Connections between nature and the indoors are important within most Asian cultures. Providing this connection, courtyards were developed as an essential design element throughout much of Asian architecture. While courtyards generally serve the same purpose all over Asia as a means of unifying the exterior and interior, they are culturally and architecturally treated quite differently. Traditional Japanese architecture employed engawa as a modulation space between the outside and inside, while Korean houses opened directly to the outdoors through a space called daecheong, where all doors were removed and hung under the eaves in the summer, as shown in Hanok Case Study (page 138) and Masterpiece of Confucian Architecture (page 204). Daecheong also served as multifunctional spaces that could be used for various domestic functions as well as a free-flowing space leading to the private rooms on its two sides. Metropolitan Sanctuary (page 18) and Maestro’s Utopian Vision (page 174) incorporate both the open and free-flowing features of daecheong.
Korea faced difficult times during the global surge towards “modernism.” Japanese occupation, the Korean War, and other geopolitical issues retarded the implementation of modernization in Korea. After the Korean War, Korean architecture and design languished for many years without strong leadership or definition. It was not until the principles of the modern movement were combined with the principles of Korean vernacular architecture that the content began to emerge as a distinctly Korean “style.” Two of the most influential architects, Kim Joong-up and Kim Swoo-geun, emerged in the 1960s upon their return to Korea from studies abroad, at a time when economic progress was propelling a construction boom. In addition to introducing the International Style to Korea, they brought a sense of “architectural nationalism” to their designs because of their native Korean heritage. While the Western world looked to Leonardo Da Vinci in the sixteenth century and Le Corbusier in the twentieth century for proportional systems to create a more humane dimensioning system, Korean architects and designers turned to the ancient flexible module of kan and the measurements of cheok. The “organic” qualities of Korean modernism were probably first embraced by Kim Swoo-geun, as evident in Maestro’s Utopian Vision (page 174) and Tribute to Korean Modernism (page 182), and remain as central design concepts for many of the architects/designers featured in this book.
Massive wooden columns placed in a zigzag pattern provide the sole support for the concrete slab roof in Square within a Square (page 212), harmonizing with the interior’s natural materials and exposed concrete.
Elegantly curved pitched black giwa tiled roofs, dormers, and deep eaves are typical of traditional upper-class Korean houses, as exemplified in Hanok Case Study (page 138).
As peace endured, Korea developed rapidly into an industrial base within the Pacific Rim and began to actively participate in the global economy. Beginning in the 1970s, a strong migration of many young, bright, and talented architecture and design students from Korea began traveling internationally to attend the world’s most reputable graduate programs. At the same time, some prestigious programs within Korea began developing outstanding schools, which were strongly influenced internationally. Much of the international influence came from Korean faculty who attended graduate programs abroad and returned to practice and/or teach. These people are much more able to understand and express both theoretically and as built work contemporary architectural expressions which are informed and influenced by their traditions. This is especially true of the Yi (Joseon) Dynasty influence – integration of the arts and how houses become “galleries” for the display of cultural artifacts. Classic Korean objects, be they ceramic kimchi pots, soban tray tables, dwiju grain chests, or hanbok costumes – items that immediately distinguish themselves as being uniquely Korean – are used with vernacular panache in interior decoration. Old rice cake boards are used as coffee tables, antique grain chests double up as storage for books and other household items, cushions are upholstered in Korean moshi linen and jewel-toned silks, and old stone mills and “ironing blocks” are used as garden “stepping stones.” Similarly, stone figures once reserved for temples and royal burial mounds are displayed as modern-day objets d’art. “Korea style” is thus inextricably linked with art, craft, and architecture as showcased in Metropolitan Sanctuary (page 18), Lock Museum and Residence (page 28), Fashion Designer’s Muse (page 50), Mountain Atelier (page 86), Folding Screen Mountain Retreat (page 116), Living with Art (page 128), and Collector’s Hillside Haven (page 152).
Simplicity, moderation, constraint, and a deep respect for all things natural have remained the hallmarks of Korean architecture and interiors throughout the ages. Yet, despite maintaining these traditions, contemporary Korea is unique in its acceptance of contrast and lack of formality as part of its expression. Old is intertwined with new, rural with urban, unstructured with structured, noise with silence, and light with dark. “Korea style” often employs many of these contrasting elements to create uniquely harmonious relationships. Hanok Case Study (page 138) and Reincarnation of a Bygone Era (page 190) are classic examples of how old can be intertwined with new, while Kim Choon, Kim Kai Chun, and Seung H-Sang have a talent for contemporizing traditional tearooms. Portions of an old wall built in the Yi (Joseon) Dynasty for protection and definition around the city of Seoul emerge from the city perimeter at irregular intervals and provide for interesting relationships between old and new, as evidenced in Historical Stone Wall House (page 40) by Choi Du Nam. Square within a Square (page 212) shows the contrast between rural settings and urban designs, Mountain Atelier (page 86) exemplifies how unstructured elements can be combined with structured ones, and Reflex Penthouse (page 146) demonstrates the contrast between noise and silence in a single space. Light and dark have once again been reintroduced into contemporary structures creating an ambience of mystery, subtlety, and reflection. Walls have transparency, translucency, and texture. Spaces have shade, shadow, filtered light, and moonlight. Papered screens, large overhangs, and movable walls all are historical precedents which contribute to contemporary expression. The Lock Museum and Residence (page 28), Fashion Designer’s Muse (page 50), Folding Screen Mountain Retreat (page 116), and Tribute to Korean Modernism (page 182) all maximize the use of papered screens and filtered light. To the unobservant eye, these contrasts may appear strange and discordant, but within imperfection rests the perfection of nature.
As the world becomes more globalized, most countries are losing their architectural and cultural heritage to technology and expanded economies. National expressions of “style” and “substance” take a back seat to nondescript buildings and interiors which respond only to changing populations, limited budgets, and functionality. Some respond to this loss through mimicking or applying traditional images to pedestrian structures. The compromise reached often results in poor architecture and internal design that is neither contemporary nor traditional. Korea, however, has made significant gains in meeting the challenge of integrating tradition with contemporary architecture and interiors. Reaching a point where