rss feedCurved, not sharp: Does Seattle need more upturned eaves? Asia has skyscrapers
The Chinatown Gate in Seattle stands next to an old apartment building.
Part of the glitter and glamour that has touched large Asian cities has come from a dazzling array of skyscrapers.
They dwarf surroundings. Developers have spent lavishly to impress. Some describe Shanghai’s skyline buildings as “trophies.”
But on the ground level, in alleys and parks, and in inland areas, one design feature dating hundreds of years remains: Upturned eaves found on traditional Chinese gates, temples and other buildings.
So, if Asia has embraced Western skyscrapers in its drive for a modern life, conversely, is there a question for Seattle: Do we need more upturned eaves?
I ask because the Pacific Northwest – thanks to the earth’s curvature – is literally closer to Asia than say Southern California.
The Seattle area and Asia have long shared ties, including immigration, trade relations and business, educational and economic exchanges.
Paul Wu, a Seattle-area architect, explained why many Chinese buildings have these features when we talked for my story (which includes photographs) about the city’s Chinatown Gate.
I wrote ”…some Chinese believe straight lines can ‘shoot forceful energy.’ Curves can soften that force.”
Wu, who traveled to China to study gate designs for this project, was an instrumental person in building it.
Of course, scientists will dismiss the belief of forceful energy zooming from sharp corners. But against the sky, a rounded eave – especially near rooftops with corners – has its appeal.
The Daejeon Park Pavilion sits in a Seattle park.
I’m sure city and business leaders would welcome construction and design dollars at any time – particularly given the recession.
There might be an uproar from some residents about more upturned eaves on buildings in Seattle.
But the features would add to the region’s architectural diversity. In the West, it can be easy to accept the sleek, simple lines of Bauhaus-inspired buildings.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City certainly has its appeal. But so does an eave-friendly building.
One question, though, that traveling to Beijing helped me form is this: If your buildings are old or reflect the past, do your thoughts become trapped by tradition?
Here’s another way to think about this:
Big-name companies – Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Apple – have prospered in areas with relatively little tradition by global standards. Residents in the Seattle area and Silicon Valley embrace thinking in new ways.
But when the eye can see different colors and shapes – such as with Asian-inspired eaves - it does prompt questions, and hopefully, new lessons.
In the slideshow at the bottom, I’ve included structures that we often associate with Seattle as well as Asian-influenced buildings - a Vietnamese temple, a Korean pavilion - in the city.
If global architecture interests you, visit SkyscraperPage.com. The Web master is doing some work on the site.
But there are diagrams, similar to this one, showing towering buildings side by side including structures in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York City and Seattle.
One diagram shows buildings that feature open space – as in a circle or square, similar to the CCTV building in Beijing.
