Philosopy of Korean Architecture

Korean traditional architecture is characterized by its harmony with nature. It has developed through the assimilation of various cultural elements learned from foreign countries like China and Japan, or better learned from their human brethren, since antiquity. They have developed a special inclination towards nature, adapting them to the environment, interacting with the changing tide of human thought and ideologies of human civilization. From time immemorial, Koreans have held the belief that the heavenly world is located in the high blue sky, representing the blissfully brilliant and eternal utopia. According to such thinking In regard to the world and the universe, Koreans have formulated their own traditional architecture which is rustic, yet gracefully harmonized with the surrounding nature.

The origin of Korean architectural traditions may be traced back to Northeastern Asian culture, namely the Scytho-Siberian origins, which was the cradle of Oriental culture. Since the introduction of the Chinese culture of the Han Dynasty the basic system of wooden building frames has been passed down to recent years. Such structures coincidentally blended with other indigenous architectural details. Korean architecture has also been affected by a number of Oriental conceptual thoughts: yin and yang, interpretation of the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth), geomancy, Taoism and Confucianism either directly or indirectly. After the unification of the Three Kingdoms by the Silla Dynasty in 668, the development of Korean architecture outgrew its previous rustic simplicity. Under the cultural influence of the Tang Dynasty of China, Koreans fulfilled their historical task of assimilating the influx of foreign culture with indigenous and innate aspirations. It is significant to note that the cultural heritage of the Unified Silla has been passed down to the present. Pulguk Temple in Kyonju reflects the splendid architecture of the Unified Silla dynasty, and the rock cave shrine, Sokkuram, located in the north of the temple on a mountain represents the cultural achievement of the time.

In architectural design, Korean architects took full notice of the surrounding terrain in their effort to create perfect harmony with nature. No Korean building was designed or constructed to manifest a confrontation or challenge of human works against the natural environment; both in design and in engineering, artificial contrivance were kept subdued, in favor of highlighting the beauty of nature as it is. In the use of building materials, attention was paid to keep natural elements intact. A variety of decorations and colors were also used in Korean traditional architecture.

Korean architecture changed its outlook with the passage of time on the effect of traditions and heritage. From the ancient architecture to the modern day’s sky crappers in Seoul reminds a glorious past of Korean history of evolutions. However it is that the gorgeous architecture has lost its aristocracy with discovery of modern day’s concretes.

The nature and the architecture were the supplement to each other in different era of Korea. Today with the invention of modern science the world is facing a challenge of global warming that again reminding us the architecture that has been used by different civilization to be adopted to overcome the threat.