What are the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign architecture?

Similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign architectural cultures

1. Differences in cultural concepts Differences in cultural concepts are the primary cause of the formation of architectural culture. As we all know, architecture is built for people, which determines the humanistic nature of architecture. When studying Chinese and foreign architectural culture, we should first start from the material reality, conceptual form, and cultural admiration, and see whether the architecture worships people, humans, or gods; secondly, look at The lifestyle and aesthetic taste reflected by the architecture; finally, look at the craftsmanship, tradition and revolutionary spirit of the architecture. Due to the close connection between architecture and human life, its huge power of artistic expression and its profound isomorphic correspondence with human culture, it embodies human cultural ideas. In short, ancient Chinese architecture has always been centered on the temporal monarchy and is permeated with Chinese ethical concepts; while ancient Western architecture is religious and theocratic. The charm of traditional Chinese aesthetics lies in attaching importance to real life, paying attention to the order of human ethics, downplaying religious beliefs, and always instilling the secular spirit of rebirth and understanding of propriety, which embodies the traditional Confucian emphasis on human collective life consciousness. Therefore, ancient Chinese capitals particularly emphasized the order of etiquette, and reflected the basic Confucian ideas of etiquette between superiors and subordinates and between men and women in residential layouts, thus forming an architectural space model for interpersonal relationships. From the perspective of architectural culture, ancient Chinese architecture not only embodies the tendency to value real life and have practical rationality, but also incorporates the Chinese outlook on life and the universe. China's economic model based on primitive agriculture has created a primitive civilization that emphasizes selection, collection, and storage. The traditional Chinese philosophy derived from this promotes the cosmology of "the unity of nature and man". "Unity of man and nature" is a revelation of the relationship between man and nature. Nature and man are closely connected as a whole, and man is a link in nature. The Chinese people choose wood as a basic building material because they value its close relationship with life. and relationships, paying attention to the results of its traits and life relationships. If Confucian philosophy is the general theory that governs Chinese feudal society, in contrast, Christian theology is the general theory of European feudal society and its all-encompassing program. The church has become the center of society, which has led to Western civilization's worship of gods and reverence for religion, and has profoundly affected their architectural art, highlighting the architectural identity, diverse styles, and artistic shapes that point directly to the sky. feature. Therefore, European classical architecture has the aesthetic characteristics of individual "sublimity". Culturally, it can be seen as a manifestation of individuality and advocating individual image. The primitive economy in the West based on hunting has created a primitive mentality of heavy objects. From the Westerners' affirmation of stone, we can see that Westerners' rational spirit of seeking knowledge and truth emphasizes that man is the master of the world in the relationship between man and nature, and that man's strength and wisdom can defeat everything. To sum up, Chinese architecture places more emphasis on spirit and artistic conception in terms of temperament; Western architecture places more emphasis on materiality and appearance. The former is the unity of the group, internal and implicit; the latter is the prominence of the individual, external and exposed. Just as Mr. Liang Sicheng said: Generally speaking, a European building, like a European painting, can be seen at a glance; any building in China is like a Chinese hand-scroll painting, which must be painted step by step. Unfolding the past, it is impossible to see it all at once. When entering a Chinese house, you can only go from one garden to another. You must walk through them all before you can see them all. "The difference in architectural form between China and the West is a manifestation of cultural differences. It reflects the difference in material and natural environment, the difference in social structure, the difference in people's thinking methods and the difference in aesthetic realm

2. The difference in building materials reflects the differences in material culture and philosophical concepts between China and the West. From the perspective of building materials, before the emergence of modern architecture, all the mature building systems in the world included Indian architecture, which is an oriental architecture. , basically, they are all built with masonry as the main building material and belong to the masonry structure system, such as the pyramids of Egypt, the temples of ancient Greece, the Colosseum and aqueducts of ancient Rome, and the churches of medieval Europe? None. Either is built with stone, and both are historical witnesses left in this "History of Stone". Only classical architecture in my country (including neighboring Japan, Korea and other regions) uses wood as the main structure of the house, and it belongs to the category of wood. The structural system is therefore known as the "history book of wood". The choice of materials in Chinese and Western architecture is not only due to different natural factors, but more importantly, it is the result of different cultures and different concepts, which is the result of different minds in architecture. Generally reflected. The primitive economy in the West based on hunting has created a primitive mentality of heavy objects.

From the Westerners' affirmation of stone, we can see that Westerners' rational spirit of seeking knowledge and truth emphasizes that man is the master of the world in the relationship between man and nature, and that man's strength and wisdom can defeat everything. China's economic model based on primitive agriculture has created a primitive civilization that emphasizes selection, collection, and storage. The traditional Chinese philosophy derived from this promotes the cosmology of "the unity of nature and man". "Unity of man and nature" is a revelation of the relationship between man and nature. Nature and man are closely connected as a whole, and man is a link in nature. The Chinese people choose wood as a basic building material because they value its close relationship with life. and relationships, paying attention to the results of its traits and life relationships.

3. The layout of the architectural space is different, reflecting the differences in institutional culture and personality characteristics between China and the West. From the perspective of the spatial layout of the building, Chinese architecture is a closed group spatial pattern, spread out on the ground plane. No matter what kind of buildings in China, from residences to palaces, they almost all have the same pattern, similar to the "siheyuan" model. The beauty of Chinese architecture is also a "collective" beauty. For example, the palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing, the Ming Tombs, and the Confucius Temple in Qufu are large-scale building complexes with multiple courtyards. Various buildings are arranged in a regular manner with subjects and guests in front, back, left, and right, reflecting the social structure of ancient China. The introversion characteristics of the form, patriarchal thoughts and etiquette system. Contrary to China, Western architecture is an open, single spatial pattern that develops to high altitudes. Comparing the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Louvre in Paris, which were built and expanded in similar years, the former is a magnificent and majestic building group composed of thousands of individual houses, forming a series of courtyards around the axis, with an unusually large plane; the latter It adopts the upward expansion and vertical superposition of "volume" to form a majestic and majestic whole from a huge and changeable shape. Moreover, since the city-states of ancient Greece and Rome, colonnades, doors and windows have been widely used to increase information exchange and transparency, and to surround the building with external space to highlight the physical image of the building. This is related to the fact that Westerners have often communicated with each other through maritime exchanges and implemented slave democracy within society. The extroverted character and scientific and democratic spirit of ancient Greece not only influenced ancient Rome, but also the entire Western world. At the same time, if Chinese buildings occupy the ground, then Western buildings occupy the space. For example, the Colosseum in Rome is 48 meters high, the "Pantheon" is 43.5 meters high, and the medieval Hagia Sophia has a central The dome of the hall is 60 meters above the ground. The most brilliant work of Renaissance architecture, St. Peter's Basilica, is 137 meters high. This majestic and majestic building not only reflects Westerners' enthusiasm for worshiping gods, but also makes use of advanced scientific and technological achievements to give people a spiritual power to work hard. 4. The different development of architecture reflects the difference in attitudes towards innovation between China and the West. From the perspective of architectural development process, Chinese architecture is conservative. According to literature, the architectural forms and materials used in China have remained unchanged for 3,000 years. Unlike China, Western architecture often changes, and its structures and materials evolve more rapidly. It has been more than 2,500 years since the first temples appeared on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. During this period, the architectural forms throughout ancient Europe have continued to evolve and change. From the classical column style of ancient Greece to the arch and dome roof technology of ancient Rome, from the pointed arch, cross arch and flying buttress technology of Gothic architecture to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome during the European Renaissance, no matter in terms of image, proportion, decoration and space layout have undergone great changes. This reflects the spirit of Westerners who dare to find new ways and be innovative. 5. The difference in architectural value reflects the differences in aesthetic concepts between China and the West. From the perspective of architectural value, Chinese architecture focuses on information, while Western architecture focuses on physical objects. The structure of ancient Chinese architecture does not rely on calculations, quantitative analysis, or formal logic. Instead, it relies on master-apprentice methods, teaching by word of mouth, practice, and experience. Our understanding of ancient architecture, especially those before the Tang Dynasty, mostly comes from literature. The imperial mausoleums and residences of the past dynasties were all operated according to the theory of Feng Shui and the principle of the mutual generation and restraint of the five elements. In order to seek harmony with the heaven, earth and all things in nature, to seek good fortune and avoid evil, and to attract wealth and blessings, we borrowed the power of mountains and rivers to build settlements close to mountains and facing plains. This kind of "looking up at the astronomy and looking down at the geography" is a unique culture in China. China places greater emphasis on curves and implicit beauty, that is, "fables and fakes, not straightforwardness." For example, the garden's layout, conception, scene selection, etc. all emphasize the combination of reality and reality, and the complementarity of culture and quality.

Each step leads to a scene, with winding paths leading to secluded areas. The waterways are natural waterfalls, streams and lakes. Some are pursuing natural feelings, some are in love with pastoral mountains and rivers, or some are expressing their feelings through twists and turns. We work hard at "borrowing scenery" to achieve subtlety, mystery, and full gestures; we use "curves" skillfully to make nature, environment, and gardens coordinate with each other in personality and wholeness, and complement each other like the sky. The technique of "skill lies in the borrowing of causes, and the essence lies in the appropriateness of body" is similar to the "Bixing" or "Yinxiu" of classical Chinese poetry, which emphasizes the emotion and meaning behind the words. It seems careless and smooth, but in fact it is unique, meticulous, comprehensive and profound. Traditional Chinese architecture uses brackets to hold up the overlapping curved wood on the eaves. The brackets can not only "reduce the shear force at the intersection of columns and beams", but also have a decorative effect. It expands the vertical force to the horizontal direction, thereby constructing a variety of cornices, and its different forms create different artistic effects, either light, simple, or majestic. Not only do pavilions, platforms, buildings, and pavilions have to use cornices to mark their identity and express their emotions, but the height and length of cornices often become difficult and important points in architectural design. As the saying goes, "If it is increased by one point, it is too long, and if it is reduced by one point, it is too short." The design of the cornice must be just right so that it can appear light but not frivolous, simple but not mechanical, and majestic but not rigid. Use lifts and lifts to form the slope or curve of the roof. The roof that rises like a wing is the pride of our national culture, and in terms of the use of color, Chinese architecture is the boldest among all architectural systems in the world." Not only does vermilion be used in large buildings, but also a large number of paintings are used to decorate the wood. In addition, the decorative components of Chinese architecture, ranging from structural components, ridges, and tiles to doors, windows, door knockers, and angular leaves, all have strong decorative shapes or patterns. In the West, they are straight and exposed. , grand scale and majestic momentum are beautiful, such as open and flat lawns, huge open-air sports fields, majestic high-rise buildings, etc., all of which emphasize the analysis of axes and geometric figures. Straight, open, exposed, etc. are undoubtedly The important features of it are different from the symbolic, suggestive and implicit aesthetic concepts of Chinese architecture, such as the geometric aesthetics and mathematical logic pioneered by Pythagoras and Euclid of ancient Greece, and Aristotle. The rationalist "harmony theory" of "integrity" and "order" founded by Dodd has had a decisive influence on the entire structure of Western civilization. The paths of all sciences and arts have been determined by this concept. . Looking at the history of Western architecture, it is not difficult to find that the structural awareness of Western architectural beauty is actually geometric shapes; the "control lines" of the shape of the Partilon Temple in Athens are two squares;

From the Roman From the dome of the temple to the ground, it can fit into a sphere with a diameter of 43.3 meters; the "control line" of Milan Cathedral is an equilateral triangle, and the facade of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is a square, with its central arch and "control line" They are two complete circles. Even natural objects such as landscaping, flowers and trees, which are artificially trimmed and deliberately carved, present neat and orderly geometric patterns. They transcend nature and control the "artificial beauty" of nature. ”, which is in sharp contrast to the natural mood of Chinese gardens, which is “made by man, but appears to be open from heaven.” As early as 2,000 years ago, Vitruvius, the architectural theorist of the Augustan period in ancient Rome, wrote in his famous “ "Ten Books on Architecture" proposed the classic view of three elements of architecture: "practicability, solidity, and beauty", which was regarded as a guideline by later generations and passed down from generation to generation. In the early 17th century, architect Henry Wooden proposed that excellent buildings must meet three conditions. ; “Sturdy, practical and joyful. "Westerners regard "sturdiness" and "practicality" as the first and second principles for evaluating excellent buildings. Therefore, when ancient Chinese buildings are destroyed or "disappeared" over time, Western ancient Greek, The architecture of ancient Rome and ancient Egypt are still well preserved, using physical objects to interpret their own culture. Through the comparison of Chinese and Western architecture, we can see the differences in conceptual culture, institutional culture, and material culture between China and the West.

To sum up all the above discussions, the differences in architectural culture between China and foreign countries are not formed overnight. However, with the development of social economy and the deepening of world integration, the differences between China and foreign countries are slowly narrowing, and the cultural integration between countries is gradually It is not uncommon in daily life. For example, cultural exchanges between countries such as Chinese cultural tours in France are also increasing day by day. The diversified development of architectural culture has become a topic that modern architectural scholars are studying deeply. Regarding the integration and integration of architectural culture, In order to reorganize and innovate, we should strengthen the study of architectural creation, actively draw on and learn from excellent Western architectural design concepts, and form an aesthetic trend that truly belongs to our Chinese cultural style and architecture!