Raised-floor Spaces in Newly Constructed Urban Dwellings in Postwar Taiwan

摘要

This paper analyzes the formation of raised-floor spaces and changes in the style of such spaces in newly constructed urban dwellings in postwar Taiwan.Raised-floor spaces, called heshi or chong-pho, is popular in Taiwan.To analyze the change of such space, which is generally considered a Japanese symbol, this paper examines the cultural meaning of raised floors in the following ways.First, it investigates why raised floors were constructed in urban dwellings.Second, it addresses the definition of heshi and its implications.Finally, it determines what raised-floor spaces were called in different situations.This study shows that the raised floor space changed its form and spatial meaning according to the demands of city dwellers.The changes in the raised-floor space, whether chong-pho or heshi, had many aspects and variables.