This is a recording of the Royal Institute of British Architect’s ‘RIBA Hello China’ digital talk, held 5 December 2020. In this lecture, Professor Xing Ruan (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), discusses his work ‘Vitruvius’ Courtyard, Confucius’ Courtyard, and a Developing Story’.
From approximately 1000 BCE to 500 BCE, Chinese communities abandoned their subterranean huts to live in courtyard houses. At about the same time, those living along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, were also constructing courtyard houses. But neither the architectural writer Vitruvius nor philosopher Confucius offer any explanation of these “heavenly house on earth” in their respective regions. Instead, Vitruvius speaks about the public character of the ‘domus atrium’ – a Mediterranean home’s reception hall, and the owner’s civic duty, whilst Confucius teaches the meaning of social etiquette and morality through courtyard living.
Through his building project, the Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design, Xing Ruan embarks upon this developing story through this informative talk.
For more information on the RIBA China Chapter and upcoming events, visit us at: https://www.architecture.com/my-local-riba/riba-china-chapter
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