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Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
'Hanok Avengers' on future of Korean architecture
Korea Herald's 'Architecture Talk: Evolving Hanok' raises hopes for hanok's future The Korea Herald's "Architecture Talk: Evolving Hanok" brought together a group of so-called 'Hanok Avengers' on Wednesday at the Eundeok Cultural Center — a beautifully restored, century-old building in central Seoul that exemplifies the elegance of traditional Korean architecture. Building on a six-part series titled "Evolving Hanok" published in May by The Korea Herald, the third edition of the annual "Architecture Talk" was jointly hosted with the state-run Architecture & Urban Research Institute. Dubbed the 'Hanok Avengers' by Shin Chi-hoo, manager and research fellow at the National Hanok Center, the speakers shared insights and experiences that reflected the current state -- and evolving identity -- of hanok in contemporary Korea. In addition to Shin, the event featured leading figures in the field: Hwang Doo-jin, director of Doojin Hwang Architects; Jeon Bong-hee, an architecture professor at Seoul National University; Cho Jung-goo of guga Urban Architecture; Kim Yong-mi, architect and CEO of GS Architects & Associates; and Daniel Tandler, co-founder of Urbandetail Architecture. 'The National Hanok Center had set the goal of achieving a hanok renaissance by 2022, but we failed. We will achieve that goal by 2032,' Shin said, emphasizing that many hanok neighborhoods have vanished under a development-first mindset. Still, the fact that such a goal could even be articulated marks a significant cultural shift. Over the past decade, the notion of a hanok renaissance has gained momentum, fueled by devoted architects, policy support and growing interest from younger generations. Kim, the panelist with the longest experience working with hanok, recalled once thinking her passion for traditional Korean architecture was just a personal preference -- one decidedly outside the mainstream. That changed when she came across architect Hwang Doo-jin's 2006 book, "Hanok Has Returned." 'I was shocked,' she said, adding that the book transformed her view, helping her realize that her passion was part of a larger, emerging movement. Kim also reflected on a small but meaningful gathering she had a decade ago with fellow architects Hwang Doo-jin and Cho Jung-goo -- all passionate about hanok. Since then, the small group of architects who are engaged seriously in hanok design has remained largely the same, Kim noted, except for one notable addition: Tandler. At the time, Tandler was just beginning to explore hanok. Today, he is recognized for his dedication to the form and his growing contributions to its evolution. "We need to worry less about making mistakes. As people do experiments with hanok, there will inevitably be some strange outcomes. And that's okay -- people can simply see them and move on," Tandler said. "Because building hanok is far from the futuristic images of sci-fi movies, there once was a time that I thought I wasn't taking part in building the future. I now believe we need to create new architectural spaces that align with the concepts and philosophies of our time -- spaces that even Millennials and Generation Z can appreciate," Cho said. The discussion also touched on key elements that define hanok and offered valuable insights for those still grappling with what the term truly means. Among those reflecting on hanok's evolving identity was Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, the ambassador of Switzerland to Korea, who shared with the roughly 90 participants the embassy's experience of introducing the 'Swiss Hanok.' 'The Swiss Hanok' came about through an open architecture competition. 'At first, people told us, 'This is not a hanok,' because it wasn't built in the traditional way or linked to heritage hanok construction,' she explained. 'Yet the more I listened to this architectural debate on what hanok can become, the more I understood. People began referring to the embassy as the 'Swiss Hanok.' When you incorporate these elements — the madang, the light, the spatial flow -- there's also a kind of globalization aspect," Tartagli said. From the international community in Seoul, Michela Linda Magri, director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Seoul, and Marie Antonia von Schonburg, President & CEO of the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, were among those attending the event. Choi Jin-young, president of Herald Media Group, spoke about how his mood shifted upon entering the hanok. 'After going through all sorts of big and small meetings, by around lunchtime I often find myself completely drained. The workload is quite intense, and today was one of those days. But the moment I stepped into this place, all that fatigue just melted away. I felt an incredible sense of calm — as if I had arrived at a sanctuary for the soul,' he said. Choi Jong-bok, chairman of Zyx Technology, which was one of the sponsors of the event, expressed his confidence and aspiration to become a global leader in CAD solutions for architecture, especially for hanok. gypark@
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Hanok at crossroads: Embracing changes or staying true to traditions?
Experts discuss how hanok are defined today with expanded design choices Traditions evolve over time, adapting to changing culture and new technologies. Such evolution can be subtle with gradual changes or, at times, dramatic. And hanok, Korean traditional housing, has likewise been evolving. The term hanok, literally meaning 'Korean house,' emerged in the late 19th century to distinguish the existing houses from other buildings in western styles that began to proliferate following the opening of the ports and the steady influx of western influences in diverse aspects of life on the Korean Peninsula, including architecture. 'The meaning of the word 'hanok' itself can go back very far. If you view it broadly, hanok can refer to architecture that accompanies unique traditional features,' said Jeon Bong-hee, professor of architecture at Seoul National University, who classified hanok into five categories. The traditional features include: 'ondol,' the traditional floor heating system; 'cheoma,' eaves of the underpart of the roof; 'chunyeo,' an angle rafter placed diagonally from the top of the corner column; and roof tiling, among others. 'Korean-style apartments are an example of hanok as defined broadly, as most of them are equipped with the ondol system, the traditional heating system that is found exclusively in Korean residential culture,' Jeon said. The ondol system is known to have been invented in the 12th century and spread throughout the Korean Peninsula in the 17th century, according to 'Building Hanok,' published by the National Hanok Center. The heat from the fire of the furnace, 'agungi,' transferred through 'gorae,' the flue channel, warms the 'gudeuljang,' the stone prop. The heat warms up the floor of the room. However, a narrower definition of hanok would define it as a wooden house with traditional architectural features from the Joseon era (1392-1910) and these are the hanok that Koreans are most familiar with, Jeon said. Currently, hanok is legally defined as a 'wooden building with its main structure that consists of columns, beams, Korean-style roof frames, reflecting the traditional style of Korea and its appurtenances," as stated in Article 2 of the Act on Value Enhancement of Hanok and Other Architectural Assets. 'I think the power of tradition lies here -- it naturally accumulates over time, neither being forced nor led by someone to continue or preserve the tradition,' Jeon said. 'The legal definition left room for people to interpret hanok.' Shin Chi-hoo, manager and research fellow at National Hanok Center, said what he values the most in hanok is its nature-friendly qualities, with a high capacity of carbon storage of its wooden structures. 'It also results in less industrial waste compared to apartment buildings that are the dominant residential type in the country, many of which are facing reconstruction these days,' he said. Evolving contemporary hanok In the early 2000s, many city governments began reviving hanok, providing subsidies for building hanok. The reasons for the interest in reviving hanok included continuing the architectural tradition to enhance a city's identity globally, to attract more international tourists. This was the time when several Korean architects stepped forward with their interpretations of hanok, Jeon said. To encourage diverse interpretations of hanok, the Seoul city government recently announced a new hanok policy dubbed 'Seoul Hanok 4.0.' Hanok is most popularly experienced as cafes or accommodations, which has been a trend among younger generations who seek 'healing moments' at a cozy and nature-friendly hanok. Shin observed that such a trend has been around for some 10 years. While Shin views the trend positively -- hanok being consumed as a commercial leisure place -- he pointed to the necessity of having more hanok architecture in public spaces so that more people may experience hanok space on a daily basis. They can be a small pavilion at a park, a school library or a cultural center like the Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater, he said. 'To foster hanok as public spaces and more diverse uses, we need more flexibility and changes are required in building or designing hanok,' Shin said. He said such flexibility includes accepting new technologies, pointing out that a conservative approach to hanok has been one of the reasons traditional architecture has fallen out of favor in the housing market. 'It is absurd that you have to stick with the traditional ways of building hanok when you have developed technology. We need to approach the issue with a flexible attitude to preserve hanok in a contemporary society,' Shin said. He gave an example of joinery, or 'gyeolgu,' the traditional way of joining wood pieces -- cross joint, longitudinal joint and floor joint -- to build the timber architecture. The traditional methods have been replaced with a modern way, using ironware in contemporary hanok to reinforce the solidity in structure, according to him. 'Some changes in methods or structures often face criticism and spur constant debates among experts, leading us to discuss the extent to which we should preserve hanok in terms of construction and design. 'And it is up to architects how they interpret 'Korean tradition' when designing hanok, and how they can integrate long-held values, like the nature-friendly aspect of the architecture. That would be a task for the many architects who design hanok,' he said. Renewed interest in hanok, or traditional Korean houses, is palpable today, demonstrated by the growing number of hanok cultural facilities, cafes, accommodations and homes. While some new hanok architecture espouse the traditional form dating from the Joseon era, hanok buildings that have been adapted to contemporary conditions and lifestyles are also gaining ground. In this series, entitled 'Evolving Hanok,' The Korea Herald explores how hanok continue to evolve to stay relevant to current milieus. — Ed. yunapark@
