Research On Morphology Of Modern Architecture And Its Evolution In Zhenjiang

The modern times of Zhenjiang starts in1861when the city was opened up to foreign trade, and endsin1949when People’s Republic of China was founded. During the modernization process of Zhenjiang agreat number of modern architectures of various types and prominent characteristics emerged. They showthe modern features in artistic style, space form, model characteristics, material and structure, andconstruction ways, etc. They reflect from one side the modernization process of Zhenjiang, and own highvalues of history, culture and architectural art. There were a lot of modern architectures in Zhenjiang,however many of them were demolished, reconstructed or abandoned because of the ruin of Anti-JapaneseWar period and the fast development of the urbanization process after the foundation of China, so theconservation situation is not optimistic and these valuable architectural heritages urgently need researchand conservation.This dissertation takes the modern architecture in Zhenjiang as the research object, and by extensivefield work and abundant data collection, the first-hand mapping and drawing data are obtained, and therelative research theories and methods are applied such as architectural morphology, science ofarchitectural culture, typology and structuralism. The form of architecture is the main research content.Base on sorting and summarizing the modern history, society, culture and developing background of theZhenjiang city, two aspects are analyzed: morphological characteristics of modern architecture inZhenjiang (synchronic research) and the evolution process of the architectural form (diachronic research).The specific content of the morphological research includes architectural style, architectural space form,architectural model characteristics and construction patterns. On the basis of that, the dissertation analyzesthe evolution character, evolution ways and causes, so as to make a comprehensive and systematiccognition of the form and its evolution of the modern architecture in Zhenjiang.By the systematic research on the modern architecture in Zhenjiang, the dissertation determines thefinalized “basic model” of Zhenjiang architecture in modern times, and regards the form of modernarchitecture in Zhenjiang as “four styles” and “seven spatial patterns”, and consider that the architecturalmodel generally adopts the “eclectic” design method and the construction way is localized and advanced.Therefore the complete gene pool of architecture in Zhenjiang is established.The thesis puts forward that the evolution process of modern architecture of Zhenjiang shows an“atypical” and “localized evolution” way. On one hand, the “westernized” evolution of traditionalarchitecture of Zhenjiang occurs on the foundation of architectural model elements and constructiontechniques, and meanwhile western architectural styles starts the “localized” evolution with Colonial styleas the forerunner and imitated western style as the main part. On the other hand, the modernizedtransformation of architecture in late modern times is not thoroughgoing, as no typical modern architecturalstyle is formed. The research provides the similar small and mid-sized cities in China with a positivethought of the conservation and development of modern architecture.The dissertation summarizes that the evolution route of modern architecture in Zhenjiang takes a “dualsector” way. The evolution way shows a trait of “from bottom to up” in the initial and middle stage and inthe late stage mainly a trait of “from up to bottom”. It provides an important reference for the research onarchitecture’s start (the transformation of traditional architecture), finalization and evolution of small andmid-sized cities in China in modern times.