KOREAN

ARCHITECTURE
Korean traditional architecture exists within the context of Asian traditional
architecture. Nonetheless, it has developed according to its own particular
set of characteristics—its flexible responses to topography and surrounding
mountains, the organic layout of its buildings, its reiteration and metastasis
of space—that distinguish it from the architecture of China and Japan.
INTRODUCTION
A construction usually rises from a stone sub
foundation to a curved roof covered with
tiles, held by a console structure and
supported on posts; walls are made of earth
(adobe) or are sometimes totally composed
of movable wooden doors. Architecture is
built according to the k'a unit, the distance
between two posts (about 3.7 meters), and is
designed so that there is always a transitional
space between the "inside" and the
"outside."
FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
geographical l geological l climatic l religion
FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
geographical l geological l climatic l religion
 FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
geographical l geological l climatic l religion

Four Seasons
• spring season - march to may. temperatures are mild and pleasant. It is the ideal season to
witness cherry blossom, forsythia, azaleas, magnolias and lilacs blooming.
• summer season - June to august. The dryness characterizing winter and spring disappears in
summer, replaced by high temperature and humid air.
• autumn season -September to November. The weather is cool and crisp, and the sky is blue with
few clouds. In October, there is less precipitation and the humidity in the air decreases, resulting
in crisp and enjoyable weather.
• winter season- December to February. The days are shorter with the sunrise occurring later and
the sunset occurring earlier.
 FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
geographical l geological l climatic l religion

• Korean Shamanism
The indigenous religion of Korea and of the Korean people.
Korean mu "shaman" is synonymous with Chinese wu, which defines priests both male and female.
The role of the mudang is to act as intermediary between the gods, and the human plain, through 
rituals.

• Korean Buddhism
Flourished in past centuries of the history of Korea but was suppressed throughout the Joseon era,
which supported Korean Confucianism as a state religion. 
Distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies
In Mahayana Buddhism.

• Christianity
Promoted by the ruling and intellectual class in the final decades of the Joseon state, in the late 19th
century, while the Confucian social structure was rapidly crumbling.
Division Of Korea Into Two Sovereign States In
1945, North Korea And South Korea

Religion in South Korea

Characterized by a rise of Christianity and a revival of Buddhism. After
being suppressed for decades, Korean shamanism has survived, and shamans
continue to perform their rites.

Religion in North Korea

Characterized by a state atheist in which public religious practices are
prohibited. At the same time, the government shows support for for Cheondoism a
form of Korean indigenous religion  and is allowing a small revival for Buddhism
occur.
Pre-Historic Period
Paleolithic era, first inhabitants of the Korean
peninsula used caves, rock shelters, and portable
shelters (30,000 BC)

Mumun Period buildings were pit dwellings with walls

of wattle-and-daub and thatched roofs.

Raised-floor architecture first appeared in the

Korean peninsula in the Middle Mumun
Wattled and daub
Composite materials used for making walls, in which a
woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a
sticky materials usually made of some combination of wet
soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw.

Thatching
Roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, edge,
rushed, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away
from the inner roof.
 Three Types Of Dwellings In Korea

Pit Houses – Built with combination
of grass and clay and a tripod-frame
timber to provide protection from the
wind and rain. Features such as
hearths, storage pits, and space for
working and sleeping.
Log Houses – built by laying logs
horizontally one on top of one another
and inserting clay between to prevent
cold air from coming in.
Elevated Houses - originated in the
southern regions, are believed to have
first been built as storage houses to
store grains out of the reach of animals
and to keep them cool. 
FORTRESS ARCHITECTURE
• Korea, beginning with Goguryeo, has been called "a country of fortresses";
almost 2,400 mountain fortress sites have been found in Korea.

• Baekam Fortress, constructed before 6th century in present-day South-West

Manchuria.
 Tomb Architecture

Tomb of The General Garden of Great Tombs Tombs of the Rules

-presumed to be the tomb of a at Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju. Lies in North Korea
great Goguryeo king or military The largest tomb complex in Consists of 30 individual tombs
official. Korea.
Three Kingdoms Period
• Samguk sagi (History of the three
kingdoms) – historical record of the
three korean kingdoms of
Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla
The Goguryeo Kingdom (37B.C.-A.D.668)
First Kingdom Period

• It was characterized by powerful lines and sturdy construction.

• Patterned tiles and ornate bracket systems were already in used.
• Goguryeo temples were built with three sanctums arranged to the north, east and west of a
central wooden octagonal pagoda. This layout corresponds to that of Japan’s Asuka-dera and
Horyuji temples.

Goguryeo style known as "three Halls-one Pagoda

The Paekche Period ( 18 BC- 660 )
Second Kingdom Period

• Its arts became richer

and more refined than
that of Koguryo.
• characteristic of
Paekche architecture is
its use of curvilinear
designs.
• in the building sites,
patterned tiles and
other relics, as well as
the stone pagodas that
have survived the
ravages of time, testifies
to the highly developed
culture of Paekche.
Miruksa temple Chonginam Temple
The Silla Kingdom ( 57 BC-935)
Third Kingdom Period

•  Buddhist influence after 527

• Silla differed from the other two kingdoms in its frequent
use of brick-like patterns in the construction of pagodas.
The pagoda at Bunhwangsa Temple, for example, consists
of stone cut into the shapes of bricks and was built using a
bricklaying technique.

Pulguksa, Tabot’ap Pagoda

The Unified Shilla Period ( 668 – 935 )
• Shilla defeated Paekche in 660 and Koguryo in 668 to unify the Korean Peninsula for the first time
under what is known as the Unified Shilla (668-935). Given the spiritual role of Buddhism in
helping to bring about the fall of the two kingdoms, the religion flourished, and along with it, its
architecture and art forms.
• Pulguksa temple and its grotto shrine, Sokkuram, being the most representative examples. 

Pulguksa Temple Sokkuram Grotto

Koryo Dynasty
• Influenced by the architectural trends of Song China,
• The culture of the Koryo Dynasty inherited Shilla culture, including Buddhism. 
• Koryo in its early years developed a unique architectural style featuring curved bracket arms on
top of columns called column head bracketing.
• Some examples of this column-head styling include: 

Kungnakchon Sakyamuni Hall of Sudoksa

Muryangsujon,
Choson Dynasty
• The Choson Dynasty suppressed
Buddhism in favor of Confucianism. Kuksajon and
Hasadang of
• Under such circumstances, the Songgwangsa
construction of temples declined temple
drastically, while the construction of
Confucian shrines and private and
public Confucian academies flourished. 
•  A simpler system of column-head
bracketing was generally favored in the
highly Confucian society, though the
multicluster bracket style was still used
in some buildings.
Kungnakchon of
Muwisa temple,
Goryeo Period
• The construction of stone pagodas and stupas continued in the
Goryeo period. The number of stone pagodas greatly increased, with
strong expressions of regional character. This led to a diversification of
forms and heights, with some pagodas reaching 11 stories.
Wooden Architecture:
Types of Brackets Types of Roofs

Matbae (gable) roof

Ujingak (hipped) roof

 jusimpo dapo
(column-head bracket) (multi-bracket) Palkal (hip & gable) roof
Entasis
• Entasis is the application of a convex curve to a
surface for aesthetic and technical purpose
• Their diameter is decreased from the bottom
upwards and one third from the bottom is the
thickest point.
Joseon Period
• The most important and
formal buildings in royal
palaces and Buddhist temples
used multi-bracket designs.
Other important buildings of
lower status, featured column
head bracket designs. Normal The ikgong is a simplified
houses were usually built version of the bracket found
without the use of brackets, in column-head and multi-
bracket designs, featuring a
which is called Ikgong style. bird beak-like protrusion as
its main decorative element.
Tha Layout of a Hanok
Traditional Korean House

Consists of several stand-alone

buildings. To separate
• Servants from owner
• Men from women
• Adults from children
Doors & Windows
Doors
• High roofs, made with thick wood board
• Main gate was used only on special
occasions
• Narrow side gate was used for everyday

Windows
• Rectangular made of wooden frame lined
with traditional paper lining
• Paper- made of natural wood pulp. Glue to
the frame of sliding doors and the cross
ribs of the windows
• Natural air penetrate through
• Natural light to enter the room.