Author(s)

Ruofei Tong

Corresponding Author

Ruofei Tong

Abstract

Ancient Chinese architecture is a typical representation of traditional Chinese cultures. Some modern designers have tried to integrate ancient Chinese architecture with modern architecture, but it didn’t go smoothly and some of the designs turned out to be very rigid. Therefore, this study aims to summarize the stylistic features of ancient Chinese architecture in an effort to find possible ways to incorporate these features into modern architecture on the basis of existing successful cases. The study summarizes seven structural characteristics of ancient Chinese architecture including extended roof forms, Dougong brackets arranged in order, wood as the main material, straight timber joints and rational framing, squareness and symmetry, repetition and, superimposition, reconfiguration of the same motif, clever mortise and tenon joints. Based on the structure presented by the building itself, the building types in the history of Chinese architecture are comprehensively sorted out, and a reasonable hierarchical framework system is established to fully and concretely understand the expression characteristics and system structure of Chinese building types. Focused on three of Kengo Kuma's masterpieces. Taking Kengo Kuma's masterpieces as examples, I take an in-depth analysis of the integration of ancient architectural features into modern architecture such as the simplification of the timber frame, the echoing of colors and materials, the repetition and rhythm of motifs and reproducing straight timber joints and brackets. Finally, I recreates the East Hall of the Foguang Temple with the features summarized above to demonstrate the rationality of the above conclusions.

Keywords

Ancient Chinese architecture, Structural features, Case study, Modernization