4 févr. 1400 - Forbidden City

Description:

Date: Fifteenth century, Ming Dynasty

Artist: unkown

Medium: stone masonry, marble, brik, wook, ceramic tile

Location: Beijing China

Function:
- largest and most complete Chinese architectural ensemble in existence
- 9,000 rooms
- Walls 30 feet high to keep people out and those inside in
- only the royal could enter
- Hall of Supreme Harmony ceremonies
- new year
- the winter solstice
- emperor's birthday
- privacy provides protection; containment part of Chinese culture

Form:
- each corner of the rectangular plan has a tower representing the four corners of the world
- focus is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the throne room and seat of power; wood structure made with elaborately painted beams; meant for grand ceremonies
- yellow tiles roofs and red painted wooden beams placed on marble foundations unify the structure in the Forbidden City into an artistic whole

Comparison:
- Versailles
- Nan Madol
- Barry and Pugin, Houses of Parliament