What is the practical significance of studying the differences between Chinese and Western architectural styles? urgent! It's better to be more specific. If it's good, the wealth value will be added.
The differences between Chinese and Western cultures in terms of origins and reasons, development logic and space, construction concepts and purposes, etc., will inevitably be integrated into and reflected in architectural culture or architectural style. Therefore, the difference between Chinese and Western architectural cultures should fundamentally be understood as the difference between Chinese and Western cultural traditions. It is generally believed that: Chinese culture emphasizes people, while Western culture emphasizes things; Chinese culture emphasizes morality and art, and Western culture emphasizes science and religion; Chinese culture emphasizes integration and unification, and emphasizes coexistence and unity, while Western culture emphasizes the unique spirits of different eras, highlighting the Personality traits of various genres, etc. The differences or differences in architectural features, artistic forms, development origins, and humanistic concepts contained in the rich and colorful architectural cultures of China and the West can be confirmed and reflected in the buildings of the past dynasties and the architectural works handed down.
Western architecture has the characteristics of sculpture in terms of modeling, and its focus is on two-dimensional facades and three-dimensional shapes; while Chinese architecture has the characteristics of painting, and its focus is on rich artistic conception. The pictures do not pay much attention to the volume, shape and perspective effect of a single building, but tend to focus on the group effect that uses individual buildings as units and extends in plane and space. The West attaches great importance to the whole and parts of the building, as well as the proportion, balance, rhythm and other formal beauty principles between parts; China attaches great importance to space and the spatial experience of "different scenery" when people move in the built environment, which is the dynamic beauty, spatial beauty, Convey the unity of divine beauty. Therefore, it can be considered that the ideality of European architecture is mainly reflected in "reality", while the fantasy of Chinese architecture is mainly reflected in "empty".
The different column structures in ancient Greek architecture imitated the human body beauty of different genders. Europeans pay more attention to formal logic, emphasize verisimilitude, rely on argumentation, and focus on geometric analysis. They place more emphasis on symmetry, concreteness, and the beauty of simulated geometric patterns in the artistic conception and overall layout of architecture. Chinese people attach great importance to people's inner world's understanding, feeling and grasp of external things, and how to artistically embody this mental understanding and inner feeling, which has a strong sense of freehand brushwork. It is a generalization and perception of abstract beauty, a combination or fusion of a certain tangible real scene and the infinite virtual scene it symbolizes. What it pursues is the artistic conception of "being so proud that you forget about the image". The Chinese also pay attention to verisimilitude and argumentation, but this must be based on the "expressiveness" of freehand brushwork, and physical resemblance is inferior to spiritual resemblance. For example, the eaves and wings on the tops of classical buildings in my country are shaped like flying breezes. Their expressive and expressive style is very full of the artistic passion of the Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Wentong’s so-called "learning from outside, getting the heart from within", giving people a powerful feeling. psychological appeal.
The concept of ritual and music comes from the "Yue Ji" in the Spring and Autumn Period, which is the close relationship between beauty and kindness, art and regulations, emotion and reason, psychology and ethics. Ritual is the ethical standard of society, and music is the emotional standard of society. "The combination of ritual and music" or the close cooperation of ritual and music is the expression of the Chinese rational spirit. It can be said that the artistic appeal of Chinese architecture is the romantic sentiment (music) exuded on the basis of rationality (etiquette), and what it embodies and implies is a certain "poetic" beauty of Chinese architecture. This is somewhat similar to the Chinese people’s behavioral approach of “thinking squarely and acting roundly”. Western architectural culture pays more attention to logic and argumentation. Its characteristics can be summarized as rationality and resistance spirit, individual and subjective consciousness, heaven and religious concepts, rationality and logic of architectural art processing, and emphasis on the coordination and layout of art, technology and environment. , attaching importance to appropriate proportions and artistic sophistication, etc. All these characteristics have been mentioned or elaborated in European architectural theories, and they are also reflected in their architectural entities.
China’s courtyards, walls, screen walls, etc., show a certain introverted, closed and even "once and for all" ideological tendency. Some people even think: "The closed courtyard symbolizes our closed society", "China It is a walled world of 'Qin bricks and Han tiles'... The West emphasizes that external space should be the main focus, calling the central square "the city's living room", "the city's living room", etc. There are ideas of transforming indoors into outdoor intention.
Compared with the masonry structural system of Western ancient buildings, Chinese ancient buildings are independent institutional systems, which have four biggest characteristics:
It is mainly a structural system. The wooden structure system has many advantages: such as the separation of the maintenance structure and the supporting structure, high seismic resistance, easy access to materials, fast construction, etc. At the same time, wooden structures also have many shortcomings: they are susceptible to fire, termite erosion, and rain corrosion, and do not last as long as masonry buildings; finished wood is in short supply due to the increase in construction volume; it is difficult for beam frame systems to realize complex building spaces, etc. However, there are also a small number of masonry buildings and metal buildings in ancient Chinese architecture. For example, "Historical Records Suoyin" states: "The stone chambers and gold chambers are all the national book collection places."; For example, there are many records in "Shui Jing Zhu", "Weishui Chapter": "There is a stone room next to the Feng River, which was built as the residence of the Taigong." Masonry structures are mostly used in tower buildings. Metal buildings are mainly made of copper. Famous examples of copper buildings include Baoyun Pavilion in the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Golden Palace of Wudang Mountain in Hubei, and the Golden Palace of Taihe Palace in Kunming.
China's wooden structure system has always adopted the structural principle of the frame system: four columns, plus cross beams and vertical beams to form a "room". Generally, buildings are composed of an odd number of rooms, such as three, five, seven, and Nine rooms. The more bays there are, the higher the level. The Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City has eleven bays and is the highest-level ancient wooden building in existence. The facade is divided into three parts: base, body and roof. Among them, the large roofs of official-style buildings with far-reaching overhangs are the most important part of the architectural shape. According to the grade, the roof forms are divided into: single slope, flat roof, hard hill, hanging hill, verandah, resting hill, rolled shed, piled peak, double eaves, helmet top and other styles, with double eaves verandah being the highest. grade.
Dougong is a key component in Chinese wooden structures. Its function is to extend cantilever beams on the columns to support the weight of the eaves.
Unique exterior outline: multi-layer platform, brightly colored curved sloped roof, courtyard-style building complex, showing a vast sky. Brick paintings of Han tombs more than 2,000 years ago already showed courtyard buildings, and the Forbidden City, the largest architectural complex in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, also adopted complex enclosure forms.
In terms of architectural thought, ancient Chinese architecture embodies clear ideas and pays attention to hierarchical expression: there are strict regulations on shape, color, scale, structure, components, etc., which improves the architectural form to a certain extent, but It also limits the development of architecture. At the same time, the idea of the unity of nature and man is also reflected in the development process of ancient Chinese architecture, promoting the mutual coordination and integration of architecture and nature. Pay attention to architecture and city site selection; adapt to local conditions when building, and take advantage of the mountains and terrain, especially in gardens, with an emphasis on Feng Shui.
Ancient buildings have carved beams and painted walls, and the walls are often painted with paintings. During the Warring States Period, painting flourished; during the Han Dynasty, many palaces and palaces were painted with stories about characters, with good and bad deeds clearly narrated, as a warning; later generations painted mostly landscapes.
There are many famous architectural works in China, including urban works such as "Kao Gong Ji", and construction regulations such as "Building Methods" by Li Jie of the Song Dynasty, and "Engineering Practice Codes of the Ministry of Works of the Qing Dynasty?" of the Qing Dynasty. His garden works include "Yuan Ye". Famous craftsmen include Yu Wenkai of the Sui Dynasty, Li Jie of the Song Dynasty, Kuai Xiang of the Ming Dynasty, and Shi Shao Lei of the Qing Dynasty.
Chinese modern architecture refers to traditional Chinese architecture that is influenced by Western architecture and trends of thought, and is different from traditional Chinese architecture in terms of space, modeling vocabulary, materials, art, and construction methods. Modern architecture can be roughly divided into neo-traditional architecture, eclectic architecture and world architecture.
Medieval architecture contains the conflict and fusion of Italian, northern, Spanish, and Byzantine elements, and the more significant feature is the power struggle between kings, popes, and clergy. According to this, it can be divided into early Christian, pre-Romanesque architecture (including the four periods of Merovingian, Caroline, Otto and Asturias), Romanesque, and Gothic. Although this classification method is controversial, it is a good way to distinguish the significant differences in the architecture of each era.
The famous medieval buildings are all religious buildings, while the existing medieval secular buildings are mainly castles and fortresses, which are characterized by cross-shaped windows that have both decorative and military functions.
The development of architectural expression techniques during the Renaissance lay in the geometric blending of invisible light and tangible entities, sublimating the mundane into divine creation.
The relationship between the world and God has been changed. Perspective has infinitely expanded the scope of human understanding through a new way of expressing the horizon. In the field of art, it appears as a wide space. It began to appear in Renaissance painting techniques and helped shape a new humanism. Thought.
Perspective represents a new universal point of view, a transcendental point of view, that is, space can be understood and controlled through reason. Therefore, Renaissance architecture is clearer in its conception of expressing intentions, and its treatment of space is expected to be understood from the set direction. Perspective can simulate the real scene to the greatest extent because it can not only describe the architect's point of view, but also allow them to predict through the image how people will experience the building in reality.
Bramante’s Belvedere Courtyard was first conceived through drawings and then built. Such spatial composition can only be achieved through abstract perspective techniques. Through abstraction, various heterogeneous factors are combined to metaphorically represent the legitimacy of popular rules. This courtyard was used to connect an ancient papal palace to the right of St. Peter's Basilica with another palace. Bramante used three courtyards to deal with the slope. From the lower courtyard to the higher courtyard, there is a gradually orderly garden layout, creating a contrast between the human world and the ideal holy city. This is especially true from Bramante. The view from the window of the Pope is particularly evident in the picture below.
In 1496, Charles VIII (France) returned to France after conquering Naples, and the Italian artists who were his trophies introduced the Renaissance trend to France. Beginning with the earliest Chateau Amboise, a series of Renaissance-style castles appeared in the Loire Valley, and became popular during the reign of Francois I. Château de Chambord is a work that combines Gothic structure with Italianate decoration. This style was developed by architects including Serio and used in the famous Palace of Fontainebleau.
Buildings of the same style emerged one after another during the periods of Henry II and Henry III. Famous architects during this period include Delorme, Duceso, Vignola and Leco. The southwest interior of the Palace Square of the Louvre was designed by Leco, and the sculptures on it are the work of Gujon.
It was Jones who introduced the Renaissance style to England. He had studied architecture in Italy and was obviously influenced by the Palladian style. After returning to England, Jones enthusiastically promoted the Renaissance and designed the Queen's House in Greenwich in 1616 and the State Banquet Hall on Whitehall Street three years later. With their clean lines and symmetrical shapes, these works were revolutionary in a country dominated by mullioned windows, crenellations, and turrets.
If the Renaissance marked the rebirth of humanistic culture, then the subsequent Mannerism and Baroque architecture conveyed anxieties about intention and expression. The development of science and philosophy separated the mathematical expression of reality from other cultures, fundamentally changing the way mortals communicate with the world through architecture.
Academic architecture (also known as Beaux-Arts style architecture, Beaux-Arts style architecture) was created by the French Academy of Fine Arts in Paris in the 19th century. Over the course of two and a half centuries, academic architecture absorbed the achievements of the Royal Academy of Architecture and the Architectural Department of the French Academy of Fine Arts. The French Academy of Fine Arts provided a competitive platform for the Grand Prize of Rome established in the old dynasty. The winner could get the opportunity to study in Rome. Under this selection system, academic architecture was deeply imprinted with the Roman style, and in the first It reached its peak during the Second Empire and the Third Republic.
Modernist architecture encompasses thousands of styles, but they all share similar elements. Modernist architecture originated in the 1900s, initially with simplified forms and less ornamentation. Since the 1940s, the modernist architectural style has gradually stabilized and occupied the mainstream of the architectural world, forming what is known as the International Style. For much of the 20th century, modernist architecture dominated government and commercial buildings. The precise origins and elements of modernist architecture have not been clearly defined and remain subject to extensive interpretation and speculation. But the main tone of modernist architecture seems to be following "function determines form."
The Chinese nation is known as the land of ritual and music, which is inseparable from the long-term education of the ritual and music order.
"The essence of etiquette is the ethical order of superiority and inferiority, while the spirit of joy is to mediate the relationship between various hierarchical categories." The core of Confucian theory is the rule of man, not the rule of God, so it emphasizes regulating people's concepts and behaviors, including daily life. Residential environment pattern closely related to behavior. The culture of ritual and music is the essence of Confucian theory adapted to this kind of social politics. The courtyard house in Beijing exemplifies this relationship in its external form.
Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt also paid more attention to the hierarchical ideas of primary and secondary, elder and younger, and axis. The courtyard-style layout that is closed to the outside and open to the inside is more in line with the psychology and living habits of ancient Egyptian people, and has basically become a common form of residential design.
Ancient Greece There are relatively few expressions of hierarchy in the residential houses of ancient Greece (except for the residences of slaves and slave owners). For example, in the mid-fifth century, Hippodam's Milestone city plan aimed to provide parallel living conditions for each citizen. In other neighborhoods that are later expanded, each residence will have the same site area and house.
Ancient Rome Rich people in ancient Rome often lived on the outskirts of the city to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city. Most have villas and mansions, and have a compact layout with a central axis and courtyard in the plan. Multi-storey apartments were created to solve the problem of rapid population growth and housing shortage, and are used by most ordinary citizens. Influenced by ancient Greece, the hierarchy in residential buildings is also very weak, and is more directly linked to the wealth of residents.
Folk customs are folk customs, which refer to the life culture created, enjoyed and inherited by the majority of people in a country or nation. It originated from the needs of human social group life, and continues to form, expand and evolve in specific nations, eras and regions to serve people's daily lives. It is also a world of folk inheritance formed in the history of the country and nation, and is closely related to folk residences. Broadly speaking, folk houses themselves can also be counted as part of folk customs.
The emergence of Chinese folk custom has a profound material foundation. Folk customs in ancient times mainly included folk beliefs such as mythology, religion, witchcraft and totem worship. Divination of Xiangzhai is a folk Feng Shui theory and construction method gradually formed after absorbing witchcraft, Yin and Yang, Five Elements, Bagua and other theories. The influence of this culture is also reflected in the entire process of folk construction studies. For example, when breaking ground, you need to "choose an auspicious day" and "sacrifice the gods"; on the day of the funeral, you need to invite neighbors to pray together, and you also need to sacrifice a rooster "to get rid of ghosts." There are also special evil objects such as "springboards", "shigandang" and "demon mirrors" often installed in the houses.
The Egyptians who thrived on both sides of the Nile River in ancient Egypt were affected by the special geographical environment. While blocking contact with the outside world, they also obtained natural barriers and abundant resources. This formed Its own unique civilization, such as ancient Egyptian writing, creation theory, calendar and astrology, etc. Compared with the mythology and religion of ancient Egypt, its residential culture reflects the consideration of its own security and privacy functions.
The Aegean Sea gave birth to the splendid civilization of ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks had profound attainments in literature, drama, sculpture, architecture, philosophy and many other aspects. People devote all their architectural enthusiasm to large public buildings such as temples. The needs of public activities are an important reason for the large number of public buildings to be built. Existing architectural ruins, such as temples, theaters, and arenas, deeply reflect the artistic taste of the ancient Greeks. Although no attention is paid to ordinary residential buildings, the pursuit of practical functions is consistent, showing the nature of the ancient Greeks.
Ancient Rome The ancient Romans widely absorbed the outstanding cultural achievements of neighboring ethnic groups, especially the outstanding cultural achievements of the ancient Greeks, and created their own unique culture based on the needs of their country's social, economic and political development. culture. Western residential architecture also made a major leap forward during the ancient Roman period. Worship of family gods and family ancestors are often expressed in folk houses.
Compared with the ancient Greek period, the ancient Romans not only paid more attention to the protection of privacy in their homes, but also personalized the rooms with different functions in the homes according to their own preferences and economic conditions. decoration.
Therefore, residents in the West often do not set up walls and require bright and open spaces. Of course, the courtyard of a Chinese residence is mainly a place for family activities, not an airtight enclosure. What Chinese folk residences pursue is a state of "no home without a garden".