Intermediate Space Components

As previously mentioned, the intermediate space can be seen as an important extension of the house, and as an extension of the garden. There are three ma­jor elements found in this intermediate zone: the formal entranceway, the veranda, and screening devices. The entranceway is where shoes are removed, symbolizing the transi­tion from the exterior to the interior. The veranda is a multi­purpose area where one can relax or entertain visitors informal­ly. Screening devices help to unite man and nature by providing ways of allowing the inhabitants of a house to see or hear nature with little difficulty, while still protecting them from the elements.

Asymmetry

The Japanese concept of beauty incorporates none of the sym­metry that is to be found in pre-modern Western and traditional Chinese perceptions of beauty. In symmetry, left and right, size, and volume are orchestrated to create perspective and balance. In asymmetry, the balance between left and right is altered to create a dynamic beauty. A fine example is the Horyu Temple compound in Nara in western Japan where two unequal masses, the tall, slender pagoda and the low, wide Golden Hall, stand alongside each other. Here, again, one can see the aesthetic of dynamic tension asserting itself.

It is difficult to explain the Japanese love for asymmetry, yet it cannot be unconnected with their perception of nature. If, as proposed by a Japanese anthropologist. Western 'culture origi­nated in the world of the desert, then perhaps the desert dwell­ers' view of the universe gave birth to monotheism and saw beauty in perfect symmetry that has little relevance to nature as a whole. And, if, in contrast, Japanese culture is seen to have originated in the chaotic world of the forest, then perhaps the pantheism that evolved led to an appreciation of the unbalanced harmony in the tension created by dynamic forces locked in unresolved conflict.

Asymmetry in Japanese architecture

Unit 10 Seeking a New Identity

1 Introduction2 interface

1.1 Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis.

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2. What do you know concerning this issue? List your ideas in the table left column “I know”.

I know that…	I have learnt that…

2. If you know answers to these questions write them down in the space given after each question.

1	What effect do Absolute World towers produce?
2	Why is the Absolute Tower nicknamed Marilyn Monroe?
3	What is 0-14’ dominant feature?
4	How does the concrete shell of 0-14 act?
5	What framework did hole-ridden slipcover of concrete require?
6	Where is the Earthscraper going to be built?
7	Why does Mexico City look like a massive layered cake?