Lecture 09 | toad

CONTEXTURE

Firstly, let us have some introduction about the word “context”. Context in architecture referring, the traces of history and culture of particular places, that forms by the people of the society from the past until today, throughout all the eras. Context of a place, no doubt, is the combination of physical, social. Physical, as in... In geographically, weather, wind & sun path, orientation ect. Social as in the human behaviour, things they do, way they think, food they eat, culture they have, history the place have been through, etc.

Every place will be having their own particular senses of aura. Places will have the own distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by the history happened in there. It is actually not about the people, the building, or anything over there, it might not be seen, but it just can be felt.

Let introduce an example of me to describe my point of view about the topic today. 浮雲堂”Fu Yun Tang” at China, west lake. West lake is a freshwater lake in HangZhou, the capital of ZheJiang province in eastern China. West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics, and it has also been among the most important sources of inspiration for Chinese garden designer. The place is surrounded by the humanistic & art of Chinese culture aura. The aura is not naturally born with the place, but built by all the people and thing they did in the place from the past. This thing should be appreciated as it is a record of the history of the place.

Fu Yun Tang, a teahouse that’s located around West Lake.

The owner of Fu Yun Tang, who studied about historical literature, art & culture, knowing the historical background of West Lake, decided to continue the aura of art of the place with the art of tea and ceramic.

For the façade that facing the West Lake, he set a full height glass window to introduce in the beauty of West Lake into his tea house. This is to ensure that the visitor will not miss out “The Ten Scenes Of West Lake” even though they are inside the building.

Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring 蘇堤春曉

Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer 曲院風荷

Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn 平湖秋月

Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter 斷橋殘雪

Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset 雷峰夕照

Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds 雙峰插雲

Orioles Singing in the Willows 柳浪聞鶯

Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond 花港觀魚

Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon 三潭印月

Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill 南屏晚鐘

Meanwhile, for the interior and exterior of the building, he chooses to use majorly timber, bamboo and concrete wall, this is to blend in to the environment itself and to enhance the aura of the place which meets the background of the place. By doing this, we can say that, he introducing the physical site context to his building.

Besides, he believing that the activities in the building do gives effect for the entire building. That’s why he not only introducing the art of tea in the building, but also creating a study area for visitors, for them to get know more about the Chinese historical literature and art.

By doing this, he introduce the social site context into the building.