Chinese Architecture PDF

INTRODUCTION OF CHINESE ARCHITECTURE

Beginning of china civilization

-develop in bohai & hongzhou bays -climate was more warmer & more humid -two of the more important cultures where hongshan culture & yangshao culture -the developing culture was the longshan culture

NIUHELIANG RITUAL CENTER -hONGSHAN CULTURE -SCATTERED OVER A LARGE AREA -HAD A SINGLE COMMON RITUAL CENTER -CONSISTS OF 14 BURIAL MOUNDSAND ALTARS -SIZE IS MUCH LARGER THAN 1 CLAN OR VILLAGES

-SCARED PLACE -40-60M LOAM PLATFORM FOR A GODDESS TEMPLE -FOOTINGS CONTAINS GEOMETRIC DESIGNS MADE WITH CLAY -PAINTED WITH RED, YELLOW AND WHITE -NORTHEN END SINGLE DETACHED ROOM -EXCAVATIONS HAVE UNCOVERED CLAY BODY PARTS -8 INTERCONNECTED SUBTERRANEAN CHAMBERS

-ASYMETRICAL LOBED SHAPE -25 METER SOUTH – NORTH -2-9 METER WIDE -CENTER CONTAINS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP BURIAL CAIRNS, PLATFORMS& RITUAL TEMPLE -BANPO A LARGE ORGANIZED STTELEMENTS -BELONGS TO YANGSHAO CULTURE -CIRCULAR MUD -WOOD STRUCTURES -OVERHANGING THATCHED ROOFS

-DEAD BURRIED -BACK OF NEARBY CAVES OR COMMUNAL BURIAL AREA -CENTER OF TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER -BUILT BY HEAVY TIMBER CONSTRUCTION TYPE -IT IS TRADITIONAL TO CHINESE ARCHITECTURE

Religion -hongshan and yangshao were shamanistic -shama is between the natural and spiritual world -dragons and tigers -central to Chinese confusion symbolism -considered prospectors -life & death

-Liangzhu culture -emphasized secular authority -the king over the priest -agriculture highly organized -hang-t’u platforms also known as rammed earth platforms -common feature of Chinese architecture -liangzhu culture ritual altar at yaoshan -12 graves belong to a priest -jade & devotional objects -common for Chinese cultures

THE GREAT WALL -15TH-16TH CENTURIES -CHINA BRONZE AGE CULTURE

CHINESE BEAM FRAME -PINE OR CEDAR COLUMNS -RESTED ON STONE BASES -ROOF PURLINS

The Great Wall of China

The great wall • Chinese name: Chángchéng / 'Long Wall') • Location: Northern China • Length: 21,196.18 km (13,170.7 mi) • History: more than 2,300 years • 6 to 9 m high, with 1.5 m high parapets • Base is 7.6 m thick, 4.5 m thick at top • Paved road wide enough for 5 horses to run abreast • 25,000 towers, 12 m high and 700 ft apart (2 bow shots apart

Who & when

The great wall map

Why • To prevent invasion • To protect Silk Road Trade

how

• Workers: soldiers, peasants, rebels • Materials: stone, soil, sand, brick • Material delivery: by hand, rope, cart, goat

Beacon tower

Great wall laborers’ laments

“Every brick, every stone, and every inch of mud, are filled with Chinese people’s bones and sweat and blood”

Main characteristics of Chinese architecture 1.Good anti-seismic function – Chinese wooden bldgs.& have no deep foundations for columns so that it could stand during earthquakes. 2.A high degree of standardization – The dimensions of structural

components are based on standard modules.

3. Bright Colours – colours play vital role 4.

a. Red for palaces or temples , walls, pillars, doors & window frames b. Yellow for roof c. Blue & Green are cool colours applied under the eaves

The systematic grouping of bldgs. - palaces and villas were grouped Only Forbidden City (1406) during the Ming & Qing dynasties is preserved & remained intact.

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE: 1. Confucianism - founded by King Confucious 2. Taoism – founded by Lao Tzu or Lao Tze 3. Buddhism – founded by Siddharta Gautama 4. Islam – inspired by Mohammed of the moslems 5. Christianity – inspired by Christ FAMOUS BLDG. STRUCTURES :

GREAT WALLS OF CHINA by: SHI – HUANG – TI GREAT ROYAL PALACE by: SHI – HUANG – TI IMPERIAL PALACE “ forbidden city ” TEMPLE OF THE SLEEPING BUDDHA TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

Emperor Fuhi – builder of temples & planner of cities , “ re-introduced use of “ Hieroglyphics ” SHRINES - were used for making sacrifices to ancestors and famous historical personages , as well as to gods .

CHINESE GATEWAY (Pai-lou)

A Paifang, also known as a pailou, is a traditional style of Chinese architectural arch or gateway structure that is related to the Indian Torana.

STYLE Paifangs come in a number of forms. One form involves placing wooden pillars onto stone bases, which are bound together with wooden beams. This type of paifang is always beautifully decorated, with the pillars usually painted in red, the beams decorated with intricate designs and Chinese calligraphy, and the roof covered with coloured tiles, complete with mythical beasts—just like a Chinese palace. Another form of paifang is in the form of true archways made of stone or bricks; the walls may be painted, or decorated with coloured tiles; the top of the archways are decorated like their wooden counterparts.

CHINESE PAGODA

CHINESE PAGODA

A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves, built in traditions originating in historic South Asia and further developed in East Asia

The origin of the pagoda can be traced to the stupa (3rd century BCE). The stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used as a commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics.

STUPA- is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (śarīra typically the remains ofBuddhist monks or nuns), and used as a place meditation.

CHINESE PAGODA

1. Octagonal in plan 2. Odd number of stories, 9 or 13 3. Roofs projecting from each of its many floors, turned up eaves 4. Slopes inwards to the top

Roof Sculptures Pantiles

 Colors play vital role

a. Red - for palaces or temples , walls, pillars, doors & window frames b. Yellow - for roof c. Blue & Green are cool colours applied under the eaves

Compound Brackets “Tou-kong ” instead of a capital

Separated roofs with glazed yellow tiles and golden “baoding” on top of each pinnacles.

GRIFFINS SCULPTURES

 Colors play vital role

a. Red - for palaces or temples , walls, pillars, doors & window frames b. Yellow - for roof c. Blue & Green are cool colours applied under the eaves

Compound Brackets “Tou-kung ” instead of a capital

Pagodas are classified into 6 types

1. Pagodas with closely layered eaves

2. Storeyed Pagoda 3. Vase-Shaped Pagodas

4. Groups of Pagodas honouring Buddha's warrior attendants

5. Single - Storey Pagodas were built as tombs for monks and nuns 6.Wooden Tower Pagodas were built from the third century onwards

Shijia Pagoda in Foguang Temple

Example of a Pagoda w/c is Buddhist type of temple • The pagoda stands on a 4 m (13 ft) tall Octagonal in plan stone platform, has a 10 m (33 ft) tall steeple, and reaches a total height of Made of wood with 67.31 m (220.83 ft) tall; it is the oldest Spiral stairways existent fully wooden pagoda still arranged along the standing in China. edges of the Pagoda

Songyue Pagoda • being twelve-sided. The tower is 40 m (131 ft) high and built of yellowish brick held together with clay mortar. plain brick pedestal or base, and a very high first story characteristic of pagodas with multiple eaves, with balconies dividing the first story into two layers and doors connecting the two parts. The ornamented arch doors and decorative apses or niches are intricately carved into teapots or lions. At the base of the door pillars are carvings shaped as lotus flowers and the pillar capitals have carved pearls and lotus flowers.

Family Structure -large joint family -Confucian principle parents unmarried children married sons principal and secondary wife children

The Traditional Courtyard House -A walled enclosure -One or more courtyards -Main room or hall facing south -Lesser and lower buildings on east and west side

The Traditional Courtyard House

OUTER COURT

ENTRANCE

GUEST HALL

INNER COURT

MAIN HALL

The Traditional Courtyard House

Confucian ideas On the house and city

-formality -symmetry -straight lines -hierarchy of importance -clarity -conventionality -man-made order

Taoist ideas On the garden

-irregularity -asymmetry -curvilinear -undulating &zigzag forms -mystery -originality -wild nature

Natural elements of the garden

-earth -water -rocks -stone -plants: -sand trees, shrubs, flowers or moss

architectural elements of the garden 1. Walls 2. Gateways or openings 3. Lattice work 4. Balustrades 5. Path and pavings 6. Covered ways 7. Bridges and pavilions

Jade Peak Tower Fo Hsiang Ko Marble boat

Principles and practice

a. Walled enclosure b. Axiality c. North to south orientation d. The courtyard

Beijing, the Chinese capital Four main enclosures -Outer city -Inner city -Imperial city -forbidden city

The Forbidden City

-built by Emperor Zhengtong Palace of Heavenly Purity

-the residence of the son of heaven and conceptual center of the empire

Hall of preserving harmony

Hall of central harmony

-supporting functions

-emperor’s throne room -highest point in the city

Meridian gate

-designated entrance -where high ranking officials wait -venue of triumphant ceremonies -u-shape -5 entrances

Temple of heaven complex

The altar of agriculture -ensures the timely cycle of production Circular mound -ritual platform for the mandate of the emperor -circle represents heaven -square represents earth

Imperial vault of heaven -emperor prostrates himself and kowtowed to the heavens more than fifty times in a ritual

hall of prayer of good harvests -triple set of conical roofs over a round space -elevated on 3 terraces of white marble -sacrifice occurs during winter equinox

Abstinence palace -emperor fasts for 3 days and lives here during sacrificial rites -made with stone vaults

Ming tombs -first tomb built for emperor zhu di -located in the valley of tianshou mountains parts 1. A long spirit path 2. A shrine for ceremonies and sacrifices to the dead

3. Burial mound

Spirit path -an array of statues of mythical beasts,eminent nobles and generals -end of path; three portal gate, center blocked to prevent evil spirits -an array of statues of mythical beasts,eminent nobles and generals -end of path; three portal gate, center blocked to prevent evil spirits

Tomb of emperor wanli -27m underground -3 sacrificial enclosures -4 interconnected barrel-vaulted chambers -vaults made of white marble