An Reflection And Analysis On The Values System Of Landscape Architecture

The Chinese landscape architecture industry has gradually stepped into a new historical period in the context of globalization and social transformation since the late1990s. On one hand, prosperity of economy and the improvement of environmental awareness bring an unprecedented rapid development of the industry and a lot of construction is undergoing like a raging fire.On the other hand, behind the prosperity of practical area, uneven result of construction confirms two facts:one fact is the hysteresis of theoretical research of contemporary landscape architecture, the other fact is the confusion and lack of core values. The research on the main values system of landscape architecture which can guide the contemporary practices of landscape architecture is becoming the imminent subject.This research started from the subjects which are closely related to the development of landscape architecture, for example, philosophy, aesthetics, sociology, ecology, environmental ethics, etc., clarified the composition of the main values system and the developing process of the associated values through the combining of garden history. The similarities and differences of the essence between Chinese and Western culture and historical garden were also discussed. Further test on the theory of core values system in practice was made based on my own participation.Based on combing and summarizing the historical development of landscape architecture's core values, this article indicated that the contemporary core values system of landscape architecture should include four parts which respectively are aesthetic and artistic, social, ecological and cultural values, and obtained a certain valuable research results as follows:1) The evolution course for the main values of landscape architecture was reviewed systematically. At first the aesthetic goal was to be supreme, in1890s social care came from the desire of freedom and democracy, in1960s the ecological concern emerged under the background of environmental crisis, and now the regional culture is proposed under the trend of globalization. From be born up to nowadays, the main values of landscape architecture experience four stages:the stage of aesthetic and artistic, social, ecological and cultural values. The development of values is not a process that latter replaced the former, but superposed each other.2) A series of comparison was conducted between the essence of Chinese and Western culture and historical garden. This article tried to stand at the height of philosophy to discuss the similarities and differences of origin of values under their totally different appearances.3) Based on philosophical cognitive system, this article constructed the contemporary core values system of landscape architecture in order to provide a guide to current practices.