"Exceeding the Design of the East and the West"——A Brief Discussion on East and West Architectural Art

-- Wang Jian (School of Art, Donghua University)


I. East and West: Historical Perspectives

In the past, when we used the cultural circle to distinguish the world, we often used the simple concepts of the East and the West rashly. Eastern and Western seem to represent traditional and modern meanings. Before the definition of the East was made clear, such prejudice was naturally formed. At least between the modernized countries and societies, our Western model for successful development was not just material. And even the value system considers it a norm. However, from a clear geographical point of view, Asia, the East, including the Chinese civilization circle and the Indian civilization circle and the Arab civilization circle. From the point of view of religion and thought, China is further divided into Confucian cultural circles including South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, Islamic cultural circles, and Indian cultural circles. Some scholars further advocate the inclusion of Jewish and Jewish Christians. What is more, some scholars advocate that the Central Asian or West Asian states that mix Christian civilization and Islamic civilization should not be called "East and West", but rather should be called "Chinese Ocean." However, when we speak of the East, we usually refer to East Asia, which has only China as the center. The reason for this is to say to our ancestors that they are used to thinking that China is the “whole world”.

People have a native language of cultural anthropology. Not just people, buildings and objects created from them also have a motherhood. That is, due to different systems and temperament of anthropology and values ​​of humanity and beauty, different shapes are created. Therefore, "surpassing the design of the East and the West" refers to the evolutionary form of the general form and the rules of the special forms and contents of individual cultures that result from mutual communication.

Second, the relationship between East and West architecture

Regardless of the East and West, what has gained common ground in the successful design of the world is the integration of the soil of self-cultivation rooted in the design itself and the economic elements of the real society. First, after the success of the country, it will go to the world again. What is interesting is that we are not economically first-classists. Instead, we are concerned about the spirit of artistic creation. There is a design. In order to become a world famous or historical landmark, first of all, the design must be successful in a small area, and further obtain the recognition of humanity's shared aesthetic sense and universal value. The imagination of the designer exceeds the value of the region and further forms the cultural environment of the entire world. The "identity" of the regional properity and the "identity" of the common human value are "the way of life" that creates a world by integrating in the same design.

When architects and scholars in the East discuss the relationship between Eastern and Western architecture, there are usually two views: The first is that the architectural tradition of the East has now disappeared. It has nothing to do with Western traditions and has been more technologically advanced. More effective and efficient Western architectural styles have replaced it. Another kind of academic thought is that although the Eastern tradition has been largely replaced, it is still related to Western style. Architects and scholars in this camp support the integration of the two styles and are a mixture of two traditions.

From my point of view, both of these views are lacking. Now after years of thinking, I feel that there should be another perspective; if you appreciate it, it is the third branch. I think that there should be a new kind of guiding thinking that will lead us beyond the dogmas of the East and the West. What we need is "building beyond the West and the East." It is completely beyond the binary view of opposing the two traditions.

If we look at the relationship between Eastern and Western architecture widely, first of all, the deepest impression is not the relationship between them, but the lack of a relationship between them. Because most of the historical records so far have completely separated these two traditions, and are in different styles like two parallel worlds. This remained until the 16th century. Around the 16th century began to change. With the advent of the European Renaissance, the seeds of modernity began to sprout. Europe suddenly began to advocate the attention of the outside world. As a result, the connection between the East and the West was gradually established. In particular, the awakening of the Renaissance and the tremendous technological development brought about by the industrial revolution, as well as the discovery of the New World, have made rapid progress in Western European construction.

However, the situation in the East is very different. They are undergoing parallel and independent development with a delay, followed by an overlap with another tradition. Therefore, the development of the East is driven by external forces rather than the natural process.

III. Comparative Analysis of East and West Architecture

What is the difference between East and West architecture and what are their characteristics and characteristics?

I believe there are at least three major differences:

1) The first and most important difference is in the method of making space. In the West, establishing an interior space, the wall plays an important role. First, establish the space through the wall. The top is like a cover. It is just a covering. Contrary to the East, the roof is the most important factor in establishing space. The space is established by the roof supported by the pillar and then the wall is filled.

2) The second difference is the state of the space itself. The western world emphasizes the positive space, that is, the internal space that plays its role. However, in the East, the main emphasis is on the negative space, which is the external space around buildings.

3) The third difference I pointed out is that the basic architectural principles and styles of the East have not been fully developed, but the Western style has been improved. In the East, an architectural style is simply repeated. While the West has increasingly emphasized the individuality of buildings as an individual, the result is the continuous change of architectural style and characteristics.

Discussion:

Today, thanks to advances in the field of information and communications, we have now entered an era of integration of East and West and North and South. We can really feel the fact that we are coexisting. This is unavoidable and is the result of "social globalization" based on cultural, economic, social, and political changes. However, in today's world as a single space, how should Eastern architecture strive to succeed? I believe that the era of drawing on the West or trying to blend the two traditions has passed. Therefore, I think it is time to find a creative way to go beyond the East-West concept. We are getting closer to the world like a big stadium, but it does not mean we can only have a single building. In other words, it can be expressed that the door to our times is open and realized by transcending the dual expressions of a single culture and tradition. In order to really achieve such a creative expression, I think it is necessary to tap our distant past to acquire the "DNA" that embodies the characteristics of our culture. Therefore, we should understand and clearly understand the relationship between the general architectural tradition and the world culture. If we clarify our roots, we will go one step further than just mixing two traditions to achieve the goal of creating new forms that are not confined to a particular culture. This kind of architecture goes beyond the limitations of the East and the West. If we can succeed, we can show the characteristics of our time and can make our time immortal in the long river of history.