to the water element. The fish, the most

significant animal that lives in the water, has become the main inspiration for my project.

Ying Yang is my second inspiration, as it is another popular icon in Chinese Feng Shui.

Additionally, Ying Yang represents the balance of the world and the idea that everything

can be mixed together. Hence, I have combined the fish element with Ying Yang to

generate the double fish layout. Zhujiang New Town is extremely close to the Pearl

River, so from the Feng Shui perspective, Zhujiang New Town is like a pond. Thus, from

this perspective, when the double fish layout starts to rotate, it will generate a vortex that

could absorb the wealth and people in this district. I also plan to open an entrance on both

the south and north sides of this building. This design will allow air to flow through the

building, which will enhance the power of the vortex and allow it to absorb more people

and wealth.

Figure23. Tai Ji and Koi Fish

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 47

Figure 24. Top View of Cantonese Cultural Center

4.3 Floor Plan

The features of a well-structured path should correspond to concepts that relate to

the content of the space. The beginning and end of the path form an introduction and a

conclusion, and progress is marked by moving from one concept or message to the next.

Using the single path design is a good way to represent this idea. Each exhibition has

only one entrance and exit, which means visitors will not lose their way in the building.

The first floor of the building will include the Introduction Room, Cantonese History

Exhibit, Xiguan Mansion Exhibit, Auditorium, Café, and gift shop. The second floor will

include the Transportation Exhibit, Food Exhibit, Food Court, and Clothing Exhibit.

Because of the one line design, visitors can come in the building and exit the building

from the same door. This design can decrease the possibility of losing children, who are

the main target audience of this project. CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 48

Figure 25. 1st floor

Figure 26. 2nd floor

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 49

Figure 27. Section

Figure 28. Elevation

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 50

Cantonese cultural center Perspective

Figure 29. Night View

Figure 30. Day View

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 51

Introduction Room

The first part of this cultural center is the Introduction Theater. It will provide

overall center information and introduce Cantonese history. The theater will present a 3D

movie in order to stimulate visitors’ interests. Once they are fully visualized and engaged

with the content, they are ready to enjoy the rest of the museum.

Figure 31. Introduction Room

Cantonese History Exhibit

The Cantonese History Exhibit will mainly focus on Cantonese history. The

exhibition will show the infrastructural progression of the Canton area since the Qing

dynasty until now. At the very beginning, the exhibition would use a massive curve wall

monitor to visualize the city view of Guangzhou. The most popular architecture model of

each Cantonese city will be displayed in the second area. The use of granite, red wood,

marble, and light wood for the main materials in this exhibition will not only create an CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 52

elegant and dark atmosphere in the area, but also magnify the fact that they are the most

significant material in Cantonese history.

Figure 32. Cantonese History Exhibit 1

Figure 33. Cantonese History Exhibit 2

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 53

Xiguan Mansion Exhibit

The Xiguan mansions are almost extinct in Guangzhou, and this is why I want to

install the original Xiguan mansion design into this cultural center. The goal of this idea

is to convince the new generation the importance of this magnificence design. The

complexity of the architecture itself could stand alone competing with the world’s other

styles. Xiguan Mansion uses a symmetric design for the interior layout. All of the living

rooms are arranged along a middle line. People count each living room as one Jin. Each

Jin equals around seven meters. The areas include the porch, lobby, tea room, main living

room, dining room, bed room for grandparents, dining room, and a small bedroom.

Figure 34. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 54

Figure 35. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit 2

Figure 36. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit 3

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 55

The word “Kung Fu” is directly translated from the Cantonese. , Jackie

Chan, and Donnie Yan are some of the world most famous Kung Fu movie

stars. However, only a few people know that Kung Fu is originally from .

Therefore, I designed this Kung Fu section in order to deliver more background

information to visitors. I also designed a Kung Fu video game and the holography on

each wall, because these activities attracts children easily and they will be able to learn

better from interactions.

Figure 37. Xiguan Mansion Exhibit 4

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 56

Transportation Exhibit

Rickshaw was one of the most popular transportation methods during the Qing

dynasty. Drivers normally would park under shop houses and wait for clients. The shop

house contains stores on the bottom level and apartments above. Therefore, the shop

house has become the main inspiration for my transportation exhibition design. I chose a

Nanyang style shop house that comes from for my inspiration, because the

colorful design makes the atmosphere come alive.

Figure 38. Transportation Exhibit 2

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 57

Food Exhibition

Dim Sum and Cantonese style barbecue is the most popular food in Canton area.

Therefore, I use Dim Sums with bamboo baskets to make a Dim Sum wall and build a

Cantonese barbecue shop in the food exhibition. I chose the fragmented stone as the main

material for the floor; this inspiration came from the luxurious restaurants in Guangzhou.

Figure 39. Cantonese Food Exhibit 2

Food Court

The lanterns and bird cage lamp design are inspired from the Shunde Lantern

festival. Also, the bird cage is a tradition of the last generation which elderly people CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 58

usually own pet birds and they carry the cages to public as a way of interaction. The

fragmented stone floor is picked from the luxurious . The reason

why I chose to design a food court instead of a restaurant is because the target audience

of this cultural center is teenagers and children. Building a food court can provide more

options to the kids. When children come together and enjoy their meals in the same room

with various colorful designs and food choices, they are more likely to have better

appetite. The parents will have less pressure to make them have fun, they are able to find

attractions initially.

Figure 40. Food Court

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 59

Clothing Exhibit

The clothing exhibition is separated into four parts. The first part introduces the

different kinds of fabrics used during the late Qing dynasty. The second part presents the

traditional Cantonese clothing from the daily dressing level to the well-decorated level in

order to make visitors have a better understanding about the various types of clothing.

The third part shows the fancy costumes of Cantonese opera, which is one of the most

critical elements of Cantonese culture. The last part is a holography installation which

will easily attract children’s attention.

Figure 41. Clothing Exhibit 2

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 60

Chapter 5: MFA Exhibition

This installation is inspired by dim sum, a big part of part of Cantonese people’s

lives. Every morning, people would get up early and before you realize the time they are

already in line for dim sums. Dim sum is usually served in bamboo baskets which is great

to steam food and preserve the temperature. The poster in these baskets present a

Cantonese cultural center designed to convey our traditional Cantonese culture to the next

generation.

Figure 43. MFA Installation

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 61

Figure 44. MFA Installation Poster

Figure 45. MFA Installation Bamboo Baskets

CANTONESE CULTURAL CENTER 62

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