Before Becoming an Independent Building: A Study of the Mixed Nature of Chemistry Laboratory Space from the 16th-18th Centuries

With the rapid development of science, the value of study in laboratory building for scientific research is becoming increasingly prominent. Focusing on the chemical science, this paper presents a historical study of the chemistry laboratory space before the formation of independent building from an architectural perspective. It is found that with the development and independence of chemistry, chemistry laboratory space passed through a state of mixture with private residence space, court space and pharmacy space, and eventually became independent building in institutions such as science societies and universities. Such a process also indicates a shift from practical-oriented chemistry practices to purely scientific research-oriented experimental activities. The study of the mixture of chemistry laboratory space helps to establish a systematic lineage of the evolution of laboratory building and provides a historical basis and broader perspective for the subsequent research.