Research On Spatial Morphology Evolution Of Traditional Downtown In Taiyuan Zhonglou Street

Zhonglou Street,which is located in the downtown area of Taiyuan,has been a commercial center of the city since its formation in the Song Dynasty.As a representative of Taiyuan Traditional Commercial Street,Zhonglou Street not only has high commercial value,but also has a profound value of cultural heritage.Historical blocks can reflect the developmental characteristics of the city during a certain historical period.Studying historical blocks in the context of urban research is an ideal research scale for analyzing the evolution of urban form at the micro level.Therefore,the study of the spatial form of Zhonglou Street and surrounding roadways is an important way to understand the development and evolution of Taiyuan City,and it will also help to promote the revival of historical districts.The research object of this paper is the street space and surrounding streets and buildings of Zhonglou Street in Taiyuan City.The limited time horizon of the study originated from the development of Taiyuan's commercial modernization,which began in 1907 when the Zhengtai Railway and Tongpu Railway were opened to traffic.Therefore,the time range of this study has beenfrom 1907 to the present.Research methods include field research,historical research and typology.Through the collection and analysis of historical documents,supplemented by field research interviews,the process of spatial evolution of neighborhoods is discussed from the perspectives of architecture,sociology and history,and the internal evolution characteristics and driving forces of neighborhood patterns are summarized.Based on the characteristics of the stage shape of street space in different periods,this study divides the process of spatial form change of Zhonglou Street into three stages: Street Construction Development Period(1907-1949),Street Revitalization Period(1949-1990)and Street Protection Transition Period(1990-present).The status of the street is the result of the intertwined evolution of different historical stages,forming a collage pattern.At the same time,through the analysis of the overall shape of the block and the elements of the street in each period,it can be found that the overall stage renewal process of the block presents a reciprocal update phenomenon that spreads from the core to both ends and gradually spreads back to the central area.In addition,political,economic,social and cultural factors have alternated in different historical stages to become the main driving force for the change of block form.In short,the internal spatial structure of the block is relatively stable,and the surface form elements develop into potential new forms in the process of adapting to the ever-changing functions,forming a phenomenon in which the old and new forms overlap and merge with each other.It is especially important to study the process of change in the overall shape of the block and the dynamic mechanism behind it from the perspective of historical development in the critical time point when Zhonglou Street is included in the historical and cultural protection zone.This study will provide preliminary research results for the study of the historical evolution of other similar traditional commercial streets in China,and provide reference materials for the next transformation of Zhonglou Street.