The importance of environmental art space design

The importance of Feng Shui in environmental art design

Abstract: This article introduces the relationship between Feng Shui and the concepts of environmental art design through the current "Feng Shui fever" topic, combined with history and modern examples, and then illustrates the impact, function and application of Feng Shui on the environment by using Feng Shui's "Qi", "Looking for Dragons", "Observing Sand", "Observing Water", "Standing Direction" and "Resolving Evil" on the environment. importance in design.

Keywords: Feng Shui Hot Feng Shui Environment People-oriented

In early September 2005, the news that the China Architectural Culture Center and the Institute of Yi Studies of Nanjing University planned to hold a "Feng Shui Class" spread across the country. It became the focus of controversy among the media and people across the country. All this is due to the word "Feng Shui".

In fact, the Chinese people’s research and application of Feng Shui has never stopped. Since the 1980s, many Feng Shui books have appeared in our country, including doctoral theses and research topics. In the past 20 years, more and more people abroad are paying attention to Feng Shui (because Feng Shui is still regarded as superstitious, it has not yet been possible to train graduate students in architectural Feng Shui in China. Research on Feng Shui in Hong Kong and Taiwan has not been interrupted; while Feng Shui in South Korea and Japan The study of Feng Shui is even more prosperous. In the 1970s, the world's first doctorate in Feng Shui was obtained by Korean Yun Hongji from the United States. 110 universities in Japan offer Feng Shui courses. Check the collection of books in the Library of Congress online and find that there are There are more than 500 kinds of books related to Feng Shui, among which there are more English versions than Chinese ones). It seems that Western European countries have set off China's "feng shui craze". Looking at the overall background, the Western industrialization era relied on science and technology to bring social prosperity and development, but its negative effects, such as environmental, energy and other issues, have also aroused people's thinking. Many problems faced by mankind seem to rely solely on Western civilization. It is impossible to solve. So people began to look for a way out, and seemed to find some inspiration from Eastern culture, including Feng Shui culture.

While Chinese people are proud of its origin in China, especially in environmental art design, we should also know the importance of the application value of Feng Shui derived from the "Book of Changes".

What is Feng Shui? Let's take a look at various explanations first:

"Cihai" said: "Feng Shui, also called Kanyu. A superstition in old China. It is believed that the wind direction and water flow of the residential site or tomb can cause the residents to have bad luck. It may bring misfortunes and blessings to the family of the person being buried. "

"Ci Yuan" says: "Feng Shui refers to the terrain and direction of the homestead or cemetery."

In the book "Exploring the Origin of Feng Shui" published by Southeast University Press, Professor Pan Guxi pointed out in the preface: "The core content of Feng Shui is a science for people to choose and deal with the living environment, and its scope includes residences, palaces , temples, mausoleums, villages, cities and other aspects. The influence of Feng Shui on the living environment mainly manifests itself in three aspects: First, it is the choice of the base site, that is, the pursuit of a topographic condition that can satisfy both physically and psychologically. ; The second is the treatment of residential layout, including the use and transformation of the natural environment, the orientation, location, height and size of the house, entrances and exits, roads, water supply, drainage and other factors; the third is based on the above Add some kind of symbol to satisfy people's psychological needs to avoid evil and seek good fortune. "

"Feng Shui" mainly refers to the climate, geology, landforms, ecology, landscape and other factors when people in ancient times chose building locations. A comprehensive evaluation of environmental factors, as well as a general summary of certain techniques and taboos in architectural construction.

At least Feng Shui is about the environment, so what is the environmental art design we are talking about today?

Let us know from the first page of the textbook that environmental art design is an emerging comprehensive discipline closely related to architecture, urban planning, etc. "Environmental art design" can be understood as the activity of planning and designing the internal and external environment of a building using artistic methods and means. Environmental factors include macroscopic natural landscape, geography, climate, animals and even microscopic indoor space, furniture and furnishings. The purpose of environmental art design is to provide a reasonable, reasonable, comfortable, beautiful and effective space for people to live, work and society. In short, environmental art design pursues a "humanized" space.

Environmental art design includes: architecture, urban planning, landscape design, ergonomics, environmental psychology, aesthetics, sociology, culture, ethnology, history, religion, technology and materials, etc.

It is not difficult to see from the above concept: Feng Shui serves environmental art, and environmental art design is inseparable from Feng Shui.

First, let’s take a look at the contribution Feng Shui has made to our motherland over the past thousands of years and how it affects and affects the environment:

Xinjiang Bagua City—Tex , now it has become an important base for studying how the Book of Changes is applied in urban construction;

Old Kunming, surrounded by lakes on three sides, surrounded by mountains and haze;

In the old place of Wenzhou, mountains Just like Beidou City is like a lock;

In ancient Langzhong, thousands of waters formed the foundation of heaven and earth;

Yan'an overlooks the city, high in the west and low in the east, advocating martial arts and righteousness;

Hengyang, Three water mouths lock the river;

Through the central axis of life and death - the Ming Tombs and the Forbidden City...

"Qi" (modern physics says its essence is ultrafine particles and their Field) is the core of Feng Shui. In Feng Shui, there is also the saying that "mountains surrounded by water must have Qi". For example, Chinese auspicious patterns widely use cloud rolls, swastikas, fish intestines, palindromes, etc. These are ancient Chinese people's views on The perception and recognition of "Bending brings emotion", "Bending brings good luck", "Good luck goes in a curved way, and bad luck goes in a straight direction". Among them, "huan" and "embrace" are the songs of mountains and rivers. How can we "hide the wind and gather Qi", be surrounded by mountains and rivers, close to the plains, surrounded by mountains on the left and right, and bow to the mountains and mountains in front of us. In Feng Shui terms: Green Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right, Suzaku in the front, and Xuanwu in the back. The biggest feature of this ideal residential landscape model of the Chinese is that it surrounds the home with mountains. Therefore, Suzhou gardens are the best practical examples of Feng Shui acupoints.

"Looking for dragons" (since mountains are similar in shape to dragons, Feng Shui compares mountains to dragons). The mountains and rivers in my country are undulating and stretching, such as dragons crouching, dragons dancing, dragons soaring, and dragons rising. fly. Therefore, Feng Shui calls mountains and rivers dragon veins. The "Dragon Cave" is located at the foot of Taizu Mountain, Shaozu Mountain, Mumu Mountain, and Mumu Mountain. Therefore, most cities in China are built in places with backings, which have the practical function of absorbing the sun and keeping out the cold.

"Chasha" also refers to the mountain, and the "dragon" needs various "sands" to echo it. Without "sand", it would be difficult for the "dragon" to gather energy. Feng Shui calls it "Green Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right, Vermilion Bird on the south, and Xuanwu on the north." Therefore, Feng Shui believes that when investigating auspicious points, the location and shape of the surrounding mountains are also very important.

"Observing water" can absorb energy. "Observing water" is the investigation of water, including the investigation of the source, trend and quality of water. As early as in primitive society, our ancestors knew how to choose water. Live on land. "Mozi Ci Guo" says: "The ancient people, who did not know the palace, lived in the mausoleum port and the cave." The so-called mausoleum port is the step area of ​​the river. Many archaeological sites are found on earthen slopes near the water's edge. Our ancestors lived in such an area, where it was easy to obtain water and fish, and they would not be inundated by floods. This is exactly the principle of "living near water" advocated by Feng Shui masters.

"Vertical direction" refers to the direction and orientation, generally referring to the direction perpendicular to the direction of the building base. Judging from the residences discovered by archeology, at the Neolithic Banpo site located on the steps on the right bank of the Chan River, almost all the houses face north and south, which can achieve the effect of warmth in winter and coolness in summer. This is exactly the "meridian" principle advocated by Feng Shui masters. China is located in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Due to this natural geographical environment, houses facing south can enjoy the wind and sunshine in winter and the wind and coolness in summer. This is exactly the problem that lighting and ventilation need to solve.

Another important value of Feng Shui is its soothing effect on the soul. For example, it is impossible for science to say that the Bank of China Tower is like a sharp knife, and it is not good to point it directly. But from a psychological point of view, facing a huge bright sharp corner or a razor-like ripple line every day can make people feel uneasy. Feng shui can solve such problems.

The most typical example is the "Feng Shui disturbance" encountered by the Chinese-American designer I.M. Pei when he was designing the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.

The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong is a landmark building in Hong Kong, with a height of 351 meters and a total of 70 floors.

After viewing the design drawings, the Bank of China sent a telegram to I.M. Pei expressing deep concern about the numerous giant framed "X"-shaped steel frames displayed on the building's facade. Because in China, "X" means disaster, only criminals' names are marked with an "X" shape. In the end, Pei shrewdly hid the "X" horizontal steel frame and changed the exposed part into an image similar to the swastika, an auspicious symbol in Buddhism, and everyone was happy.

Although Ieoh Ming Pei poetically described the Bank of China Building as springing up after a rain, people still talked about it after the building was built, because Feng Shui masters said that the building was like a sharp knife with cold light and many sharp corners. The same ripples as the blade. The buildings facing these sharp corners and corrugated lines all felt uneasy.

This story may sound full of superstition and absurdity, but this is only from a scientific perspective. If you look at it from a cultural and aesthetic perspective, you will find that Feng Shui is not absurd. . From the above story, I can at least see the aesthetic value and soothing value of Feng Shui to the soul.

For example, from a scientific perspective, the "X"-shaped steel frame of the Bank of China Tower is reasonable. From a general architectural art perspective, the "X"-shaped steel frame may also be beautiful. But these ignore the cultural psychology of the Chinese people and the issue of what the "X"-shaped symbol means in China. But Feng Shui masters will notice this. If it is said that "beauty is a meaningful form", then things that ignore the cultural psychology of the Chinese people will not be beautiful in the eyes of the Chinese people. It can be said that Feng Shui is a balance and correction of science from a cultural perspective.

Many Westerners marvel at the beauty of the distribution of villages on the land of China. In fact, the formation of this beauty is closely related to the Chinese people’s emphasis on Feng Shui. Although Feng Shui is not subjectively about beauty, objectively Feng Shui has become the standard of beauty for Chinese architectural planning. But that's what we're after.

It seems that Feng Shui’s method of selecting the environment is nothing more than comprehensive consideration of topography, water source and water quality, climate environment, soil quality, vegetation and landscape atmosphere, lighting and ventilation, and social aspects. It is decided based on political, cultural, economic, military and other factors, which is exactly what modern environmental art design should pursue.

In fact, the influence, function, and application of Feng Shui on environmental design mentioned above are only general. It is very complicated to really make good use of it. It also involves the changes of yin and yang, the Eight Diagrams, the principles of mutual generation and restraint of the five elements, and the compass. can be completed. This truly reflects the importance of Feng Shui in environmental art design.

Whether Feng Shui is a superstition or an essence, the Feng Shui derived from the Chinese Book of Changes has survived for thousands of years, has its own rationality, and directly or indirectly affects every generation and people." "I would rather believe it exists", so Feng Shui is a problem that designers often encounter in design, as it directly affects people's living environment and psychology

(Reprinted from "Garden Learning Network"/thread-15026-1 -1.html)