Four Principles of Normative Architecture of China

Abstract

China's normative or "guanshi" architecture, along with vernacular architecture, is one of the two most important components of Chinese traditional architecture. The term "guanshi" consists of two characters: 官 guan - administrative, official; and 式 shi - norm, type. "Guanshi" architecture complies with certain government regulations, the observance of which was given special attention by the imperial court.

Belonging to the category of normative architecture was not associated with the function of buildings, as well as with their geographicallocation in the territory of the Celestial Empire.

In this study, China's normative architecture is viewed as a single phenomenon, based on four basic principles: modularity, hierarchy, spatial regularity and unity of numerical and geometric proportions. The article briefly discloses the content of these principles, examines the process of forming a normative architecture, which began at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennia BC. and ended by the 6th century AD. The connection between the four principles and various aspects of the traditional Chinese worldview is identified. The successive nature of development of the normative architecture is revealed. Besides, it is shown why an architecture that does not possess one or several basic principles cannot be classified as normative and how, in this case, its nature changes.