Space + culture + identity : Chinese cultural center in Sea Point

This thesis is inspired by the experience of living in two places that both have distinctive cultures. Architecture being a form of culture motivated me to enter the school of architecture. After 6 years of study, this paper attempts to answer my initial concerns on architecture and culture. For me it is very important to understand what the relationship between architecture and culture and how they influence each other. How does one present culture and tradition in the design of architecture? How can architecture represent cultural identity in a foreign context, in a more respectful way? Can architecture become the platform to connect people with distinct cultural backgrounds? Last but not least, in the contemporary city of Cape Town, what is the multi-cultural intervention that one can create for immigrants, in this case, the Chinese community in South Africa? These are the essential questions that I want to discuss and investigate in my thesis. There are three sections in this paper. The first is an introduction to Chinese culture and its national identity, looking at traditional Chinese architecture and philosophies behind their making. The courtyard house will be studied as an example. Furthermore, contemporary Chinese architecture that looks at new approaches to representing the modern Chinese identity will be discussed. The second part explores spatial and urban manifestation in Chinese cities - how urban space affects one's cultural behavior. I will look at typical conditions of Chinatown and its architectural characteristic in the foreign context, including the new Chinatown in Johannesburg. In the last chapter, the paper will bring forward my thoughts through design development on site selection, programme and concept. I explored the subject of architecture and identity of nation and the way that cultural identity can be represented through architecture. I questioned how this can be translated into architecture when making its national image into a foreign country.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Ren, Jun

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18708

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18708