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Notable Trends in Korea’s Contemporary Architecture

A lecture on Korea’s contemporary architecture was presented at the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on April 16, 2009. Guest speaker Hwang Doo-jin, Director of Doojin Hwang Architects, enthusiastically described recent trends in the contemporary architecture of Korea, along with sharing his thoughts on the outlook for hanok, Korea’s traditional house.



‘TradINNOVAtion’
“TradINNOVAtion” is a new word I like to use, which combines “tradition” and “innovation.” In fact, this is hardly a new concept. For example, the so-called “modernization of traditional architecture” has long been a subject of discussion of Korea’s architectural sector, but has yet to be definitively resolved since the controversy over Architect Kim Swoo-geun’s Buyeo National Museum, in the 1960s. As an architect, I have focused on a new possibility hidden within this trite formality. After all, it is necessary for this matter to be approached through actual practice.
I literally pushed myself into the world of hanok, traditional Korean-style architecture, a kind of forbidden territory that my counterpart architects would hardly think of entering. But I thought this might be a meaningful starting point for a Korean architect. So, this is basically about my life story, and at the same time, about Korea’s contemporary architecture as well.

Hanok Experiences
Several occasions led to my involvement with hanok. My first experience was when I was a student. I still have the records of a survey that I conducted on hanok, in the Gahoe-dong area of Seoul, as part of my university studies. Through the survey process, during which I recorded even the minute details, I developed my own ideas about hanok. In essence, I thought “it should not be left this way,” while having no doubt about hanok’s aesthetic beauty. Moreover, the times were already calling for something beyond the conventional hanok. Another occasion came about some two decades later at the start of my professional career as an architect. An acquaintance of mine had requested my help for the renovation of a hanok structure in Gahoe-dong. Initially, I declined this request by saying it was not related to my current interests, but he was persistent. I recall him telling me: “All architects talk about the value of hanok, but none of you are willing to work on it. Consequently, hanok has stopped evolving, and has just become something old.” I eventually accepted the assignment, which launched me into a whole new world.



Diversity of Methodology
Above all, I believe in diversity. My works of hanok and related architectural works are rooted in this belief. I apply four basic methods that are complementary to one another. This makes it possible to combine two or more methods for a particular project.
The first method is what I call “creative restoration.” I usually use this method for restoring an existing hanok or for building a new structure, with an emphasis on the original form. With this method, you need to identify what can be preserved or restored and what should be boldly transformed, while maintaining a traditional atmosphere overall. In my case, I utilized this method for a series of hanok projects, mainly in the Bukchon area of Seoul, following my first hanok project: Mumuheon.
A second method is the so-called “abstraction.” Materials, building systems, or forms are freely selected from modern architecture, in conjunction with concepts based on traditional methods. This method can be seen in the eave overhang, courtyard area, and sloping alley-like stairs of The Open Books building. It is also found in the efforts to integrate natural scenery into the Cheongun-dong Residence, or Munsawon. The third method is what I call “reconstruction.” This means to deconstruct and recombine traditional relationships between the function and form of architecture. Notable examples of this include Gahoeheon, a hanok building that functions as an Italian restaurant, and Choonwondang, a traditional Korean medical clinic with an open preparation area, which s conceptual value.
A final method can be described as “evolved building technology,” under which existing technology is adopted for the construction of hanok. Basically, my ive is to a variety of hanok. Therefore, I am not a hanok specialist in a traditional sense. I strive to work with hanok as part of contemporary architecture, from the standpoint of a contemporary architect. One example of this method is the guesthouse complex of Icheon Golf Course. Composed of several buildings, the guesthouse features a traditional Koreanstyle framework, while the glass panels of its roof represent a modern application.
The goal of my architectural endeavors is not hanok itself, since I simply discovered a new possibility for hanok, which has been lying just beneath the surface all this while. Another strong belief of mine is that I, as an architect, can start “from where I stand now,” and therefore, I must find such possibility from my surroundings. I believe that I may find the term “hanok” itself meaningless someday. The journey has begun and I do not intend to move backward.

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