PRINCIPAL DESIGN TECHNIQUES OF RECONCILIATION OF ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE IN CHINESE GARDENS OF SUZHOU

Abstract

Park and garden design of China initially had relatively few strict limitations and rules and there was a great deal of room for creativity. However study of gardens of Suzhou makes it possible to distinguish some basic compositional design features. Those features are: zoning of the park space; designing of routs for visi-tors; creation of contrast and background both in large landscape zones and in small-scale objects; “land-scape borrowing”; use of depth and succession of landscape views. A major challenge for the architect is creation of complex, multi-layered space, where walking routes between the compositional dominants play a significant role. The use of these design features visually extends the garden space, gives the visitor choice between several routes and enriches content of the garden. Besides, several main design objects can be dis-tinguished, such as: large and small water bodies; artificial mountains and stone groups; garden structures, including pavilions, terraces, towers and galleries; decorations and vegetation. Individual design objects and in particular the architectural structures allow us to elaborate the garden space in more detail. Chinese park is inconceivable without the synthesis between the nature and architecture. The acquisition of basic compositional design features allow us not only to better understand the organization of private gardens in China, but also to use them in own design practice.