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Frontispiece
Facade is quite important for the stores in the “no sky” market area
because it represents their
trademark and appearance.
Therefore, various kinds of facades appeared in the “no sky” market
area and became one characteristic of the “no sky” market area. In
the early period, most of the facades were similar without any
significant differences. Later, Japanese brought new ideas and made
the facades more and more delicate. Some are even associated with
name of the stores and were very attractive.
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Categories of Frontispiece
The form of the frontispiece in Taiwan could be
divided into
four categories according to the time it was built.
The characteristics of these categories are listed as follows:
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Categories |
Characteristics |
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Traditional frontispieces |
This
type is the built before the
Cing Dynasty (before 1700A.D.). They were made of wood and
in the same form. We can still see some in Di-Hua Street in
Taipei. |
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Western
frontispieces |
This category is built
during the late Cing to Japanese occupation period(Around
the 1800 to 1900 A.D.). The frontispieces were mostly made
of red bricks and shaped as a round arch. Those in today's
old streets in Hukou, Sin-Jhu and Jinmen belong to this
category. |
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Baroque frontispieces |
In mid-Japanese-occupation
period (Before1910A.D.), frontispieces with concrete
structures appeared. They used a lot of pictures in baroque
style and appeared to be very luxuriant. Tai-Pin Street in
Yun-Lin, Dou-Liou and Lukang Folk Arts Museum both belong to
this category. |
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Modern frontispieces |
The category is built
in the late Japanese occupation period (Around 1920 A.D.).
The frontispieces such as those on the Jhong-Shan Road in
Lukang and the Jhong-Shan Road in Si-Luo, Yun-Lin were
mostly of ferroconcrete structure and had three floors. |
(An
adaption of "Introduction to Relics" p.72~73)
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Showa Style
Compared with other major cities such as
Taichung and Taipei, the modification of downtown area in
Lukang was later. Thus, after dismantling, the frontispieces
in the “no sky” market area were built later than other
traditional ones. The style of the architectures belongs to
the style in late Japanese occupation period. Those were
mainly ferroconcrete buildings and the frontispieces were
made of tiles in light colors. They looked very simple and
pleasant. In addition, the frontispieces used
simple geometry and
showed the unique style of the stores. They were very
different from those plain frontispieces in Cing Dynasty.
Comparing with street houses in Dasi, Huko and Sanshia, the
streets house in Lukang differ them in the line of their
facade. The line of facade is much plain and simple, and it
is not so much attractive that tourists always ignore its
beauty. Since the reconstruction of Lukang is not as early
as other ciities, the frontispiece of Lukang is a later
design in comparison of other city. The facade in Lukang is
called "Showa" (Japaneses Emperor) style facade, which is
famous of its plain and simple line. As the building
materials and techniques are different to former styles, the
appearance of Lukang street house can be a great contrast to
other cities' street house.
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Appreciation of the Frontispieces
Some
characteristics of the frontispieces in the “no sky” market
area are worth to be examined carefully. The first part is
the decoration and
“daughter” wall. We can appreciate the
beauty of the frontispiece composed of simple geometry. The
second part is the design of the stores’ sign and windows.
Lots of stores put their signs on the frontispiece and we
can know how much the stores valued their reputations. The
last part is Cilou (sidewalk under the roof) and balcony. Unlike frontispieces in
other periods, they belong to unique postmodern architect
style. Frontispiece is one significant characteristic in the
“no sky” market area. Every frontispiece seems to be telling
the past of the once most prosperous area.
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Daughter wall |
Trademark |
Simple geometry style |
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