VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

The importance of craft and the process of making underlay Korean aesthetic principles and their close relationship with the environment. Shamanism and Buddhism traditionally established this embrace of nature, and we see many architectural manifestations, particularly in mountain temples and vernacular Hanok houses. Traditional mountain temples were not drawn, but were often designed and built on site, integrating natural features to maximize the buildings’ performance with passive strategies. The Korean term Mak refers to something unrefined, hastily made, or spontaneous. It emphasizes the act of creation, and fondness of the unexpected. The imperfections that are associated with the process of making by hand are fully embraced. Korean traditional aesthetics reveal a harmony with nature and inherently sustainable design strategies. In contrast, rapid development in the post-war era led to a detour towards large-scale western urbanization strategies that minimized residents’ connections with nature. Large urban highway systems and dense apartment blocks replaced the traditional neighborhoods. Globalization appeared to have won. But recent shifts in redevelopment and a return to Korean aesthetic principles have led to a rededication to restoring this cultural identity in the built environment. Beginning in the 1990s with projects such as Cheonggyecheon Stream, sites were reclaimed as natural public amenities for residents. This paper will discuss the ways in which contemporary Korean architects incorporate spontaneity in their work, through a comparison of contemporary projects, in order to distill current approaches to shaping Korea’s contemporary identity.