Week 8: Project 2 Reading the City

Project 2

A city is an organised form of social structure, enveloped by physical structures and populated by people. Throughout the centuries, cities have been constantly developing and evolving. Enveloping the world that we humans live in. City structures become more and more prominent as we continue to evolve, this is the process of 'urbanisation'.

What then is a city? When do we draw the line between a city from a town? In different places, cities are defined differently. When trying to define a city, some places use the physical attributes to describe it: an area or space that is continuously building up. Other places use population and economy to define the city: the richer and more populated the area, the more of a city it becomes. Some even include huge farmlands and rural areas into the definition of a 'city'. So when do we start calling a place a city and when do we stop?

By providing a critically analysing a city, we can analyse the different spaces and areas the place has used and form a thesis on how we define a city. 

Read the City

Paths and Perception

The roads in luzhou provide an outline for the city. The main highway of luzhou, frames the city, separating it from other places nearby. The roads are used by both pedestrians and cars. The main roads splits the city into different sections, providing an organised way of construction.

Districts

The districts are separated by the roads, however each district in Luzhou has its own characteristic which defines the area. You can clearly see from the image that the buildings have the same typology and they are all placed into the same area.

Landmarks

The landmarks in Luzhou are the foundation of the city. All of Luzhou's expansion began from these points of the city.

Bao'en pagoda

The Bao'en pagoda was built in 1148, in downtown Luzhou, during the Song Dynasty. It has been restored several times during the 20th century. It is an octagon 33.3 m high, built of brick and stone in a seven-tierd pavilion style.  The base is an octagon of 4.1 m per side, 4.5 m high; inside are 256 figures set in 90 niches. The pagoda is a historical relic is the under the protection of the government.

Spring and Autumn Temple

Due to its architectural style, this building has become listed under the protection of the government as a historical relic of Luzhou. Built during the Qing Dynasty in 1906. It was a temple for the Lord of Guan which was later changed to an assembly hall for Shaanxi salt merchants.