Space structure of the Garden of Pleasance in the context of traditional private gardens of Suzhou

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of space structure of the Garden of Pleasance. The history of the appearance of the complex is described. The article explores the history of the formation of the planning structure, which consists of two parts: East - the former Wu Guan estate, West - a new site, built at the end of the XIX century. The principles of garden design and its main elements are considered, citation and cultural borrowing of elements from the famous gardens of the city of Suzhou are shown. The estate consists of several spaces, and has a traditional layout for private gardens of Jiangnan. The main volume with a large pond located in the eastern zone is bordered by several smaller sections. The estate also became the center of development of the traditional musical art of playing Qin (guqin), which contributed to the development of music throughout the Jiangnan region. The syntactic analysis of gardens helps to understand space structure, to identify the basic spatial elements and the relationships between them. Many elements of the garden have from one to three topological connections with the surrounding architectural elements. The set of basic space structures of the garden is not diverse in comparison with other private gardens in Suzhou. There are: Hall, Pavilion, Gallery, Entry group, Room and Veranda. The combination of methods and techniques of the two Ming and Qing dynasties created an unusual space structure of the garden, consisting mainly of secluded places.