Modernization In Chinese Eastern Railway Architecture

By the late 19 th century and the early 20 th century, changes in the formation of society, as well as the mode of production, made requests for new types, technology and design philosophy in architecture, which was the background of the Chinese Eastern Railway(C.E.R.). Russia and Japan, who built and managed C.E.R, applied advanced technology and modern design methods in the architectures and urban designs of the surrounding areas along the railway. This article analyzes modernization in architectures of C.E.R., using methods such as document analysis, field research, comprehensive analysis.Russia and Japan brought in new types of material, such as bricks, glass, steel and cement etc. in the aspect of architectural technology. Japan invented new kinds of material based on the local resources, and put them in industrial production after repeated testing. New structures as reinforced concrete structure and steel structure, in different forms which can be divided into frame structure, truss structure, arch structure, flat slab structure, shell structure and cable structure, were designed to meet the needs of large space and multi-functional buildings, such as halls, gyms, department stores, warehouses, factories, cowsheds, bridges and so on. They also introduced new construction technology in the projects of architectures, bridges, tunnels and ports. Engineers, workers, contractors and construction companies were organized properly to use machines like hoists, cranes, excavators, concrete mixers, tools like brick lifts and levels, and facilities like cold sheds and scaffoldings to construct fast and orderly in cold weather.They adopted Function Zoning, Garden City, Regional Planning, Neighborhood Unit, and Centralism Theory to respond modern urban planning, building metropolises along C.E.R.. The architectures were influenced deeply by Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism movement,turning the area into the application zone of modern thoughts. Standardized designs, intensive production, and precast units helped to build economically, rapidly and reasonably, forming the basis of construction industry surround C.E.R..The modernization in C.E.R. architecture walked along with the world, sometimes faster than Russia and Japan, in a regional and winding way..