Research On The Development Of Masonry Architecture In Modern Wuhan Based On The Evolution Of Material Technology

Brick is one of the oldest building materials in the world, up to now, remaining apeople’s beloved building wall material. It is certain that brick is a kind of expressive andpoetic building material. The Industrial Revolution leads the world into a new era ofmechanization and industrialization, and being a comfort to the manufacture of brick. Theopening of Hankou brings such achievements related to those material technologies toWuhan and reacts on its modern architecture form and townscape feature.In modern Wuhan, the technical development of brick makes the pattern of buildingconstruction transform from traditional workshop to modern construction company. Andthe appearance of modern brick and tile factory lays a material foundation for theproduction of modern architecture in Wuhan. In such a social situation, traditionalarchitecture form transforms into modern architecture form in Wuhan. Large-scaleproduction of bricks rapidly ensures the main role of brick in building materials and thedominant role of masonry architecture in modern architectures. In the wake of the use ofnew building materials, brick and masonry architecture decline after flourishing.This paper interprets the development of architecture from technological perspective,and focuses on modern masonry architecture in Wuhan. In the dimension of time, itanalyses the influence that the development of brickmaking technology reacts on thetransformation of architecture form in all ages in China. In the dimension of space, itanalyses the relative influence that the upheaval of building material technology reacts onarchitecture form even townscape feature under the background of globalization.Finally, it expounds the material root that influencing the material expression of brickin theoretic aspect，an admission of the properties of brick. The medium of the interactionbetween the properties and the material expression of brick is not just brickmakingtechnology but the restrictions of the development of other building materials. All thoseabove determine the situation and the predicament that the material expression of brickwould face necessarily in modern Wuhan (even all the world): the off position of itsstructural authenticity, the position losing of its material expression, the decline of brickand masonry architecture. In summary, the paper reveals the invisible logical relationship between thedevelopment of brickmaking technology and material expression of brick and the invisiblelogical relationship between the development of building material technology and thematerial expression of architecture in theory.