Architectural History Research Articles

SYNTHESIS OF NATIONAL AND WESTERN TRADITION IN EARLY EXAMPLES OF JAPANESE MODERNISM (THE CASE OF WORLD PEACE MEMORIAL CATHEDRAL IN HIROSHIMA)

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the existing influences of traditional Japanese architecture in the modernist World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima built after the atomic bombing in Hiroshima on the site of the Noboricho Catholic Church destroyed by the explosion, designed by the architect Togo Murano (using some of the competition ideas of the Kenzo Tange project). According to the results of the study, it was found that the architecture of the World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima in Hiroshima represents a synthesis of the traditions of European Romanesque, the Japanese tradition of temple building, and the actual style of modernism, transformed through the prism of the creative manner of the talented architect of Japan of his time, Togo Murano, who had a huge experience in creating architecture with reminiscences of various , both Japanese and European styles of the past and present. In particular, it was established that the general planning and composition of the cathedral is close to the style of basilica churches of European Romanesque, taking into account the simplified global forms of modernism. At the same time, the appearance on the facade of the cathedral of its frame structure and a number of decoration elements refers to the tradition of ancient Japanese architecture, which is especially noticeable in the decoration of the main facade in the form of Japanese carved partitions, which, however, in accordance with the ideas of modernism, are made of concrete. From the results of the work, it is generally clear that Japanese modernism, from the very beginning of its spread in Japan, fundamentally differed from Europe, as it did not accept the idea manifested by European modernism of a complete rejection of traditional form-making. On the contrary, modernism in Japan actively used the national tradition as a basis for ideas.

Colombian Pavilions. Showcases of Nature Between 1851 and 2015

This article compiles Colombia's participation in universal and international exhibitions to uncover a specific, fragmented, and lesser-known genealogy of national architectural history. By conceptualizing container and content as integral to the same narrative, this study analyzes forms, objects, and texts that reference the natural landscape of the homeland as an alternative approach to the predominant chronological, stylistic, or technological studies within this typology. The proposed categorization of these ephemeral showcases, based on enduring anthropological discourses on nature, offers an alternative pedagogical resource and dissemination method that encourages transdisciplinary and performative interpretations, opening new avenues of exploration within the discipline.

Deep learning-based automated tile defect detection system for Portuguese cultural heritage buildings

A prominent feature in Portuguese historic architecture is Portugal’s azulejos or tiles that cover cultural heritage buildings with colorful patterns. However, tiles are prone to deterioration due to the quality of masonry materials, exposure over time, and natural and human factors. A careful approach is necessary to detect and assess tile damage in time to conserve cultural heritage. Deep learning (DL) methods are applied to detect deterioration and damage by automating vision-based monitoring. This study uses the You Only Look Once (YOLO), method to detect deterioration in tiles automatically. To obtain the initial dataset, over 5000 images of damage were collected, including cracks, craters, glaze detachment, and tile lacunae, as well as images with no defects. Additionally, a MobileNet model was used for binary classification of damaged and intact tiles to compare classification and detection approaches. Through the fine-tuning of hyperparameters and updating the dataset, an overall accuracy of over 72% for YOLO (multiple classification) and 97% accuracy for binary classification was achieved, demonstrating the adequacy of the tool for real-world applications.

Apotheosis of a Silesian miner

Director Kazimierz Kutz’s third instalment of the legendary Silesian Trilogy, The Beads of One Rosary, chronicles the destruction not only of the historic architecture of Giszowiec (Katowice), but also the tragic downfall of the film’s protagonist, a retired coal miner and socialist labour hero, Karol Habryka. The following article examines his status as a non-mythical but not pure scapegoat figure and thus as a victim of the successful collective persecution carried out by the Communist regime in Poland. When studied in tandem with the Girardian theory of victimization, in particular, as applied to the biblical story of Job, Habryka’s death restores peace to a community fraught with discord, leading in turn to his deification by the persecutors, a mechanistic process favoured by totalitarian systems in times of crisis.

The Architectural Christian Spolia in Early Medieval Iberia: Reflections between Material Reuse and Cultural Appropriation

The reuse of construction materials has been a consistent practice throughout the history of architecture, especially prevalent during periods of transition when it was preferred for its ability to simplify installation and reduce construction costs. This practice was particularly common in late Roman urban contexts, where construction materials, especially ashlar and sculptural elements, were abundant following the abandonment of temples and public buildings. However, there are occasions when the use of spolia, or reused materials, goes beyond simple material recycling. The reuse and display of certain pieces carry complex implications involving symbology, cultural appropriation, or collective memory exercises that convey messages through new buildings. In this paper, we focus on the unique case of Hispanic Christian architectural sculptures that were “recycled” in new buildings during the first centuries of Islamic domination of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically within places of worship. Through a general analysis and review of some examples, we aim to reflect on the motivations and intentionality behind the use of certain sculptural pieces and their placement in new buildings, which is not arbitrary.

Study on the Development Status and Prospects of Public History in Contemporary China

Public history is a combination of traditional historiography popularization, in which many topics related to social practice may arise. Public history is beneficial for improving the knowledge level of the general public. The United States was the first to begin the study of public history, and then public history was introduced to China. The development of Chinese public history is reflected in various film and television historiography, and has been integrated into the daily lives of the general public. The development of contemporary Chinese public history is also reflected in museum historical architecture and folk genealogy. The main reason for the rise of Chinese historiography is that the general public has increasingly high demands for spiritual nourishment, and there are more and more educated people. Public history has gained a lot of attention in this environment. The dissemination of works that combine many historical themes has aroused strong interest among the public. After two launches of public history in China, public history experienced an outbreak in the second round. The government and the public paid more attention to topics related to public history, which made the development of public history more prosperous.

Vernacular classicism and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus: the architectural imaginary of a Danish interwar crematorium

Abstract This article discusses a crematorium inaugurated in 1923 in the municipal Northern Cemetery (Nordre Kirkegård) of Aarhus as a case of vernacular classicism in interwar Denmark. While earlier works by its architect Sophus Frederik Kühnel (1851–1930) followed National Romantic, Renaissance, and Gothic models, the crematorium stands out because of its crowning feature, a stepped pyramid roof that emulates one of the most characteristic architectural elements of the mid-fourth-century BCE Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, described by Pliny the Elder (HN 36.31) and other ancient authors. This reference to one of the most famous funerary monuments from classical antiquity is both functionally and symbolically appropriate in a cemetery setting and also fits into a longer history of ‘Mausoleumania’, both in Denmark and internationally. Furthermore, it reflects a broader architectural movement of vernacular, ‘Nordic’ classicism during the interwar period, when local architects ‘translated’ classical elements into the vernacular, for example, through prominent use of brickwork and eclectic combinations of classical motifs with both medieval and National Romantic forms. Kühnel’s crematorium shows some of the creative ways in which Scandinavian architects freely adapted distinctive elements from the repertoire of classical architecture, in this case in response to the rise of cremation.

A FRCM technique for strengthening of masonry domes against near-fault pulse-like vertical excitations

Masonry domes have been used extensively in historic architecture, covering large interior spaces in structures ranging from temples, mausoleums, palaces and fortresses to baths, churches, and mosques. This research is motivated by the post-earthquake observations following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, which revealed significant structural damage to masonry domes caused by near-fault pulse-like horizontal and vertical ground motions. Previous studies in the literature have not investigated the impact of near-fault pulse-like vertical and horizontal ground motions on the seismic performance of masonry domes. This paper aims to explore the impact of the vertical component on the seismic damage behavior of masonry domes subjected to near-fault pulse-like ground motions. Additionally, it seeks to propose a cost-effective seismic strengthening technique characterized by minimal intervention, improved workability, and reduced cost. A 3D finite element model of a masonry dome with a drum was created using the isotropic continuum macro modeling technique with homogenized properties. The Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model was selected as the nonlinear material model. Near-fault pulse-like vertical and horizontal ground motions recorded during the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquake (M7.7) were chosen for the nonlinear analysis. Initially, displacements, tensile strains, and damage patterns of masonry domes subjected to near-fault pulse-like vertical and horizontal ground motions were obtained and thoroughly evaluated for V/H (the peak vertical ground acceleration to the peak horizontal ground acceleration ratio) ratios of 0.0, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25. Subsequently, seismic analyses were conducted on masonry domes strengthened with four different Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Mortar (FRCM) configurations under near-fault pulse-like excitations with a V/H ratio of 1.25 to propose an optimal strengthening technique.

Towards an Effective Architectural Form: The Composition of Squareness and Roundness Based on Scale Proportion—Evidence from the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda

Investigating the mathematical and geometric principles embedded in ancient classic architecture is a significant tradition in the history of architectural development. Drawing inspiration from the modular design and creative ideology based on the geometric proportions of squareness and roundness in ancient Chinese architecture, we propose a new mode of squareness and roundness composition based on scale proportion specifically for the design of multi-story buildings. Taking Yingxian Wooden Pagoda as the case study, we not only re-evaluate the modular system and proportional rules followed in the design of the entire pagoda, but also reveal the technical approaches and geometric rules for effectively controlling the form of multi-story buildings. In particular, the mode of squareness and roundness composition based on scale proportion, utilizing a modular grid combined with squareness and roundness drawings as decision-making tools, can control the scale and proportion of buildings across different design dimensions and organically coordinate the design of multi-story buildings’ plans and elevations. Thus, it can achieve an effective balance of multi-story architectural forms. This study has potential applications in the creation of traditional multi-story buildings and heritage restoration projects, and offers valuable insights for future research on ancient multi-story buildings.

Survey as method: field trips of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture, 1930–1937

In 1932, the Society for the Research in Chinese Architecture (SRCA) undertook a field trip to the Dule Temple, a Buddhist temple complex located 100 km from Beijing. Led by the Ivy-League trained Liang Sicheng, this survey opened up a new chapter for research into historic architecture in China. Supplemented by a series of other field trips, the Society sought to understand the constructional logic of ancient Chinese timber structures, and to communicate their findings in texts and drawings to architects, scholars, and the wider public, both in China and internationally. In order to explore these field trips, their methods and techniques, findings and dissemination, this article uses various outputs produced by the Society alongside photographs, drawings, and descriptions of the work undertaken on site. Set within the context of a nascent national identity that was in flux during the Republican period in China (1928–1937), this article considers surveying as a fundamental research method to record historic buildings, enable cross-examination with literature sources, and synthesise evidence for a new generation of Chinese scholars and architects.

Application of 3D laser scanning technology for mapping and accuracy assessment of the point cloud model for the Great Achievement Palace heritage building

Heritage buildings represent history and act as vessels of human civilisation. The significance of these architectural phenomena increases as society increases, which renders their preservation and ethical use increasingly crucial. Hence, preserving heritage buildings is necessary for societal benefit. The accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) point cloud models of heritage buildings is important to their digital conservation. Traditional mapping methods typically require more time and human resources. Furthermore, the outcome is subject to measurement omissions, errors, and other issues, which are contrary to the protection of the object measured. The complex elements of ancient Chinese architecture render it challenging for traditional measuring techniques to accurately capture spatial structural information. The 3D laser scanning technology is a novel technology to obtain 3D data rapidly. In this paper, the Great Achievement Palace of the Confucian Temple in Yuci District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, was used as an example to examine the application of 3D laser scanning technology to acquire point cloud models of heritage buildings. Field data collection for architectural heritage using 3D laser scanning technology requires measuring station setting analysis to ensure effect accuracy while considering the elements of target location and quantity. For the 3D point cloud model of the Great Achievement Palace, error analysis and accuracy assessment were conducted on the quality elements of alignment accuracy between scanning stations, point cloud model reliability, point cloud data noise condition, and whether the point cloud data were stratified. The findings demonstrated that the improved method quickly and accurately acquired 3D point cloud model data and obtained realistic spatial data models of the heritage building.

Research on the Digital Preservation of Architectural Heritage Based on Virtual Reality Technology

As a representative of the scientific and technological achievements of the new era, the overall development of virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming increasingly refined, which provides new development ideas and technical support in the field of ancient building restoration and architectural heritage preservation. In this context, digital conservation and the practice of architectural heritage have become important focuses of application in the industry. This paper starts from the core concept of VR technology, analyzes the value of the application of VR technology in the protection of ancient architecture, puts forward relevant suggestions and technical application methods, and takes Red Pagoda in Fuliang County as an example. In this sense, virtual reality technology is used to restore and protect the buildings, forming a digital heritage of ancient architecture. This study first utilizes a three-dimensional laser scanning instrument to collect point cloud data, and then the plane graph is drawn by measurement. Then, an Architectural Heritage Building Information Model is created, and comprehensive information on historical buildings is integrated. Finally, VR technology is used to show the effect of digital display and preservation. This study transforms architectural cultural heritage into a shareable and renewable digital form through restoration and reproduction, interpreting and utilizing it from a new perspective and providing new ideas and methods for architectural heritage conservation.

From finance to legacy: Exploring Bank of China’s modern buildings as serial cultural heritage

In the early 20th century, China underwent profound societal transformations across cultural, political, economic, and military domains, culminating in the birth of its first national bank, the Bank of China. Enduring for over a century, the Bank of China stands as a testament to the emergence and evolution of a modern nation-state. The edifices housing this paramount institution, as well as their geographical locations and architectural designs, serve as prime examples for studying modern Chinese architecture and social history. This article, rooted in field surveys, traces the development history and current conservation status of the 26 existing Bank of China buildings. It analyzes their locations, construction backgrounds, architectural features, and functional uses. Through an assessment of the historical, artistic, scientific, and socio-cultural values of these bank buildings, this study employs the perspective of “serial cultural heritage” to propose a value-based thematic interpretation aimed at revitalization. In particular, it accentuates that analyses and interpretation of values are fundamental prerequisites for rebuilding and displaying the cultural identity of these buildings.

The Phylogeography of Deciduous Tree Ulmus macrocarpa (Ulmaceae) in Northern China

Disentangling how climate oscillations and geographical events significantly influence plants’ genetic architecture and demographic history is a central topic in phytogeography. The deciduous ancient tree species Ulmus macrocarpa is primarily distributed throughout Northern China and has timber and horticultural value. In the current study, we studied the phylogenic architecture and demographical history of U. macrocarpa using chloroplast DNA with ecological niche modeling. The results indicated that the populations’ genetic differentiation coefficient (NST) value was significantly greater than the haplotype frequency (GST) (p < 0.05), suggesting that U. macrocarpa had a clear phylogeographical structure. Phylogenetic inference showed that the putative chloroplast haplotypes could be divided into three groups, in which the group Ⅰ was considered to be ancestral. Despite significant genetic differentiation among these groups, gene flow was detected. The common ancestor of all haplotypes was inferred to originate in the middle–late Miocene, followed by the haplotype overwhelming diversification that occurred in the Quaternary. Combined with demography pattern and ecological niche modeling, we speculated that the surrounding areas of Shanxi and Inner Mongolia were potential refugia for U. macrocarpa during the glacial period in Northern China. Our results illuminated the demography pattern of U. macrocarpa and provided clues and references for further population genetics investigations of precious tree species distributed in Northern China.

Seventeenth-century Seville houses: a survey by the Alarife Juan De Legarra (1637)

Despite the wealth of preserved information, research on the domestic architecture of Seville has been limited. Much of this historical data is available in survey books that were formally compiled in Seville from the Modern Age onwards. These books had detailed descriptions and sometimes illustrations provided by surveyors who were commissioned by owners or tenants.The intention of this study is to illustrate that the information contained in building surveys goes beyond simple descriptions or measurements often accompanied by drawings. They are a comprehensive account that, even centuries later, help reconstruct the architecture, material culture and everyday life that no longer exist. Our research contributes to the understanding of the domestic architectural history of Seville by focusing on one specific survey (a collection of drawings and a written description) extracted from the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas Collection, which is found in the Seville Provincial Council Archive. At least one of the drawings and the written survey can be attributed to the Alarife (architect or master builder) Juan de Legarra, who signed them in 1637.This research explores the architectural development of the city, offering fresh insights into its architecture, heritage, and history. It supplements existing historical, visual, and written records derived from prior studies with a meticulously curated bibliography. Additionally, it uses visualisation techniques to reconstruct buildings, augmenting the research.This endeavour has yielded anticipated benefits, particularly in facilitating visual analysis. The surveys have proven to be invaluable for historical inquiry, yielding unexpected insights through the thorough analysis of both written and graphic sources which serve as a basis for hypothetical construction plans due to their detailed descriptions. Furthermore, this study has contributed to enriching both historical and architectural terminology.The incorporation of digital technologies into this architectural context allows us to expand our knowledge through the exhaustive compilation of building records. It also facilitates in-depth analysis of architecture, which could result in an up-to-date architectural catalogue that would stimulate interest in preserving a legacy that, until recently, was at risk of being lost.

Classroom architecture and the gaze. Beyond the Panopticon

ABSTRACT This article begins by considering the radical changes that occurred in architecture throughout the twentieth century due to the influence of Le Corbusier and the ensuing movement of modernism. Though the building of schools was embroiled in this architectural movement, the classrooms within them remained broadly the same as they had been in the previous century, something that might pose a limit to the forms of education that take place within. Classrooms are then explored in the article in terms of their design and symbolic functions, both of which pertain to questions concerned with light, seeing, and the gaze. The article then introduces two key concepts that are useful for considering the gaze, Foucault’s Panopticon and Lacan’s psychoanalysis, to engage with the classroom architecture. Finally, the article proposes a rethinking of classroom architecture to encourage new forms of learning to take place.

Building the Nation in Stone and Wood. Restorations and Writings about Historical Monuments in the First Half of the Twentieth Century in Romania

The paper looks at restoration and preservation practices and at art history writings to explore attitudes and mentalities in the first decades of the twentieth century in Romania. It deciphers the creation of an architectural heritage and the meanings of writings about and restoring historical monuments in a young nation-state that expanded significantly after World War I. Some of the major restoration sites in Romania, around 1900, are analysed together with several of the architectural history writings of the interwar period that reveal a growing turn to nationalism in the Romanian cultural and political spheres.

A newly developed 10 kA-level HTS conductor: innovative tenon-mortise-based modularized conductor (TMMC) based on China ancient architecture

We proposed a new type of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) conductor concept: modularized conductors (MCs) connected by Chinese traditional tenon-mortise (TM) connection structure, referred as TMMC (tenon-mortise modularized conductor). The conductor consisted of multiple concentric round sub-conductors with slots for stacking rare-earth-barium-copper-oxide (REBCO) tapes. Innovatively, the REBCO stacks in the adjacent sub-conductors were arranged with the fully-misaligned configuration to enhance the critical current’s isotropy with respect to magnetic field and reduce ac loss. For example, the angle between the adjacent stacks in the two adjacent sub-conductors was 45° if each sub-conductor contains 4 REBCO stacks. In order to construct the fully-misaligned configuration, the sub-conductors were designed with two open half-circular formers and connected by TM structure which makes the conductor modularized and simply to assembly and disassembly. Based on the design concept, a prototype conductor containing 160 REBCO tapes distributed in the four concentric sub-conductors was fabricated. The conductor’s measured critical current was 13.69 kA at 77 K and self-field, which was consistent to the simulation result. In order to further improve the TMMC’s engineering critical current density (J ce) and bending performance, we proposed two enhancement approaches: reducing the former’s thickness and re-arrange stacks in the outer sub-conductors. With the enhancements, both TMMC’s radius and J ce were comparable to the existing slotted-core conductor. The study shows the TMMC’s advantages of non-twisted structures, easy assembly, high-current carrying and low ac losses, which made it promising for constructing large-scale scientific devices.

URBAN + INTERIOR

The conjunction ‘urban + interior’ brings together two conditions which are often posed as dichotomies. Here rather than a relation of either/or – either interior or urban – the relation is one of addition, of putting together in a propositional manner. Making relations between interior and urban is not new, and especially not in the discourse of interior design and interior architecture. The writings of the philosopher Walter Benjamin are often cited in histories and theories of interiors – dynamics between interior and urban expressed in the relation between the private interior of the collector and the urban industrial city; the flâneur’s urban meanderings and outside-in gaze. Over a hundred years later, the question of how to inhabit the urban is still pertinent but the conditions are different. Delineations of private and public, spatial and temporal relations inflected by industrialisation, globalisation, migration and digital technologies have transformed interior and urban environments. The proposition of the conjunction urban + interior posed in the current issue of this journal invites consideration and experimentation in relation to questions of inhabitation in urban environments and how might the urban infiltrate interior environments. This involves not only thinking about the conjunction coming from interior design in relation to the urban but also the transformation of the interior by the urban. The photographs and writings of Mark Pimlott, addressing the issue of interior territories and the public interior, and the architectural historian Charles Rice and his work on interior urbanism are significant contemporary contributions to and examples of the criticality and potential of this conjunction.

Sarayköy Halkevi Building According to Presidential State Archive Documents

With this article, the Sarayköy Halkevi Building, which has not survived to the present day, has been included in the art and architectural history inventory for the first time based on the documents of the Presidential State Archives. The text of the article consists of five sections in general terms. In the introduction section, information about the general course and sections of the article is given, and in the second section, the phenomenon of public houses in general and the establishment process of public houses are mentioned. In the third section, which can also be considered as a catalog, the establishment of Sarayköy Halkevi and the architectural features of the Halkevi building are mentioned. In the fourth section, comparisons are made with other public house buildings that have survived / not survived to the present day, and in the conclusion section, the original value of the study is mentioned.