How to understand traditional Chinese architecture.

1. Chinese
Architecture

2. With their curved roofs, brilliantly
painted wall and pillars and strange
carvings , and odd details like free-
standing gates and round doors,
nothing could look more alien to
Western eyes than traditional
Chinese buildings -- more
‘picturesque’; more ‘exotic’;
representative of a culture that is
nothing like ours.

3. Moonlight and Breeze Pavilion, Suzhou

4. Temple of Heaven, Beijing

5. Typical Ancient Chinese Gate

6. However, the real differences
between Chinese and Western
architecture are not aesthetic, but
structural.

7. Since the most ancient times,
times, architecture in China has
had certain definite
characteristics.

8. Reconstruction, Banpo Village, Yangshao Culture

9. Cross-section of a hut from Banpo village

10. Notice ---
• Columns support the
roof.
• Walls are merely
enclosing screens
• Roof overhangs the
walls

11. The Neolithic hut (which could be round,
rectangular or square) was also sunk a
meter into the ground and approached by
steps. It would be made of wattle and
daub. These were not characteristics of
buildings of later times; however, like
buildings of later times, the ancient home
would always face south, and would use
pise (stamped earth) for a foundation.

12. Note how the Neolithic hut resembles
the Temple of Heaven.
• Neolithic period. • Ming Dynasty.

13. Temple of Heaven
• Columns support
the roof
• Walls are merely
enclosing screens
• Roof overhangs the
walls.

14. This type of building, in which the roof
is supported by pillars, ‘tied’ with cross-
beams and topped by a further cross-
beam structure (which carries the roof) is
called post and beam construction. It is
not unknown in the West, but here it was
used mostly for simple structures, such
as the homes the first North American
colonists built.

15. Reproduction house, Plymouth
plantation

16. In China, however, by the Han
Dynasty, this seemingly simple
type of structure was being used
for monumental buildings,
especially for palaces.

17. The Han Dynasties multi-storied
buildings made of wood have
long since been been burnt to the
ground ...

18. We have only models, rubbings, and
descriptive poems.
• Han farmhouse Han palace gate

19. Five Dynasty, Sui and Tang Dynasty
wooden buildings were also mostly
destroyed, in the great persecutions
against Buddhism. However, we
have some examples of what Tang
architecture was like in stone, as
well as wooden copies that survive
from Japan, from that period.

20. Horyu-ji, Nara, Japan

21. The curve of the roof really
developed by Tang times.

22. Besides being aesthetically attractive, this curve:
• Helped prevent the roof tiles from sliding off.
• Had a slight lift at the corners that helped to
accommodate the bracketing required to support
the overhang of the eaves at the corners.

23. Slight roof curves are seen in
both the Nanchansi in Wutaishan,
Shanzi, as well as the Foguangsi,
also at Wutaishan, two Tang
wooden buildings that did
survive.

24. Nanchansi.

25. Sketch of Foguangsi

26. The roof curve was made
possible because the Chinese
‘beam-frame’ construction used
for roofs could be made to take
any shape by varying the height
and position of the queenposts on
which the purlins sit.

27. This is not possible with the rigid
rectangular truss used in Western
roofs.
• Chinese Western

28. These curved roofs were
supported by brackets on top of
the pillars that are part of the
structure of post and beam
construction.

29. These brackets became very decorative.
• Brackets of Foguangsi, shown in detail.

30. Another important part of the
building was called the ang. The
ang was a slanting curved arm,
reaching out under the eaves that
was used a lever bridging the two
sets of bracketing.

31. Ang construction changes over time.
• 1. Tang 2. Sung 3. Yuan 4. Ming 5. Qing

32. As, indeed, styles of buildings change over time.
• Qianqing Hall, Forbidden City, Ming Dynasty

33. Architect: Li Zuyuan 1990

34. And now, just as Western architecture has come to China ..
• Great Hall of the People, Beijing

35. Chinese architects affect other
parts of the world.
• Louvre, pyramid, architect: I.M. Pei