The Winners!
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2023
First Prize Winners
Yu ZHANG, Rui MA, Shiyu HE & Fan YU
China
Yu ZHANG
Teaching at the School of Architecture in Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, China since 2010, Prof. Yu ZHANG has a broad range of research interests, from the traditional Chinese wooden buildings to the modern industrial heritage.
Rui MA
Rui Ma is a fresh graduate with degree of B. Arch from Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China, now pursuing the master’s degree of architecture at École national supérieure d’architecture Paris-Malaquais in Paris, France.
Shiyu HE
Shiyu He was a graduate with a bachelor's degree in architecture of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China. Throughout her academic journey, she often actives in a sort of community renovation projects to present her enthusiasm for history and the humanities.
Fan YU
Fan YU is a National First-Class Registered Architect in China. He once worked for China Southwest Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd. He also served as the chairman of Zhiyuan Charity and organized the Zhiyuan Library International College Student Architectural Design Competition. Now he is a freelance architect and runs a B&B in Ya'an, China.
Please introduce yourself briefly and provide some insights into your background in architectural history.
What motivated you to participate in the History of Architecture Essay Competition 2023?
• Our team consists of four members: an associate professor (ZHANG Yu), two graduate students (MA Rui & HE Shiyu), and a first-class registered architect (YU Fan). Prof. Zhang devoted himself in the field of architectural history for two decades, while the other three members keep an interest in architectural history in the recent two years.
• It is the registered architect Mr. Yu who suggested to participate in this competition, so we established our team. We thought this “essay” competition is challenging and interesting, because both the academic knowledge of architectural history and graphic design ability is required. And we believe learning from history could be of vital help in understanding what we’re going through and where we’re going to.
Essay Overview:
• Could you provide an overview of your winning essay on temple architecture in the context of human civilization's history?
• How does your essay shed light on the evolution of temple architecture over different civilizations and time periods?
• Share the inspiration behind your essay and any unique challenges you encountered during the research and writing process.
• The starting point of our winning essay is English word TEMPLE, because we think its meaning is worth for elaborating. When we mention the word TEMPLE in Chinese language (sì miào), we usually refer to the Buddhist and Daoist temple. But in English, the word TEMPLE was originated from the Latin word templum, with its specific set of meanings for the religion of the ancient Rome. However, the word has now become widely used to describe various architecture from the Parthenon in Greece to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It inspired us to write our essay in a wider horizon, and that is why our essay was finally titled “when a temple meets a church”.
• The word TEMPLE has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out on the ground. Similarly in our essay, we try to explore the temple architecture from the angle of its layout plan. Through our research, we get to know that the initial layout of Buddhist temples is distinct from now. In South Asia, a typical temple was organized around a sacred monument, for example, a stupa or a great hall. However, Wenshu Monastery represents a completely different spatial charm: no stupa, no great hall, no single monument. The contrast raises intriguing questions.
• We were inspired by one question: for the people who designed Wenshu Monastery, why did they choose a layout without a single monument? It is also our unique challenge to find some design principles behind it.
Historical Significance:
• Architecture is often regarded as a reflection of society and culture. How does your essay illustrate the historical significance of temple architecture in understanding the broader history of human civilization?
• Were there any specific temples or architectural styles that you found particularly influential or intriguing in your research?
• The history of a certain temple architecture could be regarded as two histories: one is the history of the building construction, the other is the history of the discovery of its architecture -- the historical significance of Wenshu Monastery is abundant in the latter rather than the former. So we emphasized that in our essay.
• It is hard to refer to any specific historical or regional style. Instead, we find quite a lot of fascinating spaces in the corridors and courtyards in Wenshu Monastery. Therefore, it makes a solid foundation to compare the space of a temple with that of other building types, say, a church.
Temples as Cultural Symbols:
• Temples often serve as cultural and religious symbols. How does your essay explore the role of temples as cultural markers throughout history?
• Are there any key themes or recurring elements in temple architecture that you believe have transcended time and cultural boundaries?
• In our essay, we list so many foreign scholars, from UK, Japan, Germany, USA, and Danmark, who picked this temple as their must-go place, which implies the temple as the cultural marker of the city of Chengdu and of China.
• Here we cite a few phrases from the Danish architect Johannes Prip-Møller’s Chinese Buddhist Monasteries: “Many monasteries were burned and destroyed then, but… often rebuilt on exactly the same foundations as before. It is therefore often possible to form an opinion as to a monastic plan design typical of past centuries in places where the standing structures are actually not more than from sixty to seventy years old at most.” In Wenshu Monastery it is exactly the same case that the temple layout and the monastic life could transcend time and cultural boundaries.
Research and Analysis:
• Could you walk us through your research process? How did you approach the initial research, development of your essay's structure, and the analysis of historical sources?
• Were there any significant findings or insights that you discovered during your research that surprised you or changed your perspective on temple architecture?
• Studying the past is to serve the future, so we apply a research method through this essay competition, stripping the physical appearance, restoring the historical building to its most authentic functions, and then discovering the principles, which are the core of the historical building or its regional characteristics, rather than simple forms or decorations.
• We once read an essay that mentioned the famous Danish architect Jøhn Utzon’s fascination with traditional Chinese architecture. And we noticed that he designed a church with a unique plan, surrounded by a corridor connecting several buildings with the courtyards. Through our analysis, we finally summarize four principles for the architectural space of Wenshu Monastery and compare them with those of Utzon’s church. And it works! The traditional architectural forms in the 20th century still provide people with the experience of the progressive process of space and the order of worship, to achieve the unity of the spiritual level and the functional level. It is an important breakthrough point for us to study history and look forward to the future.
Preservation and Restoration:
• Many ancient temples face preservation and restoration challenges. In your essay, do you discuss any efforts or strategies for preserving and restoring historic temples? If so, could you elaborate on them?
• How can a deeper understanding of the historical context of temple architecture contribute to the preservation of these invaluable cultural treasures?
• We didn’t discuss in our essay for the restoration, because Wenshu Monastery is now in good preservation condition. And we think the best strategy to preserve a historic temple is to put it into daily use. The monks will carefully adjust the architectural space according to their daily use behavior, and finally form a rich level of temple places.
• When we have a deeper understanding of the historical context and core values that make up the temple, we will pay equal attention to the seemingly minor architectural parts, such as the corridors, courtyards, and gardens, which are just as important as the main halls.
Advice for Aspiring Historians:
• Drawing from your experience, what advice would you give to aspiring historians and writers interested in delving into the history of architecture or related fields?
• What research and writing strategies proved most effective for you in crafting an award-winning essay?
• For the aspiring historian, I want to say: there should be a link between knowledge points. So don't talk about each of the architectural styles, talk about the links and evolution between them.
• For the most effective strategy in our essay, just focus on the research of "people", the people who had closely watched the temple. It is the people in successive generations (including us) who tell a good story of the temple.
Reflections on Winning:
• Winning the History of Architecture Essay Competition is a remarkable achievement. How does it feel to be recognized for your outstanding work in the field of architectural history?
• Do you have any final thoughts or messages you'd like to share with our audience, especially those interested in exploring the rich history of temple architecture?
• We feel proud. Not only because we get awarded, but also because Wenshu Monastery in Chengdu, China is now being introduced to the world.
• A good story, or a good essay can unite people all over the world. And the next thing to do is to find the place in the story and the people there.
Second Prize Winners
Vanda Trifunović
Croatia
Third Prize Winners
Treshe Singh, Prisha Agarwal, Saachi Thaware Devanga Phukan
India
Special mention
Honorable mention
Aatmi Chitalia, Harsimar Arora, Aayushi Dahanukar & Rhea Kothary
Maansi Mallapuram
Pin-Hung Ai, Cai Wanting, Chai Ruimin & Wang Chenghao
Aatmi Chitalia, Harsimar Arora, Aayushi Dahanukar & Rhea Kothary
India
Maansi Mallapuram
U.S.
Pin-Hung Ai, Cai Wanting, Chai Ruimin & Wang Chenghao
China
