Morfologia e fatti urbani dell’architettura lignan. Documentazione e analisi del tipo qilou: il caso di Guangzhou.

Qilou, covered walkway typical of the cities of southern China, have been much discussed over the years, because the interpretations about their origins and typological and morphological identity are many and often also discordant. They have also gone through several stages of decay and have been subject to numerous destructions and replacements for several decades. Some scholars state that they are the result of technical measures for the resolution of problems related to tropical climate of coastal areas. In fact, these are porticoes built in addition to existing buildings, mainly for residential use on upper floors and for commerce on ground floor, to guarantee pedestrian protection from sun and frequent rains. The qilou have also been useful expedient to pedestrianize sections of high-flowing roads, ensuring the use of space useful for trade. In recent times, starting from 2010, when Asian Games took place in Guangzhou, qilou were recognized as architectures representative of a Cantonese constructive identity and have therefore become object of study, survey, cataloging and revitalization by scholars, both national and international, supported economically by the Central Government. Current state of conservation of qilou, now formally recognized as heritage to be protected and enhanced, does not however reveal the real history that these architectures have suffered over time, neglected for decades by both citizens who lived there, and by scholars. The aim of this research, constantly updated, is to document and disseminate the knowledge of these eclectic architectures that well combine characteristics of Chinese architecture with those of Western influence, with a critical view to recover and regenerate through the traces of history.