The Meaning of Architectural Shape in the Architectures of the East and the West - based on the Idea of 'Form(形象)' and 'Energy-Form(氣形)'-

This paper aims to identify the meaning of architectural form of the East and the West. Ordinarily, we know the visual differences of architectural form between the two cultural families, and the technical reasons of such differences. However, the East and the West have their own views of architectural form that are derived from their own views of architecture, and again the views of architecture are rooted in their own views of the world. The paper maintains a comparative stance between the two cultures in analyzing the different concepts of architectural form, and employ the ideas of 'Form(形象)' and 'Energy-Form(氣形)' as a kind of representative concept of the two views of architectural form. It is discussed that the idea of Form pursued the realization of ultimate substance which is less materialistic but more ideal., while, the idea of Energy-Form pursued the realization of oneness and health through mutual interaction between man, architecture and nature. Architectural form in the West has been the purposeful expression of human ideal, while in the East, it was an expediential device for better energy condition. It seems important to understand such differences of the meaning of architectural form between the East and the West, since, in present time, we tend to think that the Western conception of architectural form is the only possible one. But it is not generally known that the Western conception of form has very particular background reason of its own which is unique to Western culture, and on the other hand, the nature of East Asian conception of architectural form is generally unknown.