| Astor Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art | | | | spiritual meditation, watching the moon, or writing |
| contains a small, indoor garden in the style of a | | | | poetry. Poetry was a concept that was very |
| traditional Chinese garden. The garden was funded by | | | | integrated with the Chinese garden. At Astor Court, |
| Brooke Russell Astor and was built by a group of | | | | there is an inscription over the South entrance that |
| twenty-seven engineers from The Soochow Garden | | | | reads, “Tanyou” which means, “In |
| Administration of the People’s Republic of China | | | | Search of Quietude.” There is also an inscription |
| in early 1980. The gardens of Soochow (also known | | | | inside the courtyard which says, “Yashi” |
| as Suzhou) were traditionally among the most | | | | meaning, “Elegant Repose.” |
| celebrated gardens in China. Astor Court was based | | | | Astor Court utilizes some very traditional Chinese |
| on a garden in Soochow called the Garden of the | | | | techniques in the construction of the garden. One |
| Master of the Fishing Nets, which is Ming Dynasty | | | | such example is the usage of faux-windows to |
| garden built between the 14th and 17th centuries. | | | | provide the inhabitant of the garden with the feeling |
| Astor Court opened to the public in 1981. | | | | of being removed from the confines of the |
| Astor Court is designed to simulate an outdoor | | | | Metropolitan Museum. There are multiple windows |
| garden. Upon entering Astor Court, my eye was first | | | | along the Eastern wall of the garden, one window on |
| drawn towards the sheer verticality of the space. | | | | the south wall, and also two faux-windows in the |
| The ceiling of the courtyard is a large pyramidical | | | | southern entrance. These faux-windows contain |
| skylight that allows in natural lighting. Since Astor | | | | geometric lattice work that varies between each |
| Court is located within the Metropolitan Museum of | | | | window. Directly past the lattice work are lighted |
| Art, the lighting is instantly distinguishable from the | | | | plants on the “outside” of the window. This |
| other sections of the museum. | | | | is done to give the illusion that the garden exists in |
| To further this feeling of being outdoors, Astor Court | | | | an outdoor setting. |
| contains a covered walkway along the Eastern side | | | | One very prevalent theme throughout Astor Court, |
| of the garden, and a pavilion along the north edge of | | | | is the idea of yin and yang. Throughout the garden, |
| the garden. The structure of both the covered | | | | there is a constant play between hard and soft |
| walkway and the pavilion were made from hand | | | | materials. The pavilion and covered walkway contain |
| crafted Chinese wood and were constructed using | | | | woodwork with a dark, warm finish, but the ceramic |
| traditional Chinese methods. The ceiling of the pavilion | | | | ceilings feel very cold and hard in contrast. The |
| and covered walkway were specially constructed | | | | courtyards floor utilizes a simply geometric pattern |
| using ceramic techniques used in China during the | | | | constructed with grey terracotta bricks but sections |
| eighteenth century. | | | | of the floor are softened using plants and flowers. |
| The center piece of Astor Court is a moon-viewing | | | | Within the areas containing plants there are a number |
| terrace that uses Chinese upsweeps on the corners | | | | of large limestone rocks that also create a certain |
| of the terrace’s roof. One very traditional usage | | | | play between the fragility of the vegetation with the |
| of a Chinese garden is using a garden as a place for | | | | strength of the limestone, furthering the idea of yin |
| spirituality and idealism. In a traditional Chinese garden | | | | and yang. |
| a moon-viewing terrace would be used as a place for | | | | |