Building the Invisible Bridging the Gap Between Past and Future in Chinese Architecture A thesis submitted to: The Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati ,QSDUWLDOIXO¿OOPHQWRIWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVIRUWKHGHJUHHRI Masters of Architecture In the School of Architecture and Interior Design of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 2012 By: Diane Guo Bachelor of Science in Architecture, June 2010 University of Cincinnati Committee Chairs: Aarati Kanekar, Michael McInturf, Ming Tang, Jeff Tilman Building the Invisible Bridging the Gap Between Past and Future in Chinese Architecture Abstract China is a country with a booming economy that has paved a path to tremendous development and growth. The urgency to build at an accelerated pace due to the country’s political and economic transformation, along with its XQSUHFHGHQWHGSRSXODWLRQJURZWKKDVEHHQUHÀHFWHGLQLWVDUFKLWHFWXUH)ROORZLQJ Mao’s Cultural Revolution in the 1970s, the motto became “revolution, not evolution”. Traditions, culture, and anything considered old were viewed as taboo and were suppressed and disregarded. Only the new could represent China’s new face. Under new leadership, China aims to rebuild its cities, there has been a strong pull to attract international star architects to develop cutting-edge work. This thesis seeks to question if there is an “in between” that merges the past and future. It aims to discover new architecture potential in old Chinese architecture principles with contemporary architecture strategies to create a new architectural identity in China. The focus is in Houhai, a historic hutong neighborhood in Beijing that sits within the Second Ring Road. The site consists of restaurants, bars, and lounges with waterfront views that promote vibrant night life; with adjacent residential neighborhoods consisting of old traditional Chinese courtyard houses. The site has gone through transformation to adapt to the changes of the city. Thus, the methodology of introducing new construction with emphasis on traditional Chinese architecture principles is the appropriate approach to preserve the culture of the site. Traditional principles will be revisited and applied to a new setting, which in turn will aim towards culturally sustainable architecture. ii iii Table of Contents Abstract ii Table of Contents iv List of Illustrations vi Introduction 2 Thesis Argument 4 Part 1. History of Architectural Development in China 1729-Present 4 First Encounter 5 The “Big Roof” 6 China Cultural Revolution (1966) and the Plan for a New Capital City 7 Plan for Tiananmen Square and Mao’s Philosophy on Reconstructing Beijing 8 The Ten Great Buildings Project 12 What’s left of the Imperial City and Traditional Courtyards: ‘Old Beijing’ vs. ‘New Beijing’ 16 Ju’er Hutong Project: attempt of preservation 18 Part 2. Traditional Chinese Architecture Principles 20 The Concept of yin, yang, and feng shui 20 Architecture Characteristics of Ancient Chinese Structures 22 Forbidden City, Imperial City of Old Beijing and its Neighborhoods 24 The Courtyard House: si heyuan 26 Traditionally “Chinese” and Traditionally “Western” 32 Part 3. Chinese Tea Culture and Its Role in Contemporary Society 36 Culture of Tea 37 The Art of Tea: Tea Ceremony 39 Teahouse: A Place for Social Gathering 41 Part 4. Precedents: Traditional + Contemporary 46 Fragrance Hill Hotel 46 The Bridge School 48 Nezu Museum 50 Grand Louvre 50 Design Application 52 Part 5. Design Application: Exploration of contemporary design language with sense of 52 “Chinese-ness” in dense cultural setting of Houhai. Methodology 52 Cultural Context 54 Site Analysis 60 Programming 78 Design Outcome 92 Bibliography 104 iv List of Illustrations Fig. i - iii. Photograph by author. Fig. 12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mausoleo_ de_Mao_Zedong-Tianang_Mei-Pekin-China8438. Fig. 1 Zhu, Jianfei. Architecture of Modern China: JPG a Historical Critique. London: Routledge, 2009. 29. Print. Fig. 13 Photograph by author. Fig. 2 Photograph by author. Fig. 13a Photograph by author. Fig. 3 “Friendship Hotel Beijing.” China Travel Fig. 13b Photograph by author. Expert. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www. chinatravelkey.com/beijing/4-hotel/friendshiphotel. Fig. 14 Greco, Claudio, and Carlo Santoro. Beijing: htm>. the New City. Milano: Skira, 2008 Print. Fig. 4 : Zhu, Jianfei. Architecture of Modern China: Fig. 15 Wu, Liang-yung. Rehabilitating the Old a Historical Critique. London: Routledge, 2009. 114. City of Beijing: a Project in the Ju’er Hutong Print. Neighbourhood. Vancouver: UBC, 1999. Print. Fig. 5 Wu, Liang-yung. Rehabilitating the Old Fig. 16 Diagram by author. City of Beijing: a Project in the Ju’er Hutong Neighbourhood. Vancouver: UBC, 1999. 22. Print. Fig. 17 Wu, Liang-yung. 81.Print. Diagram by author. Fig. 6 Wu, Liang-yung. 27. Print. Fig. 18 Lip, Evelyn. “Architectural Development.” Fig. 7 “Yin-Yang Symbol.” About.com Taoism. Feng Shui Environments of Power : a Study of Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://taoism.about.com/od/ Chinese Architecture. London: Academy Editions, visualsymbols/ig/Taoist-Symbols/Yin-Yang-Symbol.- 1996. 31. Print. -jj.htm>. Fig. 19 Wu, Liang-yung. Print. Diagram by author. Fig. 8 Wu, Hung. 92. Print. Fig. 19a Wu, Liang-yung. Print. Diagram by author. Fig. 9 Wu, Hung. 39. Print. Fig. 20 Wu, Liang-yung. 75. Print. Fig. 10 “Museum of Chinese History.” , Beijing Attractions. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.beijing- Fig. 21 Knapp, Ronald G. Chinese Houses: the travel.cn/Beijing_Attractions/Museum_Chinese_ Architectural Heritage of a Nation. Singapore: History.htm>. Tuttle, 2005. 268. Print. Fig. 11 “Beijing Airport Transport.” Beijing Fig. 22 Diagram by author. Transportation,Beijing Railways, Beijing Railway Station, Beijing Travel Tips, Beijing Transport Expert. Fig. 23 Greco, Claudio, and Carlo Santoro. Beijing: Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.beijing-airport- the New City. Milano: Skira, 2008. 25. Print. transportation.com/Beijing-railway-transport.html>. v vi Fig. 24 Blaser, Werner, and Johannes Malms. Fig. 39a Diagram by author. Fig. 54 Photograph by author and Google Maps. West Meets East - Mies Van Der Rohe. Basel: Birkhäuser, 1996. Print. Fig. 40 Jodidio, Philip, and Janet Adams Strong. Fig. 55 Photograph by author. “The Louvre.” I.M. Pei: Complete Works. New York: Fig. 25 Diagram by author. Rizzoli, 2008. Print. Fig. 56 Diagram by author. Fig. 26 Wang, Ling. Tea and Chinese Culture. San Fig. 41 “Kengo Kuma and Associates” Nezu Fig. 57 Google Maps. Francisco: Long River, 2005. 60. Print. Museum. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://kkaa.co.jp/ works/nezu-museum/>. Fig. 27 Wang, Ling. 43. Print Fig. 58 Diagram by author. Fig. 42 Jodidio, Philip, and Janet Adams Strong. Fig. 28 Wang, Ling. 58. Print “The Louvre.” I.M. Pei: Complete Works. New York: Fig. 59 Photograph by author. Rizzoli, 2008. 223. Print. Fig. 29 Diagram by author. Fig. 60 Photograph by author. Fig. 43 Diagram by author. Fig. 30 Wang, Ling. 53. Print Fig. 61 Tang, Ming, and Dihua Yang. Urban Fig. 44 Knapp, Ronald G. Chinese Houses: the Paleontology: Evolution of Urban Forms. Boca Fig. 31 Wang, Ling. Tea and Chinese Culture. San Architectural Heritage of a Nation. Singapore: Raton, FL: Universal, 2008. 43. Print. Francisco: Long River, 2005. Print. Tuttle, 2005. 27. Print. Fig. 62 Tang, Ming. 83. Print. Fig. 45 Wang, Ling. Tea and Chinese Culture. San Fig. 32 Diagram by author. Francisco: Long River, 2005. 51. Print. Fig. 63 Wu, Liang-yung. Rehabilitating the Old City of Beijing: a Project in the Ju’er Hutong Fig. 33 Wang, Ling.Tea and Chinese Culture. San Fig. 46 Diagram by author. Neighbourhood. Vancouver: UBC, 1999. Print. Francisco: Long River, 2005. 73. Print. Fig. 47 Google Maps Fig. 64 Photograph by author. Fig. 34 Wang, Ling. 83. Print. Fig. 48 Diagram by author. Fig. 65 Google Map and Diagram by author. Fig. 35 Wang, Ling. 85. Print. Fig. 49 Diagram by author. Fig. 66 Diagram by author. Fig. 36 Diagram by author. Fig. 50 Diagram by author. Fig. 67 Wu, Liang-yung. Rehabilitating the Old Fig. 37 Jodidio, Philip, and Janet Adams Strong. City of Beijing: a Project in the Ju’er Hutong “Fragrant Hill Hotel.” I.M. Pei: Complete Works. Neighbourhood. Vancouver: UBC, 1999. 81. Print. New York: Rizzoli, 2008. Print. Fig. 51 Wu, Hung. Remaking Beijing. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2005. 137. Print. Fig. 68 Diagram by author. Fig. 38 Saieh , Nico . “School Bridge / Xiaodong Li” 05 Jan 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 13 Dec 2011. Fig. 52 Wu, Liang-yung. Rehabilitating the Old <http://www.archdaily.com/45409> City of Beijing: a Project in the Ju’er Hutong * All illustrations in Design Outcome are Neighbourhood. Vancouver: UBC, 1999. Print. And produced by author. diagram by author. Fig. 39 “Kengo Kuma and Associates” Nezu Museum. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://kkaa.co.jp/ works/nezu-museum/>. Fig. 53 Photograph by author and Google Maps. vii viii Introduction In recent years, China has been gaining tremendous international recognition for development opportunities in many professions. The entire country has been on display, especially in architecture. However, one of the issues with most buildings erected in China today is their heavy focus on imagery rather than on meaning. This could be caused by China’s dependency to look toward the West for innovative DQGHI¿FLHQWDUFKLWHFWXUDOLGHDVDQGGHVLJQVZKLOHFRQWLQXRXVO\RYHUORRNLQJLWVRZQ culture and traditions. After the Cultural Revolution, in the 1970s, heavy architectural LQÀXHQFHVIURPWKH6RYLHW8QLRQSXWDQHPSKDVLVRQUHYROXWLRQRYHUHYROXWLRQ$V a result, almost everything that was considered old and