Architecture in Zhenia



Architecture in Zhenia demonstrates a set of styles that developed diversely throughout Zhenia and proliferated into other parts of East Tarsis and later Veharia. While the general direction of architecture in both the Danguk Peninsula and continental Zhenia remained more or less intact prior to Zhenian Enlightenment, it has underwent significant changes in the modern day through interaction with other architectural styles that were introduced to Zhenian schools of architecture. Zhenian architecture made significant marks on the architectural styles of nearby states, including Yinguo and Craunmei, as well as varying degrees of influence in South and Southeast Tarsis as well as the Hanmaric Islands and Western Veharia.

Neoclassical architecture


Neoclassical architecture in Zhenia began with the wave of Zhenian Enlightenment in the early 14th century AC, starting from Shindan and nations around the Golden Arc. The growth of neoclassical architecture was spurred by the influx of Azoran architectural styles and techniques, which allowed for more ingenious approaches while maintaining the general template of classical Zhenian architecture. Aimed to be the reinterpretation of classical Zhenian styles, neoclassical buildings in Zhenia actively adopted western techniques to construct pillars and walls, while the roofs remained mostly Zhenian: this, although it partly removed the functionality of the unique eaves of Zhenian roofs in controlling sunlight entering indoors, more or less kept the general outlook of the building similar to existing Zhenian buildings. Materials used to construct walls and pillars in neoclassical buildings shifted from bricks and stones in the 14th and 15th centuries AC to eventually reinforced concrete by early 16th century AC. Many buildings followed rectangular plans in general, adopting curved lines and decorative details to induce change to the monotone outline of the building. Many neoclassical buildings are characterized by the implementation of large glass windows, higher ceiling and bright interiors.

Seogwan architecture
Seogwan architecture (Zhenian: 서관양식/西冠様式), one of the segments of neoclassical architecture in Zhenia, was a step further from neoclassical schools of architecture. Compared to other tracts of neoclassical architecture, it sought a converging point between western and Zhenian styles that was closer to the west than Zhenia. Western design styles were implemented more extensively, with the general outlook of buildings resembling their western counterparts and traditional Zhenian characteristics moved into more obscure locations. Thus, while most tracts neoclassical architecture sought to integrate western techniques and styles within the framework of classical Zhenian architecture, the Seogwan segment went the other way around, attempting to include Zhenian elements within the larger framework inspired by the west. Notable surviving examples of Seogwan architecture include the National Parliament Hall in Daedo, the Capital Hall of Balhae Province and Daedo Central Station.

While they were commonly adopted as the primary style in constructing government buildings until the first half of the 16th century AC, Seogwan architecture also made its way into civilian architecture.

Modern architecture
The era of modern architecture began in Zhenia with the beginning of the Empire of Zhenia, when neoclassical architecture remained at the mainstream. The need for a new architectural style fitting the new industrial age and rapid urbanization across the empire's major cities called for larger and denser buildings of unprecedented scale. The usage of reinforced concrete and steel frames as primary materials for construction, as well as the introduction of to Zhenia with the construction of the 12-story Sun East Building in Daedo in 1458 AC, marked the beginning of vertical expansion throughout the nation's largest cities. The skylines of numerous Zhenian cities changed dramatically, as new skyscrapers and high-rises irreversibly altered the outlook of Zhenian cities as a whole.



Modernist architecture established a stronger hold in mainstream Zhenian architecture during the Third Republic, when the Kim Shimin regime actively embraced modernist and architects, including Balakhaat-born architect Hakim Seong, for numerous public construction projects during the Third Republic. Emphasizing pragmatism and industriousness over decorative details, they were branded as symbols of utilitarianism and egalitarianism and were proliferated across the nation. The direct exposure of concrete on the facades, a defining characteristic of brutalist architecture, saw a golden age with its merge with existing modernist themes in Zhenian architecture, although some traditional elements of Zhenian architecture persisted mostly within the interior of the buildings. They soon became frequently expressed in numerous public housing projects throughout the nation, as well as many of the government buildings built during the Third Republic, including the Centennial Port House of Shinhang.

Futurist architecture
Although futurist schools of architecture began with the First Republic, it met its true age after the November Revolution. The modernist and brutalist trend of embracing reinforced concrete was replaced with reinforced steel and glass structures, while several asymmetrical and ingenious approaches were attempted to reinterpret Zhenia's architectural heritage.

Since the end of the 16th century AC, green architecture, a segment of architecture, has gained significant momentum among Zhenian schools of architecture. This has been further reinforced by the enactment of the Green Buildings Act in 1594 AC, which mandated newly-constructed buildings over a certain size to meet criteria concerning green space, energy efficiency, water sufficiency and the like. Several systems that augmented the building's capacity to achieve the requirements of the act, including fully-automated heat management systems, heat pump circulation systems, window-like solar panels, indoor vertical gardens and rainwater catchment systems, became commonplace, while attempts to maximize the usage of natural factors surrounding the building, including sunlight and local humidity, were observed directly into the form of the buildings.

Religious
Prior to Zhenian Enlightenment, most religious buildings, regardless of faith, generally followed the imperial styles of classical Zhenian architecture. Zhenian Wuist temples, in particular, are normally characterized with the existence of a tall wooden or stone pagoda, sometimes measuring dozens of meters in height, at the center of the temple, surrounded by imperial style buildings that represent the space-time continuum maintained by the interaction of the three deities central to the faith. The arrangement of buildings surrounding the central pagoda varied slightly by region and the primary deity they worshiped: a temple dedicated to Shinmir, for instance, would have the buildings spread around the pagoda in a radial form when looked from far above, signifying the radiant symbol of Shinmir. Such temples were normally built upon locations with the best and sought to face the south directly, in order to be closer to the realm of the immortals.



Apart from Zhenian Wuist temples, many prominent Zhenian families had dedicated family shrines within the walls of their home. They are normally positioned adjacent to the western walls, reflecting the notion that the west is generally associated with the afterlife. Family shrines normally carry mortuary tablets and other symbols of the family's ancestors, and are built with ample space to allow for the mortuary tablets of multiple generations to be stored and be paid ancestral rites on given days of the year. The practice of building ancestral shrines and performing ancestral rites on certain days of the year was also observed by royal families, with royal ancestral shrines (Zhenian: 종묘/宗廟) of major dynasties often being larger than the dynasty's royal villas. Although they varied slightly in style, royal shrines more or less resembled those of royal palaces of the era, reflecting the understanding that they were considered 'palaces of the afterlife'. Notable examples of royal shrines throughout Zhenia surviving to this day include the Munjungmyo and Cheongunmyo, the royal shrines of the Kingdom of Balhae and Shindan respectively.