On Contemporary Architecture Erasing Traditional Characteristics
Main Text
First, I want to address the view I reject: that contemporary Chinese architecture has erased China's traditional characteristics.
Not only do I reject that view, I also reject the broader claim that contemporary architecture erases traditional characteristics in general. The difference is that the former targets Chinese architecture specifically, while the latter applies to all architecture.
Born in China, we are most familiar with Chinese architecture, so we can use it as a starting point to extend our discussion to architecture worldwide.
An individual building generally consists of three main parts: the platform base below, the building itself in the middle, and the winged roof spreading out above.
Liang Sicheng, "The Characteristics of Chinese Architecture"
When we think of traditional Chinese architecture, images of red walls, various colored tiles, and winged roofs come to mind. The platform base, however, applies only to individual buildings; for connected building complexes, a platform base isn't necessarily required. Beyond that, the most striking features are the timber construction and painted decorations.
People in feudal China were deeply influenced by ideas like the Mandate of Heaven, and the concepts of heaven, earth, gods, and ghosts. As a result, in addition to the features mentioned above, there were also decorative cylindrical tiles, ridge beasts, eave tiles, and a wide variety of other ornaments.
The Chinese have a profound attachment to the concept of home, which gave rise to the distinctive courtyard style. Courtyard culture is rich and varied, and I won't go into detail here. The most famous example, the Beijing siheyuan, is a well-preserved courtyard complex. A courtyard isn't a single building but a cluster of buildings. As such, the courtyard is also one of the most prominent features of traditional Chinese architecture.
There are many more characteristics of traditional Chinese architecture, but I won't elaborate on all of them here. Let's summarize the most representative ones:
(1) Individual buildings composed of a platform base below, the building itself in the middle, and a winged roof above.
(2) Interconnected building complexes featuring symmetry, southward orientation, and courtyards.
(3) Timber columns and beams, with no load-bearing walls.
(4) Dougong bracket sets, offering superior structural mechanics.
(5) The jujia roof-raising system, designed to support the winged roof.
(6) Distinctive and varied roof styles.
(7) Vermilion red.
(8) Ornamentation through various relief carvings and painted decorations.
These are the hallmarks of traditional Chinese architecture. But what about contemporary architecture? While most contemporary buildings lack distinctive roofs and elaborate ornamentation, they still largely adhere to symmetry at the complex level, which is clearly reflected in urban planning. As for courtyard culture, it has evolved over time into the form of residential communities. In any building complex, a residential community is an essential component. Although it no longer serves as an outdoor living room, it still shares a similar spirit with the traditional courtyard—and for good reason, since residential communities are descended from courtyards.
Looking at individual contemporary buildings, they do use load-bearing walls and have abandoned timber columns and beams. This is a deliberate choice for multi-story construction. If columns were used, their limited load-bearing capacity would make it difficult to support buildings beyond a certain height, so load-bearing walls are actually the better option. Once load-bearing walls are in place, the column-and-beam structure becomes entirely unnecessary, since most of the structural load is handled by the walls. Many ingenious mechanical designs, including the dougong, seem almost trivial compared to load-bearing walls. The platform base has been replaced by the foundation, which serves nearly the same function aside from decoration. This is because contemporary Chinese architecture was introduced from the West, where the platform base is hidden underground.
Now we must turn to Western architecture.
Western architecture is characterized not by roofs that spread outward, but by roofs that extend upward, or simply flat roofs. Its structural engineering delivers a powerful visual impact. In many Western buildings, you rarely see columns inside, which is quite astonishing. Clearly, their structural design never intended to entrust the load-bearing role to columns and beams. In terms of color, ancient European craftsmanship was far less advanced than ancient China's, so their use of color was less bold. As for building materials, ancient Europe relied mostly on stone, while ancient China used timber.
That said, the two traditions do share common ground.
Symmetry is geometry, and humanity discovered long ago that geometric beauty is boundless. The Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio both originate from geometry, and since most of the founders of modern mathematics were European, it's natural that Europeans would use geometry to construct their buildings. Symmetry is the most basic feature. Beyond that, they used mathematics to create many other remarkable structures. Relief carvings and ornamentation are also common to both East and West. These decorative elements were used extensively on both sides of the world, with remarkably similar applications and placements.
In general, ancient Chinese architecture embodies a distinctly Chinese temperament—one of partial concealment and understated elegance—while ancient European architecture leans toward the transcendent and the monumental.
All these features have a certain style and method, observed by craftsmen and recognized by the people. We may call it the "grammar" of Chinese architecture. Like language, a nation always creates conventions that are loved and passed down through generations, eventually becoming established rules. In the West, the Greek and Roman systems created their "five orders," which became the grammar of their architecture.
Liang Sicheng, "The Characteristics of Chinese Architecture"
So, at last, we must ask: has contemporary architecture truly erased traditional characteristics?
I rejected this idea twice at the very beginning, and I will reject it once more. Contemporary architecture combines the transcendent, monumental spirit of ancient Europe with the partially concealed, understated elegance of ancient China. It still follows the grammar of ancient architecture, but at a more essential, more fundamental level. Contemporary designers fuse these grammars together to create buildings that integrate Europe's superior structural engineering with China's superior decorative design.
Contemporary architecture is not about erasing tradition—it's about inheritance and innovation.
Epilogue
This article was published on October 1, 2022, National Day. I wish my beloved land a new year that sends away plague and decay, and ushers in renewal!
References
The Characteristics of Chinese Architecture — Liang Sicheng
Characteristics of Modern Architecture