Reconsideration Of Beijing Courtyard

“Tradition is like a road. Every time we look back, we could see where we started andwhere we would go.” Inheriting the culture of traditional Chinese architecture and connectingit to contemporary practice of modern architecture is what I have been putting effort to for along time. With expectation of “Chinese and New”, I hope a deeper understanding of theculture of traditional Chinese architecture could be realized through the exploration in thisresearch. There are numerals researches in Beijing courtyard, but most of those researches arehistorical objective descriptions or from the aspect of renovation, which are lack of anappropriate view.This research tries to change the previous way. Drawing support from the relationshipbetween traditional Chinese culture and “line”, making this the entry point of this research,this dissertation will take a unique perspective in observing the spatial form of Beijingcourtyard by taking “line” as the recognizing viewpoint. Taking spatial morphology ofarchitecture as a direction, this research establishes the conceptual system of “line” in thespace of Beijing courtyard, finding out all kinds of “line” in it.This research has the following parts:Firstly, this article starts from the concept. The concept of “shape” and “form” will bedifferentiated, and the category of spatial form will be addressed. Then, the research discussesabout “line”, which is extracted from abstract geometric, in Beijing courtyard in an angle ofspatial form. The concept of “line” in this research will be clarified and classified.“Line”exists in the way of element and structure of spatial form respectively, which could beclassified into four types: linear space, linear components, linear combination, and linearlogic.The second part is the main part of this research.“Lines” in the spatial organization ofBeijing courtyard are found out and organized, sorting out each of them, analyzing thecharacter of form and its role. For the linear spaces, the following factors are selected: Hutong,wall, and corridors. For the linear logic, the following factors are selected: axis, flow lines,and the contour lines. Then,“lines” in single buildings will be extracted. Linear componentsare selected as truss, pane, and decoration. Linear combinations are selected as column plinth,corrugate tile, and cornice/ridge. All of these factors will be discussed respectively.At last, through summarizing the way of construction and important role of “lines” inspatial form in Beijing courtyard, make people re-recognize the performance characteristic.Then, a conclusion is addressed that the Beijing courtyard is composed based on “line”.