Researches On Communication And Influence Of Foreign Architecture In Lingnan

The Program aims to conduct systematic researches on the communication history andinfluence of the foreign architecture in Lingnan. The author, from the perspective of physicalbuilding forms and in view of the social development and cultural context of varioushistorical periods, analyzes the historical facts regarding the background, means,characteristics and influences of communication of foreign architecture in Lingnan, probesinto the interaction between Lingnan architecture and the foreign architecture, discloses theintrinsic mechanism and regularity of the communication and influence of the foreignarchitecture in Lingnan, and explores the development trend and countermeasures forinteraction between Lingnan architecture and the foreign architecture within the context ofglobalization.The Paper diachronically divides the communication history and influence of foreignarchitecture in Lingnan into three phases. Phase I, the ancient times, is from the mid16thcentury to1840and represents the period when the foreign architecture was firstly introducedto Lingnan. Phase II, the early modern times, is from1840to1949and represents the periodwhen the foreign architecture and Lingnan architecture met and blended with each other.Phase III is from1949to present and represents the period when the foreign architecture andLingnan architecture integrate and coexist with each other.In ancient times, the communication and influence of the foreign architecture in Lingnanwere limited to two areas, i.e. Macao (the western-style buildings were gradually introducedto Macao since it had been held on lease by the Portuguese in1557) and The ThirteenFactories in the Thirteen Merchants trade period during the Qing Dynasty (the western-stylebuildings were introduced to Guangzhou during the construction of these factories for thewestern countries). Although the western-style buildings introduced to Lingnan in ancienttimes represented a completely different architecture other than the local one, thecommunication and influence range of such buildings were still very limited and exerted nofundamental influence on traditional Lingnan architecture as result of various constraints atthat time and the self-contained system of such foreign buildings.In early modern times and thanks to the eastward communication of western culture,foreign culture began to exert all-around influences on Lingnan region, including its socialvalues, thoughts, ideas, lifestyles, religion belief and language. The foreign architecture inLingnan saw its communication range expanding from central cities to hometowns of overseaChinese like Wuyi, Chaoshan, Meizhou. Its influences on Lingnan architecture worked on the aspects of urban construction, architectural typology, building form and constructiontechnology. Meanwhile, such influence has penetrated gradually from the external form andmaterialistic level into the thinking level, and started to play a nonnegligible role in evolutionof Lingnan architecture in the early modern times.In late modern times, the interaction between Lingnan and the foreign architecture hasbeen increasingly enhanced. In1950s, the creation and exploration of modern Lingnanarchitecture have already revealed the influence of the western modern architecture. From1960s to1980s, the design creation integrated the western modern architecture withtraditional Lingnan courtyard thus produced quite a number of excellent modern buildings oflocal characteristics. After1990s, along with the globalization paces and the introduction ofdiverse architecture thoughts from the western world, plus the continuous emergence of worksby foreign architects, architecture in Lingnan gradually entered an era of diversifieddevelopment.The Paper discusses the practices of foreign architects in contemporary Lingnan,including Guangzhou Gymnasium designed by Paul Andreu, a world-renowned Frencharchitect, and Guangzhou Opera House designed by British architect Zaha Hadid. Asanalyzed, the practices of foreign architects in Lingnan introduced the diverse westernarchitectural theories and design approaches into Lingnan in a more direct andstraight-forward manner, but led to both positive and negative impacts, which should beviewed dialectically and rationally.Based on study on the basis of established foreign architectural culture in Lingnan spreadand effect of paradigm, the paper summarize and reveals the foreign architectural culture inLingnan and dissemination of the basic law, and points out that in the context of globalizationforeign architectural culture dissemination of diversity, as well as the architectural culturalconvergence phenomenon. Therefore, to realize sustainable development of Lingnanarchitecture, the corresponding architectural creation should set foot in Lingnan in the firstplace, then benefit from the traditional architecture and explore the modern representation ofits core spirit.