How does architecture respond to the city’s central axis?
There are many techniques in urban planning and design, but from the cross axes of towns in ancient Rome to the cities planned and built in ancient China based on the discussion of urban layout in "Zhou Li. Kao Gong Ji", Then to the world-recognized traditional axis of Paris, the urban axis of Washington, etc. in modern urban construction, the use of urban axes in urban planning at home and abroad has been throughout ancient and modern times. And many famous cities are praised by the world for their traditional urban axes. The urban axis is a very important method of organizing urban space. It is used in many urban planning and construction and plays a very important role.
1. Basic Overview of Urban Axis
1. Basic Meaning of Urban Axis
"History of Chinese Architecture" controls the overall situation of ancient Chinese large building groups in plan The axis is called the central axis. The definition of urban axis in the "Encyclopedia of China" is: an important means of organizing urban space. Through the axis, the urban spatial layout can be organized into an orderly whole.
Wang Jianguo believes that urban axis usually refers to a linear spatial element that plays a role in controlling spatial structure in urban spatial layout.
It can be seen that the urban axis is always a linear spatial organization method. Due to its extensive content, the urban axis is generally divided into a broad urban axis and a narrow urban axis. The broad urban axis is related to the urban form and is the "axis" of the urban development direction. It can be a city's main road, but it is not a closed expressway or railway. In addition to having external transportation functions, it has also become the direction of urban expansion, like many cities that develop along the road, such as Paris: it can also be a river, mainly reflected in the riverside , on the surface of coastal cities, such as Guangzhou and Hong Kong: or on the green axis of cities, such as Washington. Observing the historical development and morphological changes of the city, it can be seen that the "axial" development of the city must be in line with the city's growth point.
The urban axis in the narrow sense is the physical axis of urban space. This is the axis of traditional design in history. Whether it is the East or the West, whether it is the ancient cities of Greece and Rome, or the astrological directions of ancient Indian cities, they are inseparable from the "axis". This is brought about by the intentions, etiquette, etc. of human psychology. The “axis” in architecture and urban design is the spatial axis of the architectural “axis”. When the city entered modernization, automobile traffic dominated the city's traffic. The traditional architectural axis has become the "axis" for people to walk and admire buildings, such as city squares and major landscape avenues. Modern urban space often shows the image of "multi-axis composite". We often say that the existence of the main axis, secondary axis, landscape axis, transportation axis, etc. in a city is the multi-axis composite urban spatial form in a city. . As an urban axis in a broad or narrow sense, it is often combined with the physical form of the city. Entities such as the main buildings, streets, squares, and greening in the city are all core elements that constitute the urban axis.
2. The existence forms and main types of urban axes
From the existence form of urban axes, it is generally believed that urban axes include real axes and imaginary axes.
Axes exist objectively, giving people a strong spatial image and forming the texture of the city. Each axis can derive the significance of building a building group or urban development, and is called a real axis. It is formed by echoing the front and back of various buildings and forming left and right symmetry. The real axis of the city has strong functionality. It is an axis built for implementation. The central axis of Beijing, China is a typical real axis.
The other is to obtain the "virtual axis" of the city's composition intention. It exists in the planning and designer's conception of creation. Since planning requires an overview of the overall situation and contains artistic qualities, there is also an axial idea tangibly and intangibly present in the planner's mentality, which is sometimes expressed as a sketch, and progress is expressed as the thoughts of the mentality. It makes the city as a whole complete, stable and balanced, making it logical. This "axis" is very important in architectural design creation, in the combination of building groups, and in the overall urban design. The traditional urban axis of Paris is a typical virtual axis.
The urban axis is divided into overall and local axes because it runs through different urban areas. It is generally called the urban main axis in the past. It runs through most of the city, and its public activities are connected by transportation corridors. Node, the central axis of Beijing runs through the whole city from south to north, which is the main urban axis. The latter often has specific functions. For example, the urban landscape axis and cultural axis often mentioned in urban planning only have specific functions. Of course, apart from big cities such as Beijing and Paris, there are axes in many small and medium-sized cities, and these axes are not only shaped by grand artificial techniques, such as straight roads, regular squares, etc., they may also be shaped by The shapes of natural green spaces, rivers, and water bodies are more meandering, natural, exquisite, and small-scale. These elements can also form the main axes of these cities.
Urban spindle is a more common urban space organization method. It has a strong overall structure and generally has three main modes.
(1) Functional distribution model. The urban axis of Paris extends from east to west, and its functions are continuously expanded to form a series pattern. The Washington Metropolitan Axis is composed of the west axis of the U.S. Capitol and the south axis of the White House. One end of the two axes is the Capitol and the White House, and the other end is the memorial hall of U.S. Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson. The intersection of the axis is the monument to Washington, the first president of the United States. National and government agencies are arranged on both sides of the axis. At the same time, public buildings such as museums and art galleries are arranged in this axial space. These monumental monuments The public building left a deep impression. This all shows that the seriality of the urban axis is relatively prominent.
(2) Traffic organization mode. The Congress-White House axis in Washington has adopted a development model between transportation corridors. The center of the axis is a wide tree-lined belt, with vehicle passages on both sides. The subway lines have stations along the memorial axis, providing convenience for the gathering and dispersing of people. It can be seen that the layout of this axial space adopts a development model between traffic corridors.
(3) Spatial sequence pattern. The central axis of Beijing forms an urban pattern with a very spatial sequence through the spatial treatment of city gates, palaces, symmetrical building groups, mountains, and water bodies. The Washington Congressional Axis and the White House Axis are two sections, running from the Capitol Building to the west and the White House to the south. The intersection of the two axes is the viewing node of the Washington Monument as the axis. On both sides of this axis section are government agencies and public buildings as spatial interfaces. The center is a tree-lined belt. The axis extends from the Washington Memorial, and the axis is strengthened mainly by using the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as opposing views.
3. Components of the urban axis
The components that can be organized along the urban axis are multifaceted, including artificial buildings and structures, such as various buildings, squares, Roads, sculptures, sketches, etc. also include various natural objects such as mountains, rivers, trees, etc. The urban axis is the structural element of urban space. The axis can organize and unify different types of constituent elements, thus forming a rich urban axis form.
4. Historical development and analysis of urban axes
The origin of the development of urban axes is closely related to the high residential level of urban planning, and develops simultaneously with human cultural awareness and aesthetics. The development of ancient urban axes was more influenced by the needs of political governance. The emergence of modern urban axes, in addition to being affected by political aspects, also involves various aspects of economy, society, and the natural environment. Generally speaking, the development of urban axes is a process that advances with the pace of social development, and the content involved is becoming more and more extensive, from the earliest pursuit of straight axis avenues subject to political intervention to the later combination of specific Various urban axes with various geographical environments and characteristics are all a historical development process.
In the planning and design of ancient cities in my country, the axis theory has become more and more obvious with the development of cities. Most urban layouts and building groups have used central axis symmetry and ground-connecting axes to strengthen the city. A sense of order in the overall layout.
Many scholars have confirmed its authenticity through archaeological excavations of cities in the Shang Dynasty. Many subsequent ancient cities, such as Chang'an in the Han Dynasty, Chang'an and Luoyang in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Tokyo and Lin'an in the Song Dynasty, Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty, Beijing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, etc., are all under its traditional influence. With the development of tuxedos, its influence has reached as far as Japan and North Korea.
Urban axis is a means of urban planning, so its emergence is related to the origin and development of urban design. Especially when human science and culture have developed to a certain stage and people think about space from an aesthetic perspective, the urban axis, as a means of expressing spatial sequence, has become an important technique in urban design. On the one hand, it embodies etiquette to meet the needs of political governance; on the other hand, it exists as a landmark to strengthen the city's landscape. Understanding the origin and development of urban axes will help us gain a deeper understanding of the role and significance of their existence, and thus scientifically summarize the urban design techniques of urban axes. The urban axis is closely related to the development process of the city, so it is a historical idea and method of urban space organization and design.
2. Basic overview of Beijing’s urban axis
Overview of the emergence and current situation of Beijing’s urban axis: For thousands of years, a north-south direction of about 7.8 meters has been formed in Beijing, the capital of China. The KM central axis runs through Zhengyangmen, Tiananmen, the Forbidden City, the Drum Tower, the Bell Tower and other large buildings. The main colors of gold and red and the tranquility created by the gray and green of the courtyard form a strong visual contrast, giving people a strong Shocking aesthetic experience. This 7.8km long central axis is the central symbol of the ancient northern capital of Beijing. It is also the longest existing urban central axis in the world. It runs through the center of the city, making Beijing, the ancient capital of China, solemn and solemn, full of etiquette norms and sacred symbols. atmosphere.
Mr. Liang Sicheng once praised Beijing's central axis: "The most outstanding thing about Beijing's layout is its north-south central axis, which is more than 7 kilometers long from south to north, and there are many buildings in its center. The large monumental building runs straight into the city from the Yongding Gate in the south of the outer city, and leads straight through the entire Forbidden City to the Bell and Drum Tower in the north. It can be seen most clearly from the top of Jingshan Mountain. He has such great courage and can grasp such a concept of space so calmly." The unique and magnificent order of Beijing is generated by the establishment of this central axis. The ups and downs, left and right symmetrical shapes or the distribution of space are all based on this central axis.
Beijing’s planning and construction, like the planning and construction of ancient Chinese capitals, is world-famous for its overall layout and the ingenious connection and combination of buildings. One of the important principles of these connection combinations is clarity and symmetry. Its guiding ideology is the yin and yang coordination and symmetrical balance of Feng Shui geography and the traditional Chinese patriarchal system. It is designed based on the traditional Chinese state-run system.
The development prospects of Beijing's axes: The new version of Beijing's master plan particularly emphasizes the future development model of the city of "two axes, two belts and multiple centers". One of the axes is a new redevelopment of Beijing's traditional central axis. The planning and design will extend the central axis from south to north. In order to restore and protect the integrity of Beijing's historical and cultural city, Beijing's future plan proposes the planning goal of reshaping the central axis.
Beijing’s new central axis is about 25 kilometers long and the core area is about 1,000 meters wide. It is the backbone of Beijing and an important part of Beijing’s spatial structure. The current central axis of Beijing is divided into three parts, namely the 7.8-kilometer central axis of the old city from Yongding Gate to Drum Tower, from Yongding Station to the South. In addition to the protection of the traditional central axis, the cultural relics and planning departments have also carried out protection of the traditional central axis. Extending from the south to the north, a protection and development plan for the south and north central axes is proposed. The North Central Axis runs from the North Second Ring Road to the central node of the Olympic Branch Park as the endpoint of the North Central Axis. The area to the north of the endpoint is the Forest Park, which serves as the background of the North Central Axis: The second is the Beitucheng node, which combines the Beitucheng ruins and The 80-meter-wide central green belt of the road on the north central axis creates a meaningful urban public space and strengthens and enriches the north central axis: The third is the northern node of the North Second Ring Road, between the North Second Ring Road and Ande Road. During the period, the land on both sides of the central axis is planned as important urban public space. The south central axis runs from Yongding Gate to Nanyuan.
The planning department proposed that while adjusting the land functions on both sides of the south central axis, attention should be paid to enriching the spatial structure of the central axis, focusing on planning three nodes: First, the Muxiyuan node, which ties together the construction of the Muxiyuan commercial center area. , forming the city’s public space; the second is the Dahong Station node, which shapes an important urban landscape at the intersection of the Central Axis Road and the South Fourth Ring Road; the third is the Nanyuan node, as the endpoint of the South Central Axis, with a large area The forest park contrasts with it.
The future planning positioning of Beijing’s central axis is: the north axis is the modern central axis, embodying the spirit of the times, and the vital central axis of the capital’s image; the central axis is the traditional central axis, embodying the style of the ancient capital, and is the national The central axis of spiritual heritage, the southern axis is the central axis of the future, an international park, and the international central axis of a great country. The planning and design of Beijing’s central axis generally reflects the overall temperament of Beijing’s central axis.
3. Basic overview of the Paris City Axis
Overview of the emergence and current situation of the Paris City Axis: The planning and design of Paris is one of the models of urban design in the world, and the Paris City Axis is even more A typical representative of Western urban axes.
Paris used the original city island as the prototype of the city, and later expanded the city on both sides of the Seine River. Subsequently, the city model continued to expand, and the city's context also continued to expand. After centuries of continuous improvement, on both sides of the Seine River in the central area of Paris today, several urban axes with the theme of historical buildings and connected urban axes have been formed in the urban space.
There are two main urban axes in Paris, one is north-south and the other is east-west. The main axis of the city, which is about 8km long from east to west, is composed of the Louvre, the Palais du Lery, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the Deutsche Sub-Centre. It is the most important urban axis in Paris. It makes full use of The open water surface and green space make the urban space more open and bright. The axis is connected with rich activities and open spaces, and each section has different scenery. It is the essence of Paris's urban design art.
The central axis of Paris was built during the Louis XV period by the famous landscape architect Le. Nouveau proposed the concept of the axial elongation of the Dulery Gardens as a dominant element in the subsequent urban development of Paris, and this axial elongation was closely related to the Seine. This axial elongation concept was expressed through the construction of the site. Once established, it became a dominant factor in the subsequent development of Paris.
In the Baroque period, the urban development of Paris had experienced a period of expansion of monarchy. What is more worth mentioning is that the Napoleonization of Paris in the 18th century was implemented and presided over by Haussmann, the Chief Executive of the Seine District. The reconstruction design adopted a series of typical Baroque urban design techniques. After a period of "big demolition and big construction" that was glorious and magnificent for the city, a group of axes with alternating primary and secondary levels and distinct layers gradually formed. The corresponding urban landscape was also shaped accordingly, and at the same time, the relatively large scale was conveniently and effectively controlled. Large city territory.
The north-south urban axis of Paris is the meridian that passes through the Paris Observatory. This urban axis goes north from the Observatory, passing through the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens, the magnificent Senate, the French Academy, and across the beautiful Seine. The river, continues forward past the Paris Opera House, to the north tower of Montmartre, and a south tower located in the Parc Montsouri opposite the Cité Universitaire in southern Paris. Another urban axis in Paris is the Military Academy-Eiffel Tower-Palais Charlotte axis centered on the Eiffel Tower. This axis has more green spaces and is more like a green square where people gather.
The development of the Paris urban axis: In the second half of the 20th century, the construction of the center of Paris-Defense further extended the original urban spatial axis to the west, forming a coexistence of the old and the new. On the basis of inheritance, A new urban spatial axis of Paris is formed.
The Defence area was once a decaying slum on the outskirts of Paris. After decades of construction, it has evolved into one of the largest business office districts in Europe today. Its planning and implementation have gone through a tortuous and difficult period. history. In the 1950s, the growing demand for office buildings in Paris prompted the French government to make the decision to expand the urban area of Paris and build a new business center. From the Louvre to the Caimen 4.
The 8KM historical axis continues to extend westward, spanning three towns and covering an area of 750 hectares, and the planning and construction of the Defense sub-central area has begun.
The Arch of Defence, completed in the late 1980s, brought new charm to the overall image of Europe's largest business center. At the same time, this building is closely related to the star-shaped square on the historical axis of Paris, The great architecture echoing the Arc de Triomphe has also become a place of regeneration for the soul of Paris. When the Champs Elysées continues to the New Town Defence, until the Sixth Arch, as the buildings behind the Arch gradually fade away, the architecture and the urban axis seem to have a trend of infinite extension, and the romance of France can also be It extends infinitely and continues to spread to all directions.
According to the future urban planning of Paris, this main east-west development axis of Paris will continue to be constructed and extended. The recent plan is to focus on the construction of the Lawndale University Park and the construction of a large number of residential areas.
4. Conclusion
Looking at urban planning and construction at home and abroad, the role of the axis and the significance of its own existence are obvious. Many outstanding urban planning high-rise sites at home and abroad in ancient and modern times have It is inseparable from the existence of the urban axis. It is precisely because of the existence and use of the urban axis that it not only creates the unique urban landscape form of each city, but also provides the most important and rich ideological treasure house for our urban planning and construction today. Based on this, it can be considered that the urban axis has the following important functions and significance in the process of urban planning and construction.
4.1. Forming a unique artificial symbol of the city
The urban construction of Beijing was influenced by traditional Chinese etiquette thoughts, and the planning and construction of Paris was also influenced by the political factors at that time. They are all reconstructed and constructed manually and are implemented in the process of urban development. On the one hand, the main artificial buildings in the city are distributed on the axis of the city. On the other hand, the axis of the city has also become a unique artificial symbol of the city. Many large buildings in Beijing, such as Zhengyangmen, Tiananmen and Square, the Forbidden City, Drum Tower, and Bell Tower are located on the axis of Beijing. Likewise, many buildings in Paris, such as the Louvre, Champs Elysées, the old and new Arc de Triomphe, etc. are also located on the axis of Beijing. are located on this urban axis.
4.2. Contains the memory of urban growth and the continuation of urban context
From the initial establishment to the development of the city, the urban axis has always been the backbone of these two cities. The planning and construction of Beijing first started from the central axis of the Forbidden City. With the development of the city, the traditional central axis extended to the north and south respectively. It is still developing today. The entire growth process of Beijing is included in this city. in the axis. Urban context is a characteristic formed by the long-term development of a city, so the urban axis is the continuation and development axis of a city's context. From birth to development, from ancient times to modern times, the city's context is reflected in the urban axis.
4.3. The main theme of urban construction forms the order of urban planning and design
The construction of Beijing has always been based on the central axis, from the initial site selection and construction of the city to the subsequent urban expansion. They are all based on the central axis. The planning and construction of Paris are also based on the traditional central axis. From city location selection to medieval development to Haussmann's reconstruction, they are all based on the traditional central axis of Paris. , the construction of new urban areas is also an extension of the traditional axis, and even the future urban planning of Paris also proposes the inheritance and extension of the central axis.
4.4. The axial composition principle in urban design is formed
Using a powerful axis as the organizational criterion of the architectural group is a common method of layout. With this common The layout form, the symmetry of the arrangement of buildings and landscape elements also around an axis, creates a sense of wholeness by expressing to the observer the various viewpoints that are preset along the axial streetscape.
The formation of Beijing's axis is based on the principle of axis composition. By building a large number of important node buildings, and through a series of techniques such as high and low, open enclosures, etc., a magnificent urban axis is formed. The urban axis of Paris also uses grand streetscapes and large-scale axial planning to form a grand urban space.
In short, through axial provocation, appropriate changes in the axis, and allowing the axis to pass through some urban spaces with different uses will give the urban landscape character. The Beijing axis not only runs through the city's core historical district, but is also closely connected with the Olympic Park to the north and the Forest Park to the south. The Paris urban axis also originates from the historical city and runs westward to the famous commercial district Champs Elysées, and then to the new city to the west. The urban axis can connect different functional distribution areas in the city in a series mode through the principle of axial provocation, highlighting the sequence of the urban axis and forming a unique landscape style of the city.