Work

Reimagining early public life: space syntax and spatial formation of teahouses in modern China

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As a culturally constructed paradigm of distinctive everyday life, the “Jiangnan teahouse” myth has persisted. This study investigates 46 teahouses within the context of market town dynamics, revealing how their publicness emerged through the erosion of domestic boundaries and the absence of formal public institutions. A space syntax approach mixed with GIS, K-means clustering, and ANOVA analysis was developed based on the selected representative study case of Shengze Town (Jiangsu, China). The study concludes that four distinct spatial typologies can be identified based on a clustering analysis of 46 teahouses, with 28.2% situated in areas of higher integration and visibility and functioning as core social nodes, whereas the remaining 71% primarily serve localised community functions. The interior analysis reveals that visual and spatial control – facilitated by corridors and other traditional fixtures (e.g. laohuzao) – subtly mediates publicness between domestic and commercial realms. From an external viewpoint, the reconstructed routes of carnival parades reveal that the teahouses acted as panoramic devices that diffuse publicness in symbolic collective activities. This study contributes to bridging the epistemological divide between two distinct academic discourses on the public sphere and public space.

Source: Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering

DOI: 10.1080/13467581.2025.2558175

Authors: Jing Liang, Kejie Cen, Xiaoxiao Rao

Institutions: Southeast University, Zhejiang A & F University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Design and Spatial Analysis

Subfield: Building and Construction

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,165