Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia • Countries Unify later than Western Counterparts • Fought more wars – Less chance to develop • Less dominate leaders before the Renaissance/Baroque period • Regional rulers lacked manpower & charisma to win over masses • Feudal system – lords and serfdom • Too many disparate ideas • Largely Agrarian society – no centralization • Development of Merchant & Mercenary Culture lead to improvements • Bartering or taking of goods from across Central and East Asia • Wars brought cultural diversity and integration • Cities strengthened for defensibility • Allowed cultures to amass great wealth thru trade
Transcript
Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia
• Countries Unify later than Western Counterparts
• Fought more wars – Less chance to develop
• Less dominate leaders before the Renaissance/Baroque period
• Regional rulers lacked manpower & charisma to win over masses
• Feudal system – lords and serfdom
• Too many disparate ideas
• Largely Agrarian society – no centralization
• Development of Merchant & Mercenary Culture lead to improvements
• Bartering or taking of goods from across Central and East Asia
• Wars brought cultural diversity and integration
• Cities strengthened for defensibility
• Allowed cultures to amass great wealth thru trade
Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia
• Russia
•Strong rulers- Romanovs – Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great
•Tremendous caring for citizens especially children
•Tremendous cruelty towards their opposition & family
•Established common laws, armies and culture
•Built schools to teach trades and higher education•Dedicated armies that enforced new common law
•made examples of all who opposed within own territory
•Conquered more land in the name of the rulers
• Modernization of culture due to travel
•Each studied foreign land’s means & methodology
•Brought forth a centralized religion
Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia
• China / Mongolia
•Feudal society – Dynasty culture - Regional rulers
• Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist faith all interlock
• Different methods toward the same goal – Inner Harmony
• Strong belief in nature and natural law
• Mongols unify under Ghengis Khan – Ming Dynasty
• Control all of Central and East Asia
• Invade as far west as Vienna Austria
•Cultural Diversity due to military control
• Trade routes – Silk Road
• Set up laws for society
• Based on common sense
• Based on defensibility
• Cared for children
• Lack of tolerance for crime
Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia
• Japan
• Controlled by the Shogun / Samurai
• Regional rulers that grew stronger to control Islands
The baroque palace of Peterhof also following other English models does not utilize corridors for passage between rooms. Each space connects through a pair of double doors to other rooms.
Artistry was highlighted in the overall design. Beyond the intricate wood flooring. The porcelain, crystal, and brass chandeliers become hanging sculptural elements that become focal points. Peter imported the greatest painters from Europe to fill his halls with portraiture. Where not as proportionate as the Italian, the designs find ways to carry the art & patterning.
The Palace of Catherine the Great, located near Moscow in Pushkin,
follows the same styling as Peterhof. This palace is Baroque
in plan with Rococo ornamentation. As with Peterhof,
the Catherine Palace was to compete with Versailles. The layout takes its queue from Palladio, with its extreme
symmetry. Again one must traverse the plan from room to room without corridors. The
Romanov Tsars took their queue from their English Cousins.
In the Grand Ballroom one could enter off the of the gardens
through the French doors, into the space. A quadratura painting covers the whole ceiling. A
patterned parquet floor provides a bit of subtle warmth to contrast
with the gilded ornamental plaster work.
Eastern Europe
• B.F. Rastrelli,
• The Catherine Palace (1744-1756)
Katerinen – Grand Dining Room
In the Grand Dining Hall the ornament is less fanciful, than in the Ballroom. The walls are broken proportionally and the Ornament finds its space
between the orders. The orders are greatly de-emphasized. A creative
detail was the use of circular paintings surrounded by gilded plaster framing. This paintings
occurred between paired corinthian pilasters.
A creative feature that becomes highlighted in the rooms are the ceramic furnaces in each of the
corners. They are covered in fine porcelain and are finely ornate. In
orders to reduce the amount of soot, the furnaces are loaded from a
different room. Since the furnaces are made of clay tile coated in
porcelain, they retain heat much longer than a metal furnace would. This allowed for a lot of convective and radiated heat within the rooms while having a sculptural element in
the corner.
Eastern Europe
• B. F. Rastrelli
• The Catherine Palace (1744-1756)
Katerinen – Wallcovering
The Damask wall coverings used were fine milled from Moscow. Since the Russian State stretched from Eastern Europe all the way to the Pacific, they had the ability to farm the finest cotton and flax and
shepard herds for their wool. Moscow became a textile center in the 18th century.
The ornate detailing of the wall covering is matched by the stained wood floorings patterns. Since these rooms are smaller and more
intimate, the wall covering and flooring provide a nice level of scale to the rooms.
Katerinen – Chapel Antechamber Katerinen – Grand Blue Salon
Eastern Europe
• B. F. Rastrelli
• The Catherine Palace (1744-1756)
Katerinen – Chinese Blue Salon
Again, Asian influence mixed together with French Baroque styling of the
furniture. The Damask wall covering shows images of Pagodas and Flowering Trees. Pink wainscot fabric offsets the
decorative fabric above. The ornament is carried through every aspect of the room
from the wall covering to the crown molding.
Katerinen – Chinese Blue Salon
Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia
Feng Shui -
•Study of natural law – not law imposed by man. Law influenced by nature.
• Nature works in cycles
• All events repeat themselves – good and bad
• Western society believes in linear progressions every cause has an effect
• Eastern Society looks for how one ripple can create a tidal wave.
• Lao Tze developed theories on how to work with nature to create harmony
• Understanding the Universe begins with observation
• Recognize and learn patterns in nature
• Develop arrangements that do not interrupt the natural flow of Chi – or inner vital energy such that these arrangements develop in the Way of the Universe or the Tao
•Tai Chi = The Great Extreme – everything in the universe is bound together to create a greater whole. The life of a gnat can influence the death of an elephant.
Eastern Europe & Imperial Asia
Feng Shui -
•Natural Forms influence building location
• Dragon/Mountain, Tortoise/hills, Tiger/ River, Red Bird/ pond & the energy spot
•Must build defensible location that breeds psychological comfort
•Buildings or cities to back up to mountain, be surrounded by hills, ponds & rivers, and situate themselves on flat land
• Principles inherently rely on logic
• What makes you feel good, is good
• If you feel bad it is bad
• Philosophical study also included. Methodology for enlightenment
• Break bad patterns and establish successful ones
• Yin and Yang – Good and Bad – Potential and Kinetic energy
• Energy or Chi is always in flux.
• Yin relates to and influence Yang and vice versa
• Proportion, Quantity & Quality all interrelated.
Imperial Asia
• Typical Chinese Buildings
Confucian culture tied to nature and Feng Shui. Jian is the typical module. Jian can be
added to itself to create a Ting which is a axial hall oriented along the horizontal axis.
These modules can arranged in horizontal arrangements to create a hall or around a courtyard to create a home. These spaces are multidirectional and multifunctional.
They can be anything.
Feng Shui is the ancient practice of siting a building such that it becomes in tune with
nature. Most entrances have to be oriented to the south and southeast to take
advantage of the wind and sun. The practice goes beyond just placement to talk about
colors and forms as well as the arrangement of furniture and walls. The highly observed practice of creating and reinforcing harmony and oneness of nature has been around for
3000 years.
Feng Shui works at different scales. Cities can be situated next to mountains and hills. Houses can be situated amongst roads and other buildings. But within the house you
use function, solid and void to develop good Chi. Main living areas which back up to a
main wall (Dragon) are protected on either side by walls (the tortoise). There were very few direct openings near. Courtyards act as the Red Bird perched. All of this to establish
the appropriate positive energy spot for living.
Typical Housing Types - Plans
Imperial Asia
• Typical Chinese Buildings
Fundian roofs, like a gable but with upturned ends create dramatic forms on the interior and exterior
while providing necessary protection from the sun. Controlling sunlight allows these homes to be
conditioned through passive means.
Arrangements & layouts had deeper meanings. Axiality and Symmetry show respect to the ethics and
rituals of society, while Feng Shui and orientation related to the religious beliefs. But the form related
to the individual and his or her mannerisms.
The houses could be arranged in any fashion depending upon the surrounding area. Typically due
to the nature of Chinese/Mongolian society, elders were considered revered. Generations of extended family would live under one roof. This meant the
layout of the Jian often times related to the age of the inhabitants. Grandparents would be situated in the
back, Parents rooms along the sides approaching the Grandparents and the kids would always be situated toward the front. This is related to Confucian theory
and ethics. The general plan of a house reflected ancestral worship and authority. Multiple Jian could then be strung together in plan to create a series of pavilions or dian that house the functions for daily
life as well as the living quarters.
Typical Housing Types
Typical Jian
Imperial Asia
• Temple of Heaven
•Quinian Dian (1530)
Set atop a white marble base, the painted stone and wood temple is set
up to approach axially.
Many of the pagodas are set up similarly. You enter the complex
through a main gate. There are also secondary gates that align with the plinth. The pagoda, itself, is a large
dedicatory temple with an altar concentrically located. In true Feng
Shui fashion, you enter the temple from the south. The temple itself is
The ceiling of the dome is coffered and highly ornate. Painted wood and
ceramic tile detail brings scale to the space along with saturated color.
Temple of Heaven - Exterior
Temple of Heaven - Plan Temple of Heaven – Dome Interior
Imperial Asia
• The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
• Bahoe Dian (1407 - 1723)
The ruling palace of the Ming Emperors of China. Today, it stands as a monument to past time. In line with other palaces of its
time, the Forbidden City is set up in separate pavilions or Dians.
In the Dian, the emperor’s throne sits for public audience. Like most fine furniture of
the region, it is comprised of black lacquered wood, with painted or gilded detail. There is
a hand painted & sculpted wood screen, serving as a backdrop.
Hall of Supreme Harmony - Throne
Forbidden City – Hall of Supreme Harmony
Forbidden City – Exterior
Imperial Asia
• The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
• (16xx-16xx)
Similar to it’s European counterparts, the Guan Yu dome consists of a
clerestory drum and a coffered dome. The black and gold coffers frame the central sculpted light fixture. Much
more colorful than the European domes, the Guan Yu appears lighter.
Western influence can be seen with in the living quarters of the palace within the Hall of Culture. The arrangement is
very western with its use of pilasters and wainscoting. Black stone floors offset the finely colored woolen rugs
showing floral patterns. Black lacquered tables offset the stained
wood paneling. The wainscot is hand painted and gives way to windows and
a clerestory that work within the module of the framing. Within Asian
architecture, the framework becomes a key interior component, expressing its structure and qualities of the wood.
Forbidden City -Hall of Culture
Forbidden City –Guan Yu Dome
Imperial Asia
• Japanese Construction
These illustrations are a manual on how to build the proper house. The methods of construction
became commonplace all across Japan. Japanese design is known for its use of wood. Wood holds
up in the variable Japanese climate. Northern Japan can be very cold whereas Southern Japan is very tropical. This dependency on wood as their major building material has the unfortunate side effect of also making their cities very susceptible
to fire.
Japanese construction is based on its beliefs of the Shinto & Buddhist religions. Wood is sacred, in coming from the earth. Being tied to the earth
at all times meant the interior spaces had to blend with the outside world. This lead to a lot of
screening and windows. Often times, these screens were moveable so that the lines of
distinction blurred.
Japanese Design is based on the measurement, Kanejaku, or the square. This unit of length
comprises the shaku, the sun, and the ken; 10 sun equal 1 shaku and 6 shaku equal 1 ken. These units have been used for centuries in Korea and Taiwan as well as in China. In the
Japanese kanejaku system, one shaku is about 30.303 cm or approximately 1 foot, and the
smallest unit, the bu, is about 3 mm or 1/8 inch. Japanese Construction Illustrations
Imperial Asia
• Typical Row House
•Kansai, Japan
Typical Japanese Row House- Kansai
Very utilitarian in its function, its arrangement reflects the connectivity to nature as well as the basic principles of good environmental design. The courtyard and patios help to control the temperature, by controlling the light and air flow.
The overall arrangement also delineates lines of privacy. The Shop is publicly oriented. While the other function can be accessed through doors creating privacy and separation. The verandahs and corridors provide buffers space between the functions.
The structure is made up of a shop that faces the street to the east, a residence, and a patio that separates them. The two buildings are connected by an entrance hall structure that projects to the south. Beyond the residential building are a backyard and two storehouses. On the south side of the compound is a connecting yard, an earthen floor connecting the front to the back and serving as the main indoor corridor. The kitchen of the residential building is located in this connecting yard. This type of kitchen, called a hashiri moto, is open, wellhole-style, up to the roof. True to the spirit of daily activities using water and fire, the kitchen space has a skeleton structure of main pillar, girders, and beams.
Imperial Asia
• Nijo- Jo, Kyoto, Japan
• (1603)
Nijo - Plan
The palace is made up of two parts. The first is a series of interconnected pavilions
that house ceremonial functions of the Shogun. The hommaru is the protected
walled residence of the Shogun providing protection from invasion. Gardens that
have an organic layout engulf the complex. This provides a duality of form with the
very symmetrical, square pavilions.
Nijo - Plan
Imperial Asia
• Nijo- Jo, Kyoto, Japan
• (1603)
Hommaru – Central Chamber
Rooms in the castle are set up following the basic proportions of the
Tatami mats. The Tatami are based on the proportion of the Kanejaku. One tatami mat is approximately 6 shaku
and 3 sun by 3 shaku and 1.5 sun (75” x 37.5” or 1 meter by a half of a
meter) This rectangular proportion caries through the building. Most
Japanese architecture of this period is based on the proportions of either the
square or the rectangle.
Hommaru – First Chamber
In the Hommaru or the protected central chambers of the castle, painted screens divide the rooms. These screens can be opened to
enlarge the rooms. The screens themselves have paintings depicting nature and other more
pastoral themes. This again gets back into the religious doctrine of the Shinto and Buddhist. There is a subtle art in the creation of spaces
with the warm glow. Translucent screens were used on the South and West walls to minimize
the effects of the sun.
Imperial Asia
Nijo – Shogun Chamber
The palace of the Shogun housed various chambers of utilitarian function. Each separate pavilion within the complex
houses multiple chambers. Each chamber was set up proportionally based on the Tatami. Painted wood screens depict
scenes of the bonsai. When the screens are opened the delineation of the spaces begins to blur. Free-flowing open plan allows for the flexibility of function.
Besides the decorative wood screens, the framed ceiling becomes coffered with inset
painted wood panels. The faming is all connected with brass fasteners bring color
and a detailed scale to the space.
Much like in Chinese Design, there had to be a connectivity or a flow of space to not allow for blockages of the natural energy. This lead to the screen design. Also, due to
the ties to nature and need of incorporating nature into the design,
sliding walls allowed for the visual and physical connection to the outside world,
while still being sheltered.
Nijo – First Chamber
• Nijo- Jo, Kyoto, Japan
• (1603)
Imperial Asia
•Ustad ‘Isa
• Taj Mahal, Agra, India (1626-1648)
The Taj Mahal stands on a raised plinth of white Marble, with its four corners
truncated, forming an unequal octogon. The design uses an interlocking
Arabesque pattern, in which each element stand on its own and also fits into a larger
system. The pattern uses a self replicating geometry and symmetry within
the whole complex. A large gate begins the approach that transcends through gardens and reflecting pools until you
arrive upon the main tomb.
Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide
moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in
1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim
Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after
giving birth to their 14th child. The death so crushed the emperor that all his hair
and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months
Taj Mahal
Imperial Asia
•Ustad ‘Isa
• Taj Mahal, Agra, India (1626-1648)
the Taj Mahal is a prime example of Islamic design during the period. This
complex features a symmetrical plan with the Mausoleum and Mosque anchor the
major axis and secondary entrance gates that anchor the minor axis. The plan of
the Mausoleum itself is perfectly symmetrical as well. Much attentions was
paid to the approach.
Taj Mahal – Mausoleum PlanTaj Mahal - Plan
Again the processional nature of the complex is emphasized by the symmetry.
The only real directional aspect in the Islamic faith is that followers must pray to
Mecca 5 times daily. So must religious complexes incorporate non-directional
space. A philosophy that differs from the Christian orientation practices of the major axis in the east/west direction.
Imperial Asia
•Ustad ‘Isa
•Taj Mahal, Agra, India (1626-1648)
Architects from Italy, Germany and India all worked together to build this complex. The tomb is
constructed of quartz and other precious stone. The main material used in the buildings was Indian Sandstone. It’s a soft limestone like stone with an
Orange/ Red finish. The detail was achieve with Ceramic inlays. The pointed archways are distinctly Muslim. The geometric patterning of the wall and ceilings shows the ability the Indian craftsmen had
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