The Artistic Conception and Expression of “Zen Tea” —Special Research on the Landscape Beautification Plan of Chengdu Shouxin·Red Star International Plaza ()
1. Introduction
The problem with the current site of Shouxin・Red Star International Plaza is the relative lack of humanism in the design of the existing landscape door. The overall cultural atmosphere of the alleyway needs to be improved, and the location of the infrastructure has blocked some stores (such as: Vents, substations, etc.), therefore, they must be optimized without affecting functionality, so that the optimized design conforms to the overall space and can effectively improve the space atmosphere. This beautification design is mainly based on the two lines of the ancient and modern culture and the Zen tea culture through the alley, combined with the feedback from the client, implanting local culture and realizing the museum block to make a series of modern and practical design plans. In the discussion, exploring the local Zen tea culture in Chengdu, and the whole space is connected in an orderly way in the form of story line, which not only satisfies the commercial operation, but also endues it with profound cultural connotation.
1.1. Purpose and Significance of Project Research
The design is mainly based on the ancient and modern culture of the alley and the Zen and tea culture. Combined with the feedback from Hongxing, a series of modern and practical design schemes are made by implanting local culture and realizing the block of the museum. During the discussion, Chengdu’s local tea and Zen culture were excavated, and the overall space was connected in an orderly way in the form of story lines. While it met the needs of commercial operation, it was endowed with profound cultural connotation. Zen and tea culture were fully combined with modern art. Modern materials and techniques interpreted Zen and tea culture, thus increasing Zen meaning and interest with the times.
1.2. Contents and Methods of Project Research
According to the current situation of the project plot, this paper collects graphic data, carries out brainstorming, thinks about and carefully makes the preliminary conceptual plan; after communicating the conceptual plan with Party A on site, listen to Party A’s opinions on the plan, summarize the opinions and revise the second plan; after the conceptual scheme is determined, the secondary data survey is carried out on the spot to analyze the building facade, landscape nodes and elements. According to the conceptual scheme, the design is deepened, and the hand-drawn effect diagram, SU model diagram and CAD diagram are used to comprehensively deepen the design to communicate the details of landscape structure design with the producer on site, and adjust the material performance and cost in landscape sketch design; after the plan is deepened, communicate with Party a on site, and carry out construction drawing design and effect selection performance for opposites and landscape structures; pay attention to the modern expression of Zen.
2. Preliminary Investigation of Chengdu Shouxin Red Star International Plaza
Chengdu Shouxin Red Star International Plaza is located at the intersection of Zhigu Avenue and Qili Road, with a construction area of 600,000 square meters. The project is located in the southwest of Wuhou District, Chengdu City, bordering Shuangliu County. It is a semi-open, low-density block-shaped commercial center.
Party A is very concerned about the creative expression of the compatibility of regional cultural elements and artistic elements. It combines the commercial complex with the attributes of the merchants, and integrates the “Zen tea space” and the format elements of “the alley-themed cultural block”. How the use of composite design art elements in the historical and cultural spatial expression language find design breakthrough, So Party A emphasizes the combination of regional culture and Zen tea culture. Therefore, the theme of wearing a lane is “crossing”. The concept of Zen runs through the whole design, and the proper study of geomantic relations should be suitable for the operation strategy of commercial space. The naming and implication of the main landscape node works should be studied. In the scheme design, the expression relationship of folk culture should be grasped, and the design ideas and concepts should be displayed through the facade. The design of the gate head should focus on the access entrances within the building and then extend to other gate heads.
3. The Presumption of the Main Line of the Project
The research on tea culture landscape in ancient China is mainly manifested in the choice of tea drinking environment. Such works as Lu Yu’s “Tea Classics” and Zhu Quan’s “Tea Spectrum”, as well as Zhao Yuan’s “Lu Yu Brew Tea Map” and Wen Weiming’s “Tea Tasting Map” and other tea poems and paintings describe the environment suitable for drinking tea. It can be seen from this that the common pursuit of ancient Chinese was a “wild, secluded, clear and clean” tea tasting environment [1] [2].
These studies mainly focus on the choice of tea drinking environment and the extraction of “shape” of relevant cultural elements of tea culture, while they seldom mention how to use traditional Chinese garden landscaping techniques to create tea culture landscape, and do not rise to the level of landscape aesthetics to conduct in-depth and systematic analysis of tea culture landscape [3]. Therefore, in reference to the above-mentioned relevant research results on the choice of tea drinking environment, the influence of Chinese traditional culture on landscape artistic conception, etc. Aimed at the location of Shouxin Red Star International Plaza, Party A’s positioning and needs, a comprehensive understanding was made, and the design theme was analyzed: The theme of the Zen Tea Art Space and the expression of the story are intended to be found in the classics of the historical materials of the “the Classic of Tea”. The idea of open-air display in the block of the Tea Culture Museum is used to promote the main line of landscape stories, and the ancient tea-horse road is used as the narrative inspiration. The geometric form is introduced into the creative thinking of landscape structures, highlighting the simple but not simple sense of form. Combining the word “crossing” in the “alley” with the concept of “traversing” to create the facade creativity and create the theme of “dream-Back Silk Road”. Therefore, the project is divided into two main lines: Silk Road Zen and sutras gathering tea.
3.1. The Silk Road Zen Language
The Silk Road Zen language mainly includes: dreaming back to the ancient bridge, crossing the ancient road, deep dream like Zen (beautify the facade of the building) and Zen tea blind sculpture (empty, quiet, silent, none) (as shown in Figure 1).
3.2. Tasting Tea and Talking about Zen
There are mainly including: interactive gate design and installation-type landscape sculptures (Brocade in the crusty pancake, Servant, Recite, Wrapping, Broken, Entangling, Zen) (As shown in Figure 2).
4. Detailed Explanation of the Beautification of Chengdu Shouxin Red Star International Plaza
4.1. Chengdu Shouxin Red Star International Plaza’s Overall Landscape Beautification
Pay attention to the control of the large area and focus: on the one hand, focus on several important and main entrances and exits of the project, and other aspects of unified auxiliary construction (Objective: To attract customers to the outside of the commercial street, the outside of the shops to pay attention to the large, the inside of the street details.). In the main do the highlights at the entrances and exits, let pedestrians have a tour experience, and introduce the flow of people to taste through the alleys. Outer and outer shops look at the big picture and look at the overall situation, and the highlights inside (commercial inner street) are exquisite; in addition, attention is paid to details (beautiful decoration of fire pipes, distribution boxes, etc.).
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Figure 1. The theme frame of Silk Road Zen (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 2. Theme frame of tea recitation through Sutra (photo source: self drawn).
It is recommended to pay attention to the scale of landscape sketches and sculptures (the size should not be too large), and pay attention to the placement (Do not affect fire protection and interfere with shop facade). It is recommended to do some highlights in corners and relatively private spaces.
4.2. Application of Silk Road and the Classic of Tea in the Project
The theme of the Silk Road Zen language is the main line of the story of the ancient bridge of dreaming back, crossing the ancient road, and deep dreams like Zen; the three areas are located on the critical facade, creating an atmosphere for the overall space (As shown in Figure 3).
Taking the content of Lu Yu’s “Tea Sutra” as the design source, the ancient and profound tea culture is restored, and it is integrated into the concept of landscape through the alley to enhance the artistic conception of Zen tea space (As shown in Figure 4).
4.3. Regional Detailed Analysis
4.3.1. Silk Road Zen
1) Dream back to the ancient bridge
Cluster Bridge is the important town of the ancient Southern Silk Road and the first starting point of the Silk Road. The project is located in the International New City, Wuhou District, Chengdu. It is also the location of the ancient town of Tuqiao in the ancient Silk Road. The distance between the project and the Tuqiao in the historical town is about 1.8 kilometers (As shown in Figure 5). Taking advantage of the location of the project and the cluster bridge, the starting point of the Southern Silk Road (Clujin Ancient Bridge) was combined with the project to excavate the local cultural history, trace its tea source culture, and build the project into a tea store At the same time, the commercial complex is endowed with a profound cultural heritage (As shown in Figure 6).
The elements of the bridge arch are extracted from the concept of the cluster bridge, and the abstract expression is re-expressed in the form of a streamline. A bridge that crosses time and space is built. On the basis of tea and silk sold in the past, the cluster bridge has become the starting point of the Southern Silk Road. The historically prosperous cluster bridge is connected with the first tea culture block of the first letter Red Star International.
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Figure 3. Layout of thought Chan language points (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 4. Layout of tea places through the Sutra (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 5. Distance between cluster bridge and project (image source: Network).
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Figure 6. Theme design of Menghui ancient bridge(photo source: self drawn).
2) Crossing the ancient road
Promote the main line of landscape stories with the idea of open display in the block of the Tea Culture Museum, taking the ancient tea horse trail as the narrative inspiration (As shown in Figure 7). The ancient tea-horse road led Chinese tea and tea culture to the south, and also promoted the introduction of Zen Buddhism in India. “Zen tea” came in and out, showing the wisdom of cultural integration. The Zen of the ancient road started with tea, and the deep meaning in tea originated from Zen. Bitter tea is used in Zen, and the Chinese tea art brings Indian Zen to life. In this project, the design of landscape sketch and door head design is used, Using silk as a design element, the composition of points, lines, and surfaces is used to express the facade of the block, combined with the main body, the simplified form is combined with modern materials, and the combination of modernity and tradition through ancient and modern times. Incorporating the hardships of the ancient tea-horse road, deducing the profound connotation and form beauty of crossing the ancient road, the tea house travels thousands of miles and meets with the king to regain the ancient road.
Based on the green landscape paintings of the Song and Ming Dynasties in ancient China as the design inspiration, the color effect and the fluctuation of the rhythm of the mountains in the painting are extracted, and interpreted in an abstract and simplified form, so as to make it full of fashion sense without losing the traditional culture (As shown in Figure 8).
3) Deep dreams like Zen
Zen in tea begins with Zen. Tea in Zen is meant to be simple. The simple, natural elements are extracted from the tea and used in the facade to increase the mood of tea. Using silk as a design element, the composition of points, lines, and surfaces is used to express the facade of the block, combined with the main body, the simplified form is combined with modern materials, and the combination of modernity and tradition through ancient and modern times. History is like a deep dream, and like nothingness. The prosperity and hardship of the ancient roads have long been a cloud of smoke, leaving only a hint of tea and a scent of Zen. The deep dream is gone, and the tea taste Zen meaning is thick.
One mountain overlaps the other, one mountain raises one peak back, the mountains surround it, and the mountains are undulating. The peaks always seem to achieve a very Zen-like fit with the Sea of Clouds which can bring people inner emptiness and purity. Refining the elements of the mountain, using the art of ethereal art in the cloud, showing pure and meaningless ethereal, transcendental beauty derived from nature and higher than nature (As shown in Figure 9).
4) Silk Road Zen Landscape Sculpture
Empty: “Wrap broken”
Empty: “Wrap broken” design description: My day three introspection my body, meditation and self-cultivation, tea and nourishing, Zen tea culture shows both internal and external cultivation is the way to people. In this sculpture, the essence of an apple without a complete form is revealed to the public. We cannot only pursue the external brilliance but neglect the sufficiency of the internal pattern, and both internal and external repair is also important. Therefore, we should constantly fill the inner emptiness and improve the internal ideological framework, so as to achieve good in the bag and solid in the heart. In this way, cultivate oneself and cultivate one’s character (As shown in Figure 10).
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Figure 7. Design intention of crossing the ancient road (image source: Network).
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Figure 8. Design effect of crossing Ancient Road (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 9. Design effect of deep dream like Zen (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 10. “Wrap broken” hand drawn sketch (source: self drawn).
Quietness: “Servants recite”
Three people are moving, moving is still [4]. By abstracting, twisting and deforming the image of “three NOs” Monkey, the preset material is glass steel or stainless steel, and the shape is combined with a three-legged trend to express relatively quiet thoughts. That is stable, high safety factor (As shown in Figure 11).
Silence: “See a new world”
The peach blossoms are flowing away, there is no other place in the world. Li Bai looked at the world with a unique vision with a transcendental state of mind. In his heart, he showed the emptiness and openness of the Zen tea culture, showing loneliness and not bowing to the world. In his eyes, there is another transcendent world Silence. Use the stone to examine the beauty of nature and show the beauty of silence. The design USES cobblestones as the basic prototype, which is mixed and matched with resin materials to create a serene and light Zen image (As shown in Figure 12).
None: “Tangle. Zen”
Everything is born of something, something is born of nothing: the composition of cloud and water belongs to nothing, walks with the wind, and becomes invisible. This design is used for lightweight materials to imitate the shape of clouds, vacating them and forming a natural state (As shown in Figure 13).
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Figure 11. “Servants recite” hand drawn sketch (source: self drawn).
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Figure 12. “See a new world” sketch (source: self drawn).
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Figure 13. Hand drawn sketch of “Tang le. Zen” (source: self drawn).
4.3.2. “Tasting Tea and Talking about Zen”
1) Facade of the building on “Tasting tea and talking about Zen”
Through “crossing” and “talking”, Zen Buddhism and The Book of Tea are linked together to restore the ancient and profound tea culture, and integrate it into the landscape concept of alley passage to improve the artistic conception of the space of Zen tea. It embodies the theme and expresses the artistic conception (As shown in Figure 14). Alley, Sichua Alley and Chuan Alley integrate these three themes into the design, simplify the ancient tea-horse road map as the design element of the door head, and use the positive and negative shapes of the pattern to change the color and bump. Positive: Map of ancient tea-horse roads, negative: Zen landscape map, which not only represents the tea mountain, but also the characteristics of the Sichuan-Tibet channel, highlighting the regional culture.
2) Landscape sculpture on “Tasting tea and talking about Zen”
“The source of Zen” landscape lamp: The tea tree grows in the hard soil sandstone, and the smashing and reorganization of the golden tube is given to the pile of rubble. Although it has passed away, it still has no regrets. The Zen tea is established, where gold is sincere, where people are sincere, touching the world. The model was forged into stainless steel sculpture, the sculpture was polished for many times, and the surface of the sculpture was sprayed with fluorocarbon paint. Through the changes of the upper part of the sculpture, it embodies the collision of tradition and modernity (As shown in Figure 15).
“Dao He”: Although the tea leaves are small and pass through the seasons of the trees and trees, the tea is born and all things follow. The tea contains all things and tastes and unites all living beings. The legend of ten is ancient, and the tradition of three is a union. The union is a natural and comprehensive sense of unity and aggregation. It is combined with rectangular blocks of different heights and soft lights to create an interesting and unique ornamental sculpture (As shown in Figure 16) [5].
“Rong Dao”: Through the hibiscus flower of Chengdu, it sets off the spirit of tea and endows tea with new cultural connotation. Although there are 100 ways of tea, it is proud and frost blossoming. The elements of traditional seal cutting, eight diagrams and relief sculpture are extracted, and then it is combined with modern sculpture design thoughts to form “Rong Dao” (As shown in Figure 17).
“Su Yuan”: the combination of stone and glass, the beautiful luster refracted by the light passing through the glass makes the original unpretentious stone look like an expensive jewelry, creating a wonderful visual effect, the rough stone surface and Smooth glass brings a double contradiction between vision and touch, just as tea is out of hard mountain stone, which highlights the toughness of tea (As shown in Figure 18) [6] [7].
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Figure 14. Facade effect drawing of xucha building (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 15. Hand drawn “the source of Zen” (photo source: self drawn).
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Figure 16. “Dao he” hand drawn sketch (source: self drawn).
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Figure 17. Hand drawn sketch of “Rong Dao” (source: self drawn).
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Figure 18. Hand drawn sketch of “Su Yuan” (source: self drawn).
4.4. Summary of Landscape Internalization Design
In the process of overall landscaping of urban commercial complex, On the premise of meeting the main requirements set by Party a, We should dig deeply into the local unique cultural characteristics, so that the landscape design of Zen and tea culture is not the same, but a Zen and tea culture landscape with regional characteristics. While localizing Zen and tea culture, we should add the aesthetic needs of modern people to create an urban commercial complex integrating traditional culture, regional culture and modern culture.
5. Conclusion
Through the positioning, environmental analysis, location and traffic analysis, cultural details analysis, etc. of the whole project, according to the needs of Party A, combined with the characteristics of Zen tea and Silk Road, a brand-new interactive artistic experience is created for Party A, the overall atmosphere expression of its commercial complex is enhanced. At the same time, through the understanding of the South Silk Road and Zen and tea culture, the Zen and tea artistic conception of the complex’s external space landscape can be better expressed, creating a high-quality urban commercial complex external landscape with people-oriented, rich in local culture and regional characteristics, and improving the overall ecological function of the city [8].