KOREAN ARCHITECTURE 3.

Geonneonbang (second bedroom)

4. Anbang (main bedroom)
Korea 5. Gwang (granary)
 Located in the Far East Asia along a peninsula 6. Bueok (kitchen)
 It is bordered in the North by China and Japan in the East 7. Keunbang (large bedroom)
 Invaded by Japan in 1905 8. Bang (room)
 Korea split into the North and South in 1948 which then resulted to 9. Dojangbang (lady’s dressing room)
the Korean War 10. Oeyanggan (stable)
 North Korea is now a socialist state (Communist) while South 11. Toenmaru (veranda)
Korea is a capitalist state (Democratic) 12. Jeongjugan (space between the kitchen and the main bedroom)
 North Korea is a close ally of China
Sarangchae
 Use of Hangul in the 15th CE, it is a native Korean alphabet which
uses vowels and consonants  The men’s quarter, was occupied by the man of the house. It also
served as a reception area, guestroom, and a study area for
 Also uses Hanja. Korean name for Chinese characters
children. Due to the strict gender-based Confucian society, the
 Culture is highly influenced by China
sarangchae was a space where men spent their time and discussed
 Major religions are Buddhism, however current survey reveals that social matters, wrote poems, played instruments like geomungo
46% of Koreans are atheist, 22% Buddhist, 18% Protestants and (traditional Korean instrument), etc. Following the principles of the
10% Catholics yin and yang forces, the room was located towards the east side of
 It has the 3rd highest Christian population the house.
Hanok Anchae (Inner Quarter)
 Traditional Korean house  This inner section of the house, which was the main area for
 Positions house in relationship to surrounding and season women, was where food was prepared, and also where important
 All spatial arrangements of a hanok are directly connected to the events such as the birth of a child or the death of a family member
human body, so each space is optimally sized and located to were held. The anchae was located in the center of the household
facilitate the use and movement of the human body were administered. Consisting of the anbang (main bedroom),
 Two types of Hanok (by social class): andaecheong (inner hall), geonneonbang (second room) and the
o Giwa or Giwajip is used by the upper class with curved kitchen, the inner quarters were located towards the west of the
roof tiles (Giwa or Kiwa). house in accordance with yin and yang principles.
o Chogajip is used by commoners or farmers with
thatched roofs made of rice/grass/straw Sadang (Ancestral Shrine)
 Follows the principle of Baesanimsu – House should face a body  As a space that enshrined the spirits and souls of deceased
of water and a mountain at the rear. Set up is similar to Feng Shui ancestors, the sadang was located far from the entrance gate,
 Ancient Koreans believed the earth was square and the heavens or behind the andaecheong or on the highest site behind the
sky was round. This was reflected in their architecture sarangchae. It housed the memorial tablets of deceased family
 Kan was the basic unit of measurement members for whom the standard three-year mourning period
ended. The tablets bearing the names of the deceased were kept
HANOK LAYOUT here for up to four generations. Ancestral worships were deemed
 The layout of a hanok varied according to the regional climate. In very important, and so the construction of a house began with
Northern provinces where winter is long and frigid, the rooms were sadang.
laid out in a square plan to enclose the central living space, hence
preventing the cold wind from entering the house. In southern Jeongja (Open Pavilion)
provinces where the temperature is milder with longer summers,  Similar to a porch or deck, a jeongja was usually built in an area
the rooms were laid out in a straight line, to optimize airflow, and with a great view, and people gathered to enjoy and share
the hall (central living space) in the center was open on one or both literature. Scholars and civil officials of the time sat by the deck
sides with many windows to let in natural air. In central Korea, the and recited poems while listening to the trickling waters, blowing
layout combined the northern and southern styles to form an L- winds and singing birds. The Korean ideal for a simple and plain
shape life in harmony with nature can be seen in the architecture.

 Northern Region (square layout) because the kitchens were built Kitchen
very large, a jeonjugan was included in the construction. The  Due to the ondol heating system of a hanok, the kitchen was
storage room and stables were also included indoors. constructed much lower than the rest of the house. The fireplace
that burned wood for the ondol heating system also served as a
1. Toetgan (appending room) stove, and right above the stove was a huge cauldron, now a
2. Daecheong (hall/ central living space) symbol of a traditional kitchen that was used to make rice for the
3. Geonneonbang (second bedroom) entire family. The women considered the kitchen sacred and
4. Anbang (main bedroom) worshipped ancestral spirits in the kitchen by placing a bowl of
5. Gwang (granary) water on the counter and asking the spirits to ensure the good
6. Bueok (kitchen) health of the family.
7. Keunbang (large bedroom)
8. Bang (room)
9. Dojangbang (lady’s dressing room)
10. Oeyanggan (stable)
11. Toenmaru (veranda)
12. Jeongjugan (space between the kitchen and the main bedroom)

 Central Region (L-layout) – a small central living space with small

windows was located between the main and second bedrooms. Jangdokdae (Jar Stand)
This was a typical layout of a central region home  Common Korean condiments such as soy sauce, soybean paste,
 Southern Region (straight-line layout) – all the rooms of the house Korean chili paste and kimchi are all fermented foods. These
were aligned in a straight line and the central living space was fermented foods areslow foods that need lots of sunlight and
positioned at the center of the house. Southern houses were unique ventilation. Jangdokdae are usually located in the anchae (women’s
in that they had many windows and doors. quarter) by the kitchen or near a well, and are slightly raised from
the ground. Although jangdokdae are platforms for keeping these
1. Toetgan (appending room) earthen jars that store condiments, they were also where women
2. Daecheong (hall/ central living space) brought a bowl of water and prayed to the gods.
Madang (Yard) Ondol
 Located in the center of the house, the yard of a hanok served as a  Also known as Gudeul, is a floor heating system. The fire box or
joint area where friends and family members held various events. stove is called Agungi
The yard, usually kept bare, was in a sense a fully inhabited space.
The Korean way of landscaping was quite minimalistic, as the Daecheong
outdoor area of a house was considered a part of the surrounding  Wide front porch to keep the house cool during summer or central
natural environment, rather than an independent garden emulating living space
nature. Therefore, nature was kept in the yard, rather than
reproduced indoors. This way of combining nature and an empty Hanji is Korea’s traditional paper made with the bark of a mulberry tree. It is
yard is called chagyeong (borrowing the landscape). Koreans classified into white Hanji paper (Baekji), broad long paper (Jangji), and hard-
enjoyed resting on the wooden deck and looking at the mountains type paper (Kagji) depending on the quality, and it also has a different name
and prairies in the distance. and quality for different purposes. Hanji used on doors is Changhoji, paper
used for painting the Four Gracious Plants or birds and flowers is Hwasonji,
HANOK STRUCTURE and a paper used for printing the genealogy, sutras, and old books is called
Cheok (Korean Foot) Boksaji. In addition to the mulberry tree, Hanji also uses the fiber from pine
 In traditional Korea, people’s height was expressed using a unit trees, bamboo, willows, rice straws, and reeds, and gets a different name for
known as cheok. One cheok is equivalent to 30.303 cm, and different ingredients.
therefore, according to the Korean expression, a gucheokjangsin
(9-cheok giant) measures over 270 cm, and a ocheokdangu (5-  Maru – wooden floored hall
cheok small body) measured 151.5 cm. When building a house,  Changhoji – door or window pasted with hanji paper
they based the heights of ceilings and door frames on 5 cheok as  Bang – room
the minimum human height. This consideration of human body  An Bang – main room
size explains the cozy and snug feeling when one enters a room in  Sarang Bang – guest room
hanok.  Jaggeun Bang – small room
Kan (Traditional Unit of Measurement) Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea
 Usually, a hanok is measured by kan, and a large house of very  It dominated the Korean Peninsula from 57 BCE to 668 CE
wealthy family is usually 99-kan. A kan, is the smallest spatial unit
 Goguryeo (Koguryo) – from 37 BCE to 668 CE. The name Korea
enclosed by four columns. In the yin and yang theory, tombs
was derived from
housing the dead are yin houses, and houses for the living are yang
 Baekje (Paekche) – from 18 BCE to 660 CE. Traded with Japan. It
houses. Accordingly, residential buildings had their front extending
therefore transmitted cultural development, Chinese characters and
1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 kan; in other words, odd numbers. Hence, the yin and
Buddhism to Japan
yang principles were important criteria in determining the size of a
house, and having a larger floor area was not the overriding  Silla (Shilla) – from 57 BCE to 935 CE
concern.
Mireuksa Temple Pagoda
 Meanwhile, Chae is a unit referring to a building that has both
Iksan, South Korea
rooms and a wooden-floored hall. Korean houses are seldom one
building, but are compounds of several chae.  Built in 602 CE
 Established and commissioned by King Mu of the Baekje
Kingdom
Jibung (Roof)  Also known as Miruksa Jiseoktap
 Nothing speaks better to the beauty of a hanok than the line of its  Designated by South Korea as National Treasure No. 11
roof. The roofline was designed to run parallel to the curves of the  Mireuksa Pagoda is the largest and earliest stone pagoda in Korea
mountain behind it. As though it were the silhouette of a crane  Measures 30m high, 9 stries high, gradually tapers to the top
folding its wings as it is about to land, the roof of a hanok is light,  Use of granite
rhythmic and lively. This naturally curvaceous line conveys  Two identical pagodas. The East Pagoda (Dongtap) was
stability and is soothing for the eyes. reconstructed in 1993. The West Pagoda still awaits reconstruction
 Example of wood pagoda building technique being adapted to
Matbaejibung (Gabled Roof) stone.
o This roof, having triangular lateral sides without eaves
at the corners, has a simple beauty. Congnimsa Pagoda and Temple
Puyo, Chungchongnamdo
Paljak Jibung (Hipped-and-Gabled Roof)  Built during the Paekche Period
o It has the shape of a gabled roof placed on top of a  Finest Example of Paekche Stone Pagoda
hipped roof. Having a ridgepole, gabled ridge and a  Measures 33m tall and 3.75m width
hipped ridge, this is the most ornate Korean roof.  Pagoda or Tap is divided into 3 parts – Foundation, Body, Finial
 Prototype of Paekche Pagodas
Ujingak Jibung (Hipped Roof)  2-tiered foundation and 5 storey main body
o This roof has four slope above each for the four sides of
the building.
Chomsongdae Observatory
Gyeongju, South Korea
 Built around 632 to 646 CE under Queen Seondeok
Moim Jibung (Pyramid Roof)  One if not the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia
o The four slopes of this roof terminate at a peak. A  Cheomseongdae means Star Gazing Tower
moim jibung has, therefore, no ridgepole or gable ridge,  Cylindrical monument, square base, slightly convex in outline, has
and only a hipped ridge. These roofs can have four, six square window and meticulous courses
or eight slopes and are monthly seen in open pavilions
 Earth filled
or pagodas.
 Use of ganite
Daedalba  Measures 5.7m wide at the base and 9.4m tall
 Post is not inserted to the ground and fitted into corner stones to  Tower built out of 362 blocks which represents 362 days of the
keep it safe from earthquakes Lunar Calendar/Year
 Circular layers of stones at the base could be associated to Queen
Daecheong Seondeok who is the 27th ruler of Shilla Kingdom
 Wide front porch to keep the house cool during summer
Bunhwangsa Stone Pagoda  Enter an antechamber, then a corridor before reaching the rotunda
Gyeongju where the seated Budha (Sitting Position) is located
 Built in 634 CE  Rotunda is surrounded by images/bas-reliefs of Bodhisatvas and
 Commissioned by Queen Seondeok siciples
 Also known as Punhwanga Stupa or Mojeon Sepktap  Some of the disciples have distinctively Indo-European features
(Bunhwangsa Stone Pagoda)  Includes Hindu gods
 Bunhwangsa or Punhwangsa means Fragrant Emperor Temple  Square antechamber and corridor represents earth and the rotunda
 Temple comples during the Silla Period as heaven
 Influeced by the pagoda designs of the Chinese Tang Dynasty  Rotunda measures 6.58 to 6.84m diamter
 It was filled with important relics but was lost during a fire and  Buddha measures 3.5m high and sits on a lotus pedestal 1.3m tall
invasions
 It is the oldest stone pagoda of the Silla Period Buseoksa Temple
 Often compared with Mireuksa Pagoda Gyeongbuk
 Each story of the pagoda is progressively smaller in size  Originally built in 676 to 1376 CE
 Only 3 tiers of the pagoda remain of the 9 tiers  Commissioned by Great Monk Uisang on orders of King Munmu
 Pagoda doors is flanked by two figures known as Geumgan-yeoksa during the Silla Period
(Mighty Diamond Men) or Inwangsang, the guardians of the  Little remains of the original structures
Buddhist Canon  Also known as the Temple of Floating Stone
 Each corner of the one step platform has a guardian lion statue  Named after a large rock beside the western hall that appears to
 Measures 9.3m high float above the stones underneath
 The main hall (Muryangsujeon Hall) burned down in 1358 and
Bulguksa Temple reconstructed in 1376. It is one of the oldest buildings in the
Gyeongju complex
 Built originally in 535 CE by King Pob-Hung (King Beo Pheung)  Series of buildings (monastery) located on a mountain side terrace
according to Temple records which dominates the valley
 Present temple built in 751 to 774 CE  Muryangsujeon Hall is the main shrine. Muryangsujeon means
 Commissioned by PM Gim Daeseong (Kim Daesong), also said to “Room of Infinite Longevity”
be the architect of the first temple on-site  Recatngular hypostyle shrine built on a granite foundation, gables
 Bulguksa means Temple of the Buddha Land roof covered by large gray tiles
 Located in the slopes of Tohamsan  Latticed windows
 Temple complex was renovated several times until 1973 (current  There are 108 steps from the entrance to the Anyangmun Gate
form and foundation still original) (Entrance to Heaven) representing the number of steps to
 It was the center of Buddhism during the Silla Period redemption from agony and evil passions (108 cycles)
 The temple comples is entered via a double sectioned staircase and Entrance Gate
bridge which leads to the Jahamun (Purple Mist Gate) which leads Anyangmun Gate (Entrance to Heaven)
to the Main Hall (Daeungjeon) Beomjonggak
 Staircase sloped 45 degrees and has a total of 33 steps (33 steps of Beomjonggak Bell used during New Year’s celebration
enlightenment) Muryangsujeon Hall
 Largce arch underneath the staitcase (Silla style bridge) and
remains of a pond once flowed underneath the bridge Woljeongsa Octagonal Nine Storey Stone Pagoda
 Lower portion of the bridge (Cheongungyo – Blue Cloud Bridge)  Built around 950 CE
is 6.3m long and 17 steps  Also known as the Sari Pagoda (relic Pagoda)
 Upper portion of the Bridge (Baegungyo – White Cloud Bridge) is  Located within Woljeongsa Temple
5.4 m long and has 16 steps  Multiangled stone pagoda popular during the Goryo Period
 Bridge connection from the secular to the Land of Buddha
 In fornt of the main hall (Daeungjeon or Hall of Great
Enlightenment) are two pagodas called Seokgatap and Daebotap

Seokgatap
 Also known as the Sakyamuni Pagoda
 3 storey pagoda
 8.2 m tall
 Very simple and basic design Namdaemun
 A pleasing ration of 4:3:2 Seoul
 No carvings  Originally built in 1395 to 1398 CE
 Finials were added in 1973  Also known as Sungnyemun (Gate of Exalted Ceremonies)
 It is the southern Gate of the walled city of Seoul during the Joseon
Dabotap Dynasty
 Also known as the any Treasures Pagoda  Namdaemun literally means Great Southern Gate
 3 storey pagoda  East Gate – Dongdaemun
 10.4m tall  West Gare – Seodaemun (now demolished)
 Ornate style, not seen in other countries  Oldest wooden structure in Seoul
 With staircases at all sides  Base is made of stone, two tiered wooden roof
 4 square stone pillars Heavily damaged during the Korean War and restored in 1963. It burned
 Octagonal shaped roof with railings down in 2008 by arson. Luckily in 1963 the Korean government made a
 Octagonal shaped lotus stone detailed study of the sructure
Heunginjimun
Seokguram Grotto Seoul
Gyeongju  Originally built in 1395 to 1398 CE and rebuilt in 1869
 Built in 750 to 774 CE  Commissioned by King Taejo
 Commissioned/Designed by PM Gim Daeseong (Kim Daeseong)  Also known as Dongdaemun (The Great East Gate)
 Also known as Sokkuram  Heunginjimun means Gate of Rising Benevolence
 Located above the Bulguksa Temple
 Rock hewn cave similar to Indian Architecture
 Considered as the masterpiece of Buddhist art in the Far East