It's All in the Details

From roof lines to footpaths

From skyscrapers to churches, we are used to seeing simple lines in today's structures.

Contemporary architects don't design much detail in their buildings. Some buildings, such as the defining works of the modernist-international school, shout “less is more” and show barely any detail at all. Architects of the post-modernist school reintroduced some detail, but it was often random, incongruous and completely opposite from the detail seen in ancient architecture.

Perhaps this generation of architects does not understand the importance of detail as anything more than a coincidental, subjective indulgence in aesthetic flare. Detail in modern architecture goes no deeper than the architect's imagination so contemporary buildings present little detail, often becoming little more than structures of plain glass. Then, some veer to the other extreme with a design so complex an ordinary person can't understand it.

Ancient people believed that no one part of a building should stand alone. All elements related to each other in intricate ways, to the harmonious integrity of the building and its surrounding environment.

Ancient peoples used Feng Shui to set out specific rules on a building's relationship to the environment, its general layout, form, construction material, the order in which it is built, and cosmic timing. Every part of a structure had deep meaning. Every decorative component had an indispensable function and could not be casually omitted or altered. Traditional Chinese architecture dictated a specific order for the roof, roofline paintings, decorative windowsills, murals and architectural calligraphy. Each element functioned differently when used in different places.

In a Chinese garden, every footpath and gate had a specific name which described its place in the overall garden scheme. Ancient people emphasized these details not only to achieve superior function and aesthetics, but also to express their relationship to the heavens. A waterspout did not merely conduct water, but also expressed the essence of water. A roofline presented sculptures of deities and sacred animals. This attention to detail was the architect's attempt to conform to a higher level.

Ancient architects indeed understood the importance of architectural details.

By Xuan Qing (Used with permission of pureinsight.org)