Search Results (58)

Skywells are crucial for climate regulation in traditional Chinese dwelling architecture, exhibiting significant variations across climatic regions. This study focuses on humid–hot China, using Huangshan, to explore skywell parameters’ impact on thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Field research on 24 buildings in the World Heritage Site Xidi, Hong Villages, and Chinese Historical Pingshan Village, combined with Grasshopper’s Ladybug tool, established a parametric model. Using orthogonal design, performance simulation, and Python-based machine learning, six morphological parameters were analyzed: width-to-length ratio, height-to-width ratio, orientation, hall depth, wing width, and shading width. After NSGA-II multi-objective optimization, the summer Percentage of Time Comfortable (P_TC) increased by 5.3%, 38.14 h; the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) relatively improved by 2%; energy consumption decreased by 8.6%, 0.14 kWh/m²; and the useful daylight illuminance increased by 28%, 128.4 h. This confirms the climate adaptability of courtyard-style buildings in humid–hot China and identifies optimized skywell parameters within the study scope. Full article

China’s rapid urbanization has presented challenges for sustainably revitalizing the historic and cultural heritage within its urban villages. Often, these efforts overlook the crucial roles of community ties and cultural values. This study focuses on 15 representative urban villages in Guangzhou (2019–2024). It tests the core idea that the physical layout of these spaces reflects underlying community structures and cultural values shaped by specific policies. Integrating this understanding into landscape planning can significantly improve revitalization outcomes. We used a mixed-methods approach: (1) Extended fieldwork to understand community networks and cultural practices; (2) Spatial analysis to measure how building density relates to land uses; (3) Sentiment analysis to reveal how people perceive cultural symbols; (4) A coordination model to link population influx with landscape suitability. Key findings reveal different patterns: Villages with strong clan networks maintained high cultural integrity and public acceptance through bodies like ancestral hall councils. Economically driven villages showed a split—open for business but culturally closed, with very low tenant participation. Successful revitalization requires balancing three elements: protecting physical landmarks in their original locations; modernizing cultural events; and reconstructing community narratives. Practically, we propose a planning framework with four approaches tailored to different village types. For instance, decaying villages should prioritize repairing key landmarks that hold community memory. Theoretically, we build a model linking social and spatial change, extending the cultural value concepts of Amos Rapoport to the context of fast-growing cities. This provides a new methodological perspective for managing urban–rural heritage in East Asia. Full article

Traditional Chinese courtyard theaters in Taiwan possess a unique architectural and performative identity, distinct from Western-style proscenium theaters that dominate contemporary performance venues. These Western configurations often impose spatial and acoustic constraints that hinder the authentic expression of traditional Chinese opera. In contrast, courtyard-style theaters—characterized by open-air layouts and architectural enclosures—offer inherent acoustic advantages rooted in structural coupling and boundary reflections. This study focuses on the Da-Hua Hall at the Wu-Feng Lin Family Mansion, employing on site acoustic measurements to characterize its sound environment not only distribute sound energy and calibrate a sound tracing and a wave-based simulation model. The finite element method framework enables precise modeling of low-frequency acoustic phenomena, including modal behavior and resonance, which were conducted to assess the impact of stage permeability, vessel geometry, and wall-mounted resonators on acoustic parameters. The results demonstrate that the interaction between sub-stage resonators and architectural elements, specifically the width of stage floorboard joints and the presence of embedded jars, significantly influences acoustic performance, notably affecting the distribution of sound waves. These findings underscore the acoustically responsive architectural design in preserving the sonic integrity of traditional Chinese opera and highlight the value of simulation-based approaches in heritage research. Full article

Despite significant progress in industrial heritage regeneration, limited attention to post-occupancy operation and maintenance has caused many projects to decline after initial success. This is largely due to the failure to adapt to evolving user needs, highlighting the importance of understanding user experiences. This study aims to develop a scientific and systematic method for evaluating user satisfaction in reused industrial heritage projects. Recognizing the critical role of user needs in project sustainability, the research adopts a user-centered approach to assess spatial experiences. Qualitative feedback was collected through open-ended interviews with the users of two reused buildings—an exhibition hall and a commercial space—within Bingshan Wisdom Park in China. The data were analyzed using frequency-based categorization to construct evaluation factor sets, weight sets, and satisfaction sets. The Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) method was then applied to quantify overall user satisfaction. Results indicate that satisfaction with the exhibition hall is driven by four key experiential dimensions, while the commercial space is evaluated across five distinct factors. Furthermore, the method enables uniform quantification across different project types for comparative analysis. The proposed approach provides a replicable framework for identifying strengths and weaknesses in user satisfaction, thereby supporting the long-term viability of industrial heritage regeneration projects. Full article

The spatial genes of rural settlements show a lot of different traditional settlement traits, which makes them a great starting point for studying rural spatial morphology. However, qualitative and macro-regional statistical indicators are usually used to find and extract rural settlement spatial genes. Taking Yubei Village in the Nanxi River Basin as an example, this study combined remote sensing images, real-time drone mapping, GIS (geographic information system), and space syntax, extracted 12 key indicators from five dimensions (landform and water features (environment), boundary morphology, spatial structure, street scale, and building scale), and quantitatively “decoded” the spatial genes of the settlement. The results showed that (1) the settlement is a “three mountains and one water” pattern, with cultivated land accounting for 37.4% and forest land accounting for 34.3% of the area within the 500 m buffer zone, while the landscape spatial diversity index (LSDI) is 0.708. (2) The boundary morphology is compact and agglomerated, and locally complex but overall orderly, with an aspect ratio of 1.04, a comprehensive morphological index of 1.53, and a comprehensive fractal dimension of 1.31. (3) The settlement is a “clan core–radial lane” network: the global integration degree of the axis to the holy hall is the highest (0.707), and the local integration degree R3 peak of the six-room ancestral hall reaches 2.255. Most lane widths are concentrated between 1.2 and 2.8 m, and the eaves are mostly higher than 4 m, forming a typical “narrow lanes and high houses” water town streetscape. (4) The architectural style is a combination of black bricks and gray tiles, gable roofs and horsehead walls, and “I”-shaped planes (63.95%). This study ultimately constructed a settlement space gene map and digital library, providing a replicable quantitative process for the diagnosis of Jiangnan water town settlements and heritage protection planning. Full article

The “hand-waving sacrifice” is a large-scale sacrificial ceremony with more than 2000 years of history. It was passed down from ancient times by the Tujia ethnic group living in the Wuling Corridor of China, and it integrates religion, sacrifice, dance, drama, and other cultural forms. It primarily consists of two parts: ritual content (inviting gods, offering sacrifices to gods, dancing a hand-waving dance, etc.) and the architectural space that hosts the ritual (hand-waving hall), which together constitute Tujia’s most sacred ritual space and the most representative art and culture symbol. Nonetheless, in existing studies, the hand-waving sacrifice ritual, hand-waving hall architectural space, and hand-waving dance art are often separated as independent research objects, and little attention is paid to the coupling mechanism of the mutual construction of space and ritual in the process of historical development. Moreover, with the acceleration of modernization, the current survival context of the hand-waving sacrifice has undergone drastic changes. On the one hand, the intangible cultural heritage protection policy and the wave of tourism development have pushed it into the public eye and the cultural consumption system. On the other hand, the changes in the social structure of traditional villages have led to the dissolution of the sacredness of ritual space. Therefore, using the interaction of “space-ritual” as a prompt, this research first uses GIS technology to visualize the spatial geographical distribution characteristics and diachronic evolution process of hand-waving halls in six historical periods and then specifically analyzes the sacred construction of hand-waving hall architecture for the hand-waving sacrifice ritual space throughout history, as well as the changing mechanism of the continuous secularization of the hand-waving sacrifice space in contemporary society. Overall, this study reveals a unique path for non-literate ethnic groups to achieve the intergenerational transmission of cultural memory through the collusion of material symbols and physical art practices, as well as the possibility of embedding the hand-waving sacrifice ritual into contemporary spatial practice through symbolic translation and functional extension in the context of social function inheritance and variation. Finally, this study has specific inspirational and reference value for exploring how the traditional culture and art of ethnic minorities can maintain resilience against the tide of modernization. Full article

Vernacular architecture is a complex and living heritage type, and the study of the evolution laws of its spatial form is of great value to the conservation of architectural heritage diversity. Taking vernacular architecture in the Yunnan–Tibet area as the research object, based on the theory of spatial syntax, 30 building samples were subjected to global and local calculations of MD, I_RRA, and NACH values, while the common characteristics among the samples were obtained by using Kendall’s W test, and the individual characteristics among the samples were obtained by using differentiation analysis. The results show that: (a) vernacular architecture in the Yunnan–Tibet area exhibits characteristics of multi-cluster branched centrality and spatial hierarchical layout; (b) these architectures possess four categories of inheritance factors: the privacy of granary spaces, the centrality of corridor spaces, the passability of breeding areas, and the independence of scripture hall spaces; (c) these architectures possess three categories of differentiation factors: the functional evolution of traditional spaces, the spatial reconstruction of breeding areas, and the “Toilet Revolution” driven by multiple forces. This study elucidates the regulatory role of cultural continuity in shaping the spatial forms of vernacular architecture, providing new evidence for analyzing the formation mechanisms of vernacular architecture in the Yunnan–Tibet area. Full article

As a core structure within the Qing Changling Mausoleum, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, Long’en Hall preserves a relatively complete set of Qing dynasty imperial lacquered furniture. These furnishings provide critical physical evidence for studying Qing dynasty sacrificial rituals and the craftsmanship of court lacquerware. However, limited research has been conducted on the surface finishing techniques of such furnishings, posing challenges to their conservation and accurate restoration. This study focuses on representative furnishings from Long’en Hall—including an offering table, an incense pavilion, a throne, and a poke lamp—and employed a multi-method analytical approach comprising fluorescence microscopy (FM), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The analysis was conducted on the following two levels: the lacquer layer structure and material composition. The results show that the furnishings in the Long’en Hall adopt the typical structure of “lacquer ash layer–color lacquer layer”, and the color lacquer layer is composed of raw lacquer, tung oil, animal glue, and other natural organic ingredients as film-forming materials, supplemented with inorganic mineral pigments such as red lead (Pb₃O₄) and Au metal, which constitutes a stable organic–inorganic composite structure with the lacquer ash layer. The multi-analysis results show a good complementary and cross-corroboration relationship, providing the necessary technical support and a theoretical reference for Qing dynasty palace lacquer wood furniture as cultural relics worthy of scientific protection and imitation. Full article

The colour degradation of murals presents a significant challenge in the conservation of architectural heritage. Previous research has often concentrated on localized pigment changes while paying insufficient attention to the interaction between colour variation and indoor environmental conditions. Although non-destructive analytical techniques are widely used in heritage studies, their integrated application in combination with colourimetry has been limited, particularly in the context of Tibetan Buddhist murals in highland continental climates. This study investigates the murals of Liuli Hall in Meidai Lamasery, Inner Mongolia, as a representative case. We employed a comprehensive methodology that combines non-destructive analytical tools, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and quantitative colour analysis to examine pigment composition, binding material, and surface deterioration. Through joint analysis using the CIE Lab and CIE LCh colour space systems, we quantified mural colour changes and explored their correlation with material degradation and environmental exposure. The pigments identified include cinnabar, atacamite, azurite, and chalk, with animal glue and drying oils as binding materials. Colourimetric results revealed pronounced yellowing on the east and west walls, primarily caused by the ageing of organic binders. In contrast, a notable reduction in brightness on the south wall was attributed to dust accumulation. These findings support tailored conservation measures such as regular surface cleaning for the south wall and antioxidant stabilization treatments for the east and west walls. Initial cleaning efforts proved effective. The integrated approach adopted in this study provides a replicable model for mural diagnostics and conservation under complex environmental conditions. Full article

Over the past two decades, transitional justice has become a central concern in Taiwan’s cultural and political landscape. This study investigates how 1029 visitors from Taiwan, Sinophone regions (China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia), and international backgrounds engage with digital interpretation systems at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (CKSMH)—a politically sensitive site associated with Taiwan’s authoritarian past. Using a mixed-methods approach combining surveys and qualitative responses, the study analyzes cross-cultural differences in visitor motivation, use of digital tools, perceived experiential value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Results show that international visitors reported higher levels of engagement and satisfaction, particularly in educational, esthetic, entertainment, and escapist dimensions. In contrast, Sinophone visitors expressed lower satisfaction and more frequent discomfort with the site’s historical narrative. Key factors such as language accessibility, cultural proximity, and usability influenced how visitors perceived the digital content. The findings suggest that interactive digital tools can support both cultural engagement and critical reflection while also revealing tensions in memory politics at sites of transitional justice. Full article

The percentage of historical heritage buildings in Italy is substantial. Many of these buildings are abandoned or not adequately restored for public access due to safety concerns. However, some are managed by city councils and made available to local communities. These heritage buildings, valued for their historical significance, are now frequently used for live events, including musical performances by ensembles and small groups. This paper deals with the acoustics of two rooms provided with barrel-vaulted ceilings: Sisto V Hall in Naples and Aula Magna at the University of Parma. These spaces are structurally very similar, differing mainly in length. Acoustic measurements conducted in both halls reveal reverberation times of approximately 4.5 s at mid frequencies, resulting in poor speech clarity. This is primarily due to the presence of reflective surfaces, as the walls and ceilings are plastered, and the floors are tiled. To optimize their acoustic properties for functions such as celebrations, gatherings, and conferences, an acoustic design intervention was proposed. Digital models of the halls were calibrated and used to correct the acoustics by incorporating absorbing panels on the walls and carpeting on the floors of the central walk path. This treatment successfully balanced the reverberation time to approximately 1.3–1.4 s at mid frequencies, making speech more intelligible. Additionally, an amplified audio system was analyzed to enhance sound distribution, ensuring uniform coverage, even in the last rows of seating. Under amplified conditions, sound pressure levels (SPLs) range between 90 dB and 93 dB, with appropriate gain control applied to the column array speakers. Full article

The preservation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has transitioned from “static” and “living” approaches to a “digital ecosystem”, becoming a significant topic of anthropological research. This study, adopting an anthropological perspective, integrates sentiment semantic analysis with user identity classification to propose the Identity and Sentiment-Centered Framework for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ISC-ICH). Drawing on four types of ICH museums in Eastern Sichuan, China—Nanchong Langzhong Wang Shadow Puppetry Museum, Bazhong Pingchang Fanshan Jiaozi Base, Guang’an Eastern Sichuan Folk Museum, and Dazhou ICH Exhibition Hall—as case studies, this research analyzes the core factors contributing to the audience’s sense of local identity, including its composition, emotional needs, and cultural interaction. The findings reveal that: (1) “Explorers” and “Experience Seekers” constitute the primary audience groups, with their emotional evaluations closely tied to cultural depth and interactivity. (2) The digital transformation of ICH museums faces challenges such as resource limitations, festival-centric phenomena, the rise of “internet celebrity” trends, and technological homogenization. This paper introduces a culturally tailored corpus and a comprehensive evaluation framework, highlighting the dynamic interaction between ICH and its audience. Additionally, it proposes effective digital strategies to enhance the social and cultural identity of ICH museums in peripheral regions. Full article

While national museums focus on broader national narratives, regional museums function as vital community hubs, establishing deeper local connections and facilitating intimate interactions between local residents and their heritage. These regional museums face dual challenges in their sustainable digital transformation, including the following: technical barriers arising from the high costs of traditional digitization methods like Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and humanistic challenges, including preserving distinctive multi-directional communication and balancing professionalism and authority with collaborative community engagement in the digitization process. This study addresses these challenges through a case study of the Ryushi Memorial Museum in Ota City, Tokyo. We present a comprehensive approach that integrates technical innovation with community engagement, including the following: (1) A cost-effective workflow combining photogrammetry with iPad LiDAR technology for spatial reconstruction, demonstrated through the digital reconstruction of the museum’s Atelier and Jibutsudo (family hall for worshipping Buddha); (2) a new Exhibition Co-Design framework that co-ordinates diverse stakeholders to create digital exhibitions while balancing professional guidance with community participation. Through questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews with museum volunteers, we demonstrate how this approach enhances community engagement by enabling volunteers to incorporate their local knowledge into digital exhibitions while maintaining professionalism and authority. This cost-effective model for spatial reconstruction and community-driven digital design can serve as a reference for other regional museums to help them achieve sustainable digital innovation in the digital age. Full article

The advancement of digital techniques and reduced costs have greatly facilitated their integration into cultural heritage preservation. These technologies are especially valuable in archaeology, where detailed documentation is crucial. However, minimal intervention in restorations often limits public understanding of archaeological spaces, making digital tools essential for enhancing engagement. An example is the study and the virtual hypothesis of the mural decorations in the Sala del Mosaico de los Amores, located in the Castulo Archaeological Site (Linares, Jaén, Spain), dated to the late first and early second centuries AD. The hall originally featured an elaborate wall decoration, now largely lost due to the collapse of its walls, leaving only a few fragments in situ. Using SfM photogrammetry, the hall and the original paintings and cornices—restored in a laboratory—were documented and virtually reassembled. This process employed precise color calibration and dimensional scaling to ensure the faithful recreation of the original appearance. In addition to the anastylosis of the surviving fragments, a virtual reconstruction hypothesis was developed, offering the public an immersive visualization of how the space would have looked in its original state. Full article

Based on the narrative perspective, this paper studies the spatial characteristics and cultural significance of the Shike Ancestral Hall in En Village, Guangdong, as a sacred building. By drawing on Lefebvre’s theory of spatial production, the physical space, cultural value, and community sentiment of the Shike Ancestral Hall are linked to explore its role in the sense of place, clan memory, and cultural identity. The study found that the combination of perceived, conceived, and lived space gives the Shike Ancestral Hall profound social, cultural, and religious significance. The ancestral hall is not only a material existence but also a vital link to maintain the emotional and cultural identity among clan members. Through the multi-sensory experience of the building, including light, sound, touch, and smell, the unique atmosphere of the sacred space is revealed, further deepening the need for sustainable development and protection of cultural heritage. Full article