Chinese Spirit in Modern Strength: Liang Sicheng, Lin Huiyin, and Early Modernist Architecture in China

The husband-and-wife architect team of Liang Sicheng (1901–72) and Lin Huiyin (1904–55) introduced a distinctive version of western modernism to China, one that remained highly respectful of Chinese building tradition. Educated overseas in the Beaux-Arts system and fully familiar with international modernism, they resisted importing alien design values to China. Instead they balanced their western learning with a profound understanding of ancient Chinese architecture, acquired by means of extensive field investigations and the study of historic building manuals. They saw the essential link between past and present in the post-and-beam structural system, which had formed the basis of Chinese timber architecture over the millennia and re-emerged in twentieth-century western reinforced-concrete-and-steel framing systems. Lin’s failing health and Liang’s mistreatment at the hands of the communist government regrettably prevented them from fully realising their vision of a modern Chinese architecture. The present article investigates Liang and Lin’s limited, and largely unfamiliar, architectural output. It uses documentation and architectural analysis to chart their approach to modernism in the context of China’s continually changing political and cultural environments. 梁思成(1901-72)與林徽因(1904-55)這對夫妻檔建築師組合以別具匠心，並高度尊崇中國建築傳統的手法，把西方現代主義引進中國。他倆在海外接受美術系統的教育，且對國際現代主義瞭如指掌。然而，他們拒絕把外國的設計價值標準引入中國，而是要平衡西方學問和他們從大量實地考查及研習歷史建築指南而養成的，對古中國建築學的深刻理解。從數千年中國木材建築的基礎樑柱結構系統中，他們看到古今的重要聯繫，並以二十世紀西方鋼筋混凝土及鋼架結構重新呈現。林氏虛弱的健康狀況及梁氏在共產政權下所受到的苛待，遺憾地阻礙了他們完全實現其現代中國建築的憧憬。本文查考梁氏與林氏為數不多，而且鮮為人知的建築作品。文中以記錄及建築學分析手法標示出他倆在中國不斷變化的政治及文化環境中所體現的現代主義。