Traditional Chinese Architectural Colour Painting in Modern Architecture: A Systematic Literature Review

Resumo

Colour painting is a vital component and defining feature of traditional Chinese wooden architecture. These architectural colour paintings, with a history spanning centuries, reflect the distinctive historical attributes and cultural connotations of each era and region. However, numerous preserved colour paintings from past dynasties have severely deteriorated, presenting a significant challenge for designers committed to preserving this art form. Despite its cultural importance, limited research has focused on integrating traditional architectural colour painting into contemporary design. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review on the influence of traditional architectural color painting on contemporary Chinese architecture since 2014. A systematic review of the literature between 2014 and 2024 was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with primary sources from databases such as Web of Science and Scopus. The search resulted in 188 papers, and nine papers were included in the systematic review based on exclusion criteria. The findings reveal that current research on ancient architectural colour paintings predominantly centers on the maintenance and restoration of historical buildings, while studies addressing their application in modern architectural design remain limited. Consequently, there is a need to explore innovative approaches for integrating ancient architectural colour paintings into modern design, thereby supporting cultural diversity in heritage conservation practices and fostering the continuity and development of traditional architectural culture.