KOREAN ARCHITECTURE

Background
- Korean Architecture started in the Bronze Age as layouts for walls, cities, palaces, and
capitals where in place as during these times wars and sieges were prominent. This was
expanded upon the Three Kingdoms Period between 57 BC – 668 AD where Chinese
Influenced certain cultures of the Three Kingdoms along with the Architecture of the
Dynasties.
- According to Ben Jackson and Robert Koehler on the book Korean Architecture:
Breathing with Nature : “ In traditional Korean architecture, nature was not something to be
conquered or overcome; it was the model and the ideal standard for everything in the human
world.”

Influences/Drivers (e.g. Geographical, Geological, Climate, Religion, Social and Political,

Historical etc.)
 Geographical
o The Peninsula is surrounded by mountainous terrain, forests, and endless streams of
rivers. Has almost 3960 nearby islands and surrounded by seas some notable are the East
China Sea and the Korea Strait in the south.

 Geological
o According to Ben Jackson and Ben Koehler, In Traditional Korean Architecture selecting
a building site is properly interpreting the Topography of the land it will be built. That is
why most buildings are built upon baesan imsu which means a setting with a high
mountain at the rear to block the wind and a wide field with a river flowing through it.

 Climate
o The Climate of the Korean Peninsula has four very distinct seasons. From harsh and cold
winters to humid, hot summers.
 Religion
o The Concept of Nature and how humans cannot coexist without nature is most prolific in
the ideology of the Korean Peninsula. Other influences such as Buddhism, Taoism come
from different conquests over the history of Korea.
o During the Joseon Dynasty social class regulations are observed
o
Architectural Character
- When establishing or proposing a site for a building the Taenigjji identifies the
one that has excellent topography. Topography is the layout of the surrounding
mountains and rivers, ecology of the ground, the characters of the inhabitants
around the area, and the overall scenic beauty of the site.
- The Practice of how nature is intertwined with human habilitation, or the
practice of geomancy is called pungsu which was introduced by China as feng
shui
 - Stones were not treated, but rather left in their original form on the earth, with
their uneven surfaces intact. To support a wooden pillar on top of a foundation
stone, the pillar's base had to be carved to fit the foundation stone's uneven
surface.
- Korean Architecture mostly use wood as wood is one of the few architectural
materials derived from a living organism; due to its organic character, wood is
extremely tough and intricate to work with. Wood, unlike soil or bricks, needs to
breathe, may rot from moisture, and is prone to warping.
- The three kingdoms' periodic capital relocations have left ruins of walled
fortifications in numerous sites around the Korean peninsula, but they are better
renowned for their architectural heritage of Buddhist buildings and royal tombs.
-

Prominent Examples (at least 2)

- Bulguksa was built as a terrestrial representation of the land of Buddha, or paradise. It
achieves this through the creation of three main areas centered respectively on Birojeon
(Vairocana Buddha Hall), Daeungjeon (Hall of Great Enlightenment) and Geungnakjeon
(Hall of Supreme Bliss).
o Location: Gyeong Ju, South Korea
o Date Built: 774 CE
o Building Use: Religion (now a UNESCO Heritage Site)
o Architect: Kim Daesong (Chief Minister or Chungsi of the Unified Silla
Kingdom)

Changdeokgung is remarkable in the way its layout contrasts with that of

Gyeongbokgung. While the buildings of the latter are arranged in geometric, parallel
fashion, those of Changdeokgung defer to the topography of the terrain upon which
they are built, showing a variety of orientations in accordance with the lay of the
land.
 Location: Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
 Date Built: 1405
 Building Use: Homes of King during the Joseon Dynasty
 Architect: King Taejong

Barth, Gunther. Bitter Strength: A History of the Chinese in the United States, 1850-1870. Cambridge:
Harvard University Press, 1964.

1. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, Korean Architecture: Breathing with Nature, (South Korea: Seoul
Selection, 2012), 29
2. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 25
3. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 9
4. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 10
5. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 25
6. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 18
7. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 9
8. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 9
9. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 35
10. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 25
11. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 13
12. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 14
12. Ben Jackson, Robert Koehler, 29 - 31

Jackson, Ben, Koehler, Robert. Korean Architecture: Breathing with Nature, 2012. Seoul Selection, 2012