Architectural Glazed Tiles Used in Ancient Chinese Screen Walls (15th–18th Century AD): Ceramic Technology, Decay Process and Conservation

The glazed tile is an important building material used throughout the history of traditional Chinese architecture. Architectural glazed tiles used to decorate the screen walls of ancient China are studied scientifically for the first time. More than 30 glazed tile samples from the screen walls of the 15th to 18th century AD of the Hancheng Confucian Temple and Town God’s Temple in Shaanxi Province were carefully investigated using SEM–EDS and XRD. Microstructure and chemistry indicated the raw materials, the recipes and the technological choices used to produce the paste and glaze of the glazed tile samples studied. The causes for the key degradation processes of these glazed tiles used as building materials in the screen walls have also been discussed. This work has clear implications for the restoration and conservation treatments on these kinds of ancient Chinese building materials.

TIPOMORFOLOGI ARSITEKTUR BANGUNAN PECINAN DI KESAWAN MEDAN

Most of the buildings in Kesawan-Medan still maintain the Dutch-Chinese architecture of the transitional period or the Transitional architecture, although the awareness to preserve this historical heritage is still low. Furthermore, there is no regulation limiting changes that may be made, yet it has not been designated as a Cultural Conservation Building. This situation raises fears of losing track of the original building. This paper intends to explain the typomorphological characteristics of the Chinatown building architecture in Kesawan-Medan. The method used is desk research on research reports, various sources of books, and journals. The theory used is the theory of area morphology and building typology from Andre Loeckx and Markus Zahnd. The general condition of the building has not lost its original form. Renovations were carried out within the limits of repainting, repairing damaged elements, and changing functions. Typomorphology is evident from the materials used and their layout. Building materials used are from the surrounding environment, such as bricks, tile roofs, and windows. The layout of the building is in the residential emplacement area of the city center, with a flat topography in the tropical wet climate of Indonesia. Permukiman kesawan Medan sebagian besar masih mempertahankan arsitektur bangunan Belanda-China periode peralihan atau arsitektur Transisi, walaupun kesadaran pelestarian peninggalan bernilai sejarah masih minim. Belum ada peraturan batasan perubahan yang boleh dilakukan dan belum ditetapkan sebagai Bangunan Cagar Budaya. Keadaan ini menimbulkan kekhawatiran akan kehilangan jejak bangunan aslinya. Tulisan ini bermaksud untuk menjelaskan karakteristik tipomorfologi arsitektur bangunan pecinan di kesawan Medan. Metode yang digunakan adalah desk research terhadap laporan hasil penelitian, berbagai sumber buku dan jurnal. Menggunakan teori morfologi kawasan dan tipologi bangunan dari Andre Loeckx dan Markus Zahnd. Kondisi bangunan secara umum belum kehilangan bentuk aslinya. Renovasi dilakukan dalam batas pengecatan ulang, perbaikan elemen yang rusak, dan perubahan fungsi. Tipomorfologi khasnya tampak dari bahan yang digunakan dan tata letaknya. Bahan bangunan dari lingkungan sekitar, seperti bata, keramik atap genting dan jendela. Tata letak bangunan berada di kawasan emplasemen permukiman pusat kota, dengan topografi lahan datar dalam lingkungan iklim tropis basah Indonesia.

What a Difference a Brick Makes? Transitions of Memory and Shanghai Shikumen Walls

This essay is intended as an appreciation of an overlooked element of Chinese material culture: discarded blue bricks from demolished shikumen houses in Shanghai. It contemplates the concept and materiality of a wall from a unique perspective, combining insights from Chinese architecture history and scholarly tradition of appreciating stones. Combining scientific and poetic approaches, the author argues that these bricks can be contemplated analogically to ink landscape paintings and famous Dali dreamstones. The author uses these clay objects as a starting point to reflect on the rapid transformation of Chinese cities and complex relationship between enduring tradition and ongoing modernization.

FORMS OF SYNTHESIS OF ARTS OF CHINESE ARCHITECTURE

The article examines the synthesis of arts on the example of Chinese architecture. General historical questions of the development of Chinese culture and various arts during historical evolution are raising. Philosophical and religious positions of culture are distinguishing, which are identifying with the development of art. The question arises of the lack of a full analysis of ancient Chinese art for all types of artistic creativity that were developing during cultural development and formation: architecture, painting, calligraphy, music, sculpture, dance, and so on. A number of scholars who have developed methods of approaches to the systematization and study of the synthesis of the arts of ancient Chinese culture throughout its development are presenting. A number of techniques in painting and calligraphy that have a direct impact on the formation of the Chinese architectural environment are analyzing. These methodical conclusions can be useful in planning the activities of various organizational departments of architectural education and science. Problem statement: it became necessary to analyze and describe the methods and principles of organizing forms of art synthesis in Chinese architecture. Objective of the article: analyze the impact of forms of art synthesis in Chinese architecture. There is describing that the most important art form in China is painting. It is thanks to its compositional, color and harmonic laws that the general cultural world of ancient China is building. Color relationships, combinations with nature - all this through painting builds the canonical laws of architecture, music, dance, calligraphy, etc., taking into account national authenticity. It becomes the central core of the synthesis of Chinese art, generating its various forms for individual regions. In architecture, the action of forms of synthesis of Chinese arts is embodying through the organization of plasticity of the building, interior and exterior space, the ratio of small and large forms, and the location of accents. Experienced predecessors should be a role model for modern architects and artists. The combination of long-standing traditions of "synthesis of arts" with modern production technologies, as well as creative ideas of architects and artists of the XXI century can give new vectors of development of Chinese architecture and art science.

The cultural acculturation in architecture of Karawang Chinatown, West Java

Chinese architecture which is part of Indonesia’s history is an interesting topic, because each of Chinese architecture in Indonesia carries its own characteristics which are quite unique with suitable materials based on existing local conditions. The character of Chinese architecture in various places in Indonesia is the result of a combination of Chinese architectural characters mixed with local architecture which is part of Indonesian architecture and also plays a very large role in Indonesian architectural styles. One of the interesting Chinatown areas used as a study location is Karawang Chinatown, Karawang Regency, West Java. The purpose of this study is: 1) To get a picture of Karawang Chinatown which has a concept of Chinatown architecture; and 2) To know the cultural acculturation in the architecture Karawang Chinatown. This study uses a qualitative approach that is based on the naturalistic paradigm with an inductive method. The cultural acculturation between Chinese culture and local/colonial culture creates a unique architecture and a symbolic meaning, the character is a blend of Chinese architecture with local architecture that needs to be preserved.

Comprehensive Assessment of Thermal Comfort and Indoor Environment of Traditional Historic Stilt House, a Case of Dong Minority Dwelling, China

The stilt house is one of the most representative of Chinese architecture among national minority traditional dwellings, most of which are located in mountainous regions whose climate is characterized by hot summers and cold winters. Moreover, it is widely distributed in Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, etc., as well as tropics like Hawaii, Guam. These kinds of dwellings have unique architectural aesthetics as well as high climate adaptability. However, because of their remote locations and rapid disappearance in urbanization, few studies have focused on their real indoor environment and thermal comfort. More studies were engaged in their architectural aesthetics and space patterns. In this study, based on the measurement and evaluation of residential natural lighting, ventilation, air quality, and thermal comfort in traditional stilt Dong village houses, the air temperature, humidity, CO2 and PM2.5 concentrations, wind speed, direction, and other variables are monitored and analyzed. Results show that the inhabitants have a higher thermal comfort adaptation than urban residents under natural ventilation. Meanwhile, the humidity of Dong stilt dwelling can reach a satisfactory level within 24 h except for the morning period. The satisfaction of the acoustic environment needs to be improved via reasonable structural maintenance.

Post-colonial conservation of colonial built heritage in Hong Kong: A statistical analysis of historic building grading

Based on government appointed specialists’ (Antiquities Advisory Board or AAB’s) assessments of the heritage value of more than 1400 heritage items in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, we found no evidence of nationalistic bias against British or Japanese built military heritage buildings and structures after the handover of Hong Kong to China in July 1997. We also found no evidence of bias in favour of imperial Chinese architecture in the postcolonial period. Incidentally, we found some evidence that suggests AAB’s assessments of heritage value for military heritage buildings and structures have increased while those for imperial Chinese architecture have decreased after 1997, which is somewhat puzzling and merits further investigation. The reasons for the results are discussed in terms of the governance of the AAB as a government appointed committee.

CHINA’S TRADITIONAL HOUSING TYPES: EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY

The article examines the evolution and diversity of traditional Chinese dwellings, Which are due to the multinational composition of the population and the natural conditions of different parts of the country. The syncretism characteristic of China also had a great influence on the formation of the dwelling. Confucianism formed the forms of family structure and norms of behavior, and Taoist principles and Buddhist rules – interaction with the world. The most common type of dwelling is the siheyuan, which is based on Chinese tradition and philosophy. This term is the key to creating an ensemble, regardless of the hierarchy and location of the settlement. The country has a very large variety of landscape and climatic territories, a rich historical heritage, a huge number of nationalities, which in interrelation have formed an equally rich historical typology of residential buildings. However, China has its own special differences that played a crucial role shaping the typology of housing. These are, first of all, inviolable forms of family structure and norms of behavior based on centuries-old dogmas of Confucianism, developed by the Taoist principles of interaction with the Buddhist worldview. In general, in different regions of China there were various modifications of the traditional type of house Siheyuan, which is certainly due to the peculiarities of climatic, economic and social conditions. The peculiarities of Chinese architecture have made the concept of siheyuan key in creating any ensemble in settlement. All buildings are subject to the rules of siheyuan (si – the four corners of the world, he – the environment, yuan – the garden, in this case, the garden with the yard). Its essence is that any complex is created around the yard, if there are several, then the main yard. All buildings are strictly symmetrical along the longitudinal axis.