The Taoist concept of time in Wang Shu’s architectural materiality

Abstract

The ideal realm of Taoism that is known better is “the unity of nature and man”. Human beings live in nature, and their existence and development is accompanied by contradictions and conflicts. This Taoist thought directly influenced the Chinese attitude towards the change of time and things. The Chinese architect followed the Taoist doctrine from the subjective consciousness, and realizing principle that everything could be born, continued, transformed and developed .In the selection of materials, growing and recyclable materials such as wood and soil are widely used in buildings. In Wang Shu’s architecture, several kinds of materials were repeatedly experimented, and their organization and arrangement concentrated on embodying Wang Shu’s understanding of time. One thing that these materials have in common is that they are the main components of traditional Chinese architecture, and choosing to use them again is a reinterpretation of Chinese architectural history and culture.