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Article Excerpt
Abstract: Completed in 1919, the Taiwan Governor's Office has been regarded as the symbol of authority in Taiwan from the colonization by Japan to the present. Its brilliant appearance of intertwined red bricks and white stones, originating from the European Baroque style in the 18th and 19th centuries, has been eroded by the harsh weather for more than 80 years. The exterior wall of red unglazed tiles is the most important material in the renovation project. It was originally manufactured by Shinagawa Shirorenga Co., Ltd. However, tile production ceased completely in Taiwan and Japan in 1935. The end of production resulted in the loss of this traditional manufacturing technology. Research has found that the most important factors for re-making the tiles successfully are: (i) firing temperature, (ii) reconstruction of manufacturing technologies and (iii) firing improvement. This made possible the reemergence of the original beautiful style and features of the Governor's Office. The conclusions of this research can be shared and referenced by those who are devoted to the renovation and preservation of historical buildings.
Keywords: Brick, Building renovation, Historic buildings, Manufacturing technology, Tiles
Introduction
History catches up with us quickly and many of the buildings of the recent past are now in a state of decay (Winter, 2000). During the last two decades, architectural heritage preservation has gained heightened interest for scientists, architects, engineers and archaeologists, this subject being an interdisciplinary research area (Lo'pez-Arce, Garcia-Guinea, Gracia, M., & Obis, 2003). Damaged historical brick wall masonry needs to be restored with substitute bricks. The aim of the restoration is to preserve as much of the historic materials as possible and to avoid any damage to the structure (Jacob, 2007).
Historic buildings have been repaired in the past in a way that was well intentioned, but which soon turned out to be badly wrong (Jacob, 2007). Brick wall masonry of many historical buildings suffers from rising damp, which is very harmful from a conservation point of view, because water migrating inside the wall is transporting soluble salts of the lagoon (Fassina, Favaro, Naccari, & Pigo, 2002). It is well known that many factors can influence the moisture distribution in brick masonry, such as, for instance, the thickness of wall masonry, the porosity distribution of bricks and exposure to atmospheric agents such as rainwater, relative humidity of the neighboring environment and ventilation (Amoroso & Fassina 1983).
Conservation principles are determined in relation to the spiritual and naturalistic sensibilities of East Asian culture and architecture (Chung, 2005). The basic principle is "the original state cannot be changed during renovation" (Ayala & Wang 2006). New material is used along with original or similar materials and methods (Galan, Carretero, & Mayoral, 1999) to preserve the original beautiful style and features.
Shinagawa Shirorenga Co., Ltd., the original manufacturer of the red unglazed tile used in this exterior wall renovation project, had ceased production in 1935. The traditional manufacturing technology has been lost for years (about 60 years) and there is no current production of this kind of red tile. Furthermore, only 30,000 pieces of red tile are needed in this project, so the volume of tiles is too low to interest any general ceramics producers. Fortunately, due to the committed study and research by an enthusiastic ceramicist together with the project team, difficulties such as the lack of a skillful adobe technique, layout pattern, and temperature control have been ironed out. The initial study working around the clock lasted for more than three months. Although the product defect rate reached 30% in the first batch, after 15 days of modification, the average defect rate dropped to 11.2%, with only 8.72% finished product being below standard after selection. The average water absorption was 2.58% with a modulus of rupture reaching 510 kgf/[cm.sup.2] and the related test results were all in line with the standard criteria. The successful manufacturing of the tile was the most important factor for accomplishing the renovation project ahead of schedule in December 2004.
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Research Aims and Methods
The case study is an extremely flexible and popular method of conducting research. It is considered an important approach for presenting information, describing the problem at hand, and prescribing solutions or treatments (Kirszner & Mandell 1992).
Brick wall masonry constitutes a significant part of the construction materials found in historic buildings. The level of decay in bricks varies widely, in many cases requiring partial replacements. The selection of compatible materials for the replacement of original bricks is crucial in order to avoid damage to the historical structure (Elert, Cultrone, Rodriguez Navarro, & Sebastian Pardo, 2003). Studies have examined the influence of manufacture and firing temperature. The feasibility of manufacturing replacement bricks with specific properties suitable for particular conservation requirements has also been assessed (Elert et al., 2003).
Historical research is not just to analyze and preserve objects but also to investigate the knowledge and skills used to produce and use them (Vandiver, 2001). The main goals of building material characterization are preservation and restoration, and aiding archaeological studies, which include:
i. The origin of historical raw materials
ii. Determination of original firing temperature
iii. Reconstruction of firing techniques and manufacturing technologies (Bertelle, Calogero, Oddone, Salerno, Segnan, & Stievano, 2000).
Historical Review
A Brief History of the Taiwan Governor's Office
The designer of the Governor's Office, Matscorejo Moriyama, adopted the Baroque style, which commonly prevailed in the 18th and 19th centuries for European royal buildings, to embody...
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