Rituals vs. Traditions Form: Meaningful Lingnan Architecture

Abstract

The site is located in the central region of Liwan in Guangzhou. Liwan is the most prosperous district within the C.B.D but due to the problems of the building scales contrasting with the existing preserved temple. The high-rise buildings surrounding the environment have left the current area for the proposed design inactive. The existing temple is currently utilized as a museum to house local traditional artifacts. The aim of design is to construct an architectural language that may enhance the 'chi' flow of the existing temple as a transitional space, but not to over-cloud the site surroundings as an iconic monument. Instead, the design seeks to complete the hierarchies of building types to correct and unite the master plan as a whole. The building typology of an art education centre is proposed as a design solution for the research. In accordance to the traditional education theme in the centre: an art gallery, teahouse, garden, and library are the prime activates selected in the development of the plan. The reason for the relevance of this proposal for an art education centre lies within the history of the Cultural Revolution. In 1950's the Cultural Revolution became a huge obstacle to the art education in China6. Many arts styles and teachings were suppressed leading to a social decline of skills within the Guangzhou region. Longstanding family traditions within the local arts did not survive the test of endurance, and failed to record the full knowledge of their practices. Therefore, this dissertation questions the methods of re-learning the local arts with an architectural language, in order to provide the people who desire learning with an environment that they can utilize. Due to China's vast cultural history, each province varies with individual developed customs. Hence, it is not achievable to create a resolved solution for every single province within the given period of writing this dissertation. Appropriately, the emphasis of the study is directed towards the southern Chinese art traditions to increase the depth within the research. Southern style of Chinese painting also titled as "Lingnan painting," is the promoted style of art within the research. The Lingnan painting ideas contribute to extracting forms and compositions within the historical context of the proposed site. In conjunction to the research of the painting style, Taichi philosophies are incorporated to explore multiple depths and layers of ideas as a counter balance to monitor the purity of ideas in meanings. Although Chinese arts cover a broad spectrum of subject, Chinese education is significant for its philosophical unity7. Although there may be differences in form and function among different subjects, this, this philosophy bears similar ideas concerning the subjects of ritual and traditions.