Modern buildings in Korea. Architecture of ancient Korea

The first states on the Korean Peninsula were formed between 1000 and 300 BC. e., i.e. back in the Bronze Age. At the beginning of the 4th century. BC e. The state of Ko-Joseon (Ancient Joseon) was founded, which later became the most powerful of the early states of the peninsula. In 109 BC. e. Chinese troops attacked this country and divided its territory into four provinces. However, in 37 BC. e. the country's independence was restored, the state of Koguryo arose, which lasted until 667 AD. e. In 18 BC. e. In the south of Korea, another country arises - the kingdom of Baekje with its capital in Seoul. In 57 BC. e. a third state arose - the kingdom of Silla. Ethnically, these countries were close, preached Buddhism and Confucianism, and spoke the same language. In 668 AD e. there was an attempt to unite Korea into a single state, but in 698 the kingdom of Pekje was restored in the northern part of the country. In this regard, it is very difficult to talk about any features of Korean architecture, but it had its own distinctive features. It was based on the ancient principle of geomangy, i.e. determining the location for the construction of a structure. There was a rule according to which the facade of the building was always directed to the south, mountains rose on the north side, and there should always be a water stream in front of the building. Buddhism, which came from China, laid the foundation for the development of temple and monastery architecture. The architecture of Korea was heavily influenced by Chinese architecture, but Korean architects made their own additions to temple architecture. First of all, in Korea, not wooden, but stone pagodas were developed. Even a certain architectural style arose - the Pekche style. A distinctive feature of this style is three pagodas lined up in a row. In addition, a hall surrounded by corridors was attached to the pagoda on the north side. Therefore, Korean pagodas were like temples. Examples of such structures include Bulguksa Monastery and Seokguram Temple, which were built in the era between 667-697. n. e. Korean architecture often used decorative tancheon designs. In Korean architecture, the traditional Korean house, built of clay on one floor, is also well known (see color incl., ill. 60). It was built in the shape of the letters P or G, so that each house had a courtyard. Similar residential buildings began to be built during the Joseon Kingdom.

The main building material in Korea historically was wood, so the earliest buildings were practically not preserved, but quite quickly, faster than in China, wood began to be replaced with stone. From the era of the Three Kingdoms, religious buildings have been preserved: Buddhist temples (sa), tombs (me) and pagodas (tap). The architecture of the tombs is characterized by burial chambers made of stone slabs with stepped ceilings and artificial artificial hills on top. The oldest Korean Buddhist temple can be called Bulkuk-sa Temple (VII-VIII centuries AD), which is located on the outskirts of the city of Gyeongju on Mount Thokhamsan. Korean architects applied the principle of ensemble in this building and placed the monastery buildings on the slopes of the hill. The temple does not consist of one building, but of a number of large buildings made in the form of frame structures. In the center of the ensemble there is a huge two-flight staircase, which opens onto a vast terrace into the courtyard of the main temple of De-un-den, on the sides of which two stone pagodas Tabo-tap (751 AD) and Sega-tap (701 AD) stand symmetrically . AD). The main temple of the Bulkuk-sa complex is a wooden building, reconstructed in the 18th century.

The temple is one-story, as is customary in Korea, built on a high stone stylobate and completed with a characteristic tiled roof. It is interesting that the roofs of Korean temples have a steeper curve than those in China. During the Silla era, in the 8th century. n. BC, the Sokuram cave temple was erected. Since there are no rock masses in Korea, the architects built the temple according to the principle of a traditional Korean tomb. They built it from stone at the foot of Mount Thokhamsan, and then covered it with an artificial mound. The front arch of the structure leads to two temple halls - rectangular and round, which were covered with a huge stone dome. This also distinguishes Korean architecture from Chinese: in China they did not know how to build spherical and domed vault structures. Most of the civil, public and residential buildings of the capital of the Silla Kingdom, the city of Gyeongju, VIII-X centuries. n. e. have not survived to this day. However, we can now see the remains of fortress walls and building foundations, which allow us to talk about the gigantic size of these structures. The garden of the An-Ab-Di palace with artificial rocks, grottoes and ponds has been preserved. The famous astronomical tower of Chomsongdae near the city of Gyeongju, erected in 632-647, has also been preserved. n. e. It is considered the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia. At the end of the 9th century. n. e. The kingdom of Koryo arose, which existed until the beginning of the 14th century. The capital of the state was the city of Songdo (modern Kaesong in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea). During this period, the secular style began to dominate in architecture. Even temple complexes, such as, for example, the Buddhist temple of Sekwangsa in the city of Anbyen (XIV century), Busek-sa in the city of Yongdu (a suburb of Seoul, XIII century) are surrounded by beautiful garden and park ensembles, designed in an absolutely secular architectural style. In the XV-XVI centuries. Korean architecture developed heavily dependent on the Chinese architectural tradition. In 1392, the kingdom of Goryeo was united into a new state - the kingdom of Lee, the capital of which was Seoul. At this time, the city was surrounded by powerful walls with loopholes and eight gates. The architectural appearance of the gate (stone plinths, arched openings and double curved roofs on wooden frames) tells us that Korean architecture of this time was closely related to the Chinese tradition. The royal palaces of Seoul - Changkekgung, Changdekgung and Gyeongbokgung were built on the principle of huge complexes consisting of separate buildings - pavilions, gazebos, bridges, gates, decorative pagodas.

Korean residential architecture during this period finally developed a certain stable layout. A one-story building with two living rooms and a kitchen that open onto the courtyard. The houses are covered with straw mats or tiles. The edges of the roof protrude far and are supported by wooden pillars so that a kind of terrace is formed along the front of the building. Inside, the house is divided by thin partitions. Light enters the house through sliding windows and transom doors. The doors and windows are covered with bars and covered with paper. In the early period of development of Korean architecture, residential buildings were built from wood. Log houses were built by laying one log horizontally on top of another. The gaps between the logs were covered with clay to prevent drafts. Houses of this kind still exist in the mountainous areas of Gangwon Province in South Korea. During the Baekje Kingdom, Korean architecture reached its peak. During this period, interesting stone temples were erected. The earliest stone pagoda from Myryuksa Temple in Iksan is of particular interest because it shows the transition from wooden to stone pagodas. The Baekje state adopted various architectural influences, with pagodas emphasizing their origins from Chinese designs. Later, important elements of the Baekje architectural style were adopted by Japan. Miryksa Temple had an unusual structure of three pagodas, which were installed in a straight line running from east to west. Each pagoda had a hall on the north side. Each pagoda and hall appeared to be surrounded by covered corridors, giving the appearance of three separate temples in a "one hall, one pagoda" style. The pagoda discovered in the center of the temple was made of wood, while all the others were made of stone. Sites of a large main hall and central gate were discovered to the north and south of the wooden pagoda.

When excavations were carried out in 1982 at the site of Cheongnimsa Temple, which also included a site of a pagoda of Baekje architecture, the remains of the main and lecture halls, located on the main axis, were discovered one after another to the north of it. The remains of the central gate, the main gate and the reservoir, located on the main axis one after the other, were also discovered to the south of the same pagoda. It turned out that the temple was surrounded by corridors from the central gate to the lecture hall. The “one pagoda” style was typical of Baekje architecture, as confirmed by the results of excavations carried out in 1964 in the Kunsu-ri area and the Kumgangsa Temple in Puye. However, the sections of the Kumgansa Temple buildings located on the main axis run from east to west rather than from south to north. It is possible to draw any conclusions about the architecture of Baekje thanks to a detailed examination of the Horyu-ji Temple in Japan, which architects and technicians from the state of Baekje helped to build. Baekje architecture in Japan flourished with the introduction of Buddhism in 384. At sites where buildings stood during the three early Korean states, patterned tiles and other remains are found, as well as stone pagodas that survived bad times, indicating a highly developed Baekje culture. In the history of the development of Korean architecture, as noted above, the kingdom of Silla played a significant role. The Kingdom of Silla came under Buddhist influence in 527. Since Silla did not border China, the influence of Chinese culture on the temples was minimal.

Hwannensa is one of the early temples of the Silla state, whose important role became known after excavations and research in 1976. It stood in a square surrounded by a rectangular wall 288 m in length.

The area of ​​the area limited by the corridors was 19,040 m2. The Samguk Sagi (Memory of the Three Kingdoms) states that a nine-story wooden pagoda, 80 m high, built in 645, stood on this site. The main hall contains a large image of Shakyamuni Buddha on a stone pedestal. Built in the middle of the 6th century. Hwannensa Temple flourished for more than 680 years, during which time its halls were rebuilt several times. Shortly before the unification of the peninsula under Silla rule (668), the temple was built in the “three halls - one pagoda” style, which sharply distinguishes it from the Miruksa Temple of Baekje times, which was built in the “one hall - one pagoda” style.

The other main temple of the Silla state was Punghwansa, which now has three tiers, although the chronicles say that it was nine tiers. Judging by the ruins, this pagoda was built from hewn stone blocks. Among other stone artifacts, the stones of the flagpole column of the pagoda have been preserved (see color incl., ill. 61).

Buddhist temples of that time were characterized by the fact that in front of the central hall, symmetrically from each other, there were two pagodas on a north-south axis along with other buildings. Bulguksa Temple, built on a stone platform at the foot of Mount Toham near Gyeongju, is the oldest existing temple in Korea. The temple was founded at the beginning of the 6th century. and was completely rebuilt and expanded in 752. The original platform and foundation remain intact to this day, but the existing wooden buildings were rebuilt during the Joseon Dynasty.

Despite the fact that the Republic of Korea was officially formed only in 1945, it has a very long history. South Korea is a modern country whose culture and architecture have perfectly preserved ancient traditions.

The country got its name from the ancient country of Koryo, which existed in the first millennium AD. South Korea simply fascinates with its huge variety of ancient monuments, statues, Buddhist monasteries and temples. They all have their own history and are the pride of the country.

Seoul is the capital of the Republic, the most developed and beautiful city. It houses the so-called “Palace of the Radiant Sun”, or “Gyeongbokgung Palace”. This breathtakingly beautiful place was built in the fourteenth century AD, and for a long time was the stronghold of the great ruling Joseon dynasty. This palace was built by King Lee Song-Gye. He also moved the capital from Gyeongju to the city of Seoul. The amazing architecture of Gyeongbokgung Palace even today clearly demonstrates the whole life of medieval Korea.

In addition to the Palace of the Radiant Sun, one of the main attractions of the capital of South Korea is Changdeokgung Palace. It still houses the residence of the country's queen. It should be noted that this building has been restored, since it was damaged by fire at the beginning of the last century. In Changdeokgung Palace there is a Biwon Garden, on the territory of which centuries-old trees grow. In addition, this palace is the only one in Korea that has completely preserved all the elements of the ruling Joseon dynasty. Therefore, it is not surprising that Changdeokgung is a place of constant migration of researchers and tourists.

One of the oldest monuments of the Republic of Korea is the Munhaksanseong Fortress, located in the city of Incheon. This incredibly large structure was built back in 300 AD. Thanks to the strong walls and thoughtful architectural structure, the fortress was practically not reconstructed. Back during the reign of the Joseon Dynasty, a Confucian school was organized on the territory, which operates to this day. There are also two beautiful artificial ponds with adjacent beaches.

In the city of Busan there is a large Korean wall. Construction work here continued for a century and the walls were finally completed only in 1807. Also in this city, it is impossible to ignore the Taejeongdae Marine Park, the fish market and the suburban Haeundae Beach. However, the main pride of the city of Busan is the famous Thongdo Temple. It is the most revered temple of the Republic, as it contains the relics of the great Buddha.

In addition to wonderful museums, Daegu is also home to Haeinsa Temple. This temple was built back in the ninth century AD and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in the country. The temple contains the most ancient Buddhist scriptures, revealing the meaning of life and the secrets of the universe. In the city of Gyeongju, the former capital of South Korea, there is one of the most ancient temples - Bulguksa Temple. Its second name is “Monastery of the Kingdom of Buddha.” This temple became famous thanks to the huge Emile Bell, which has a diameter of two meters and a height of four meters. Not far from the temple is the ancient Cheomseongdae Observatory and Tumuli Park.

Over the past decades, South Korea has become one of the most urbanized countries in the world. Modern Korean architecture amazes with its original forms and new finishing materials such as LED panels. True, this applies for the most part to public buildings. When it comes to residential (especially private) construction, Koreans turn out to be much more conservative. Still, some projects definitely deserve attention.

The Curving House, Gyeonggi-do

The architects were faced with the task of placing a house and car parking on a small plot and at the same time preserving a green area. So the building was raised on concrete pilings to provide parking space and curved to create space for a garden.

Scale-ing House, Seongnam

Architect: JOHO Architecture

The complex broken shape of the building is due to the desire of the customers to make maximum use of natural lighting. The difference in roof height allows the sun to penetrate the rooms from three sides: east, south and west. To create an unusual “spiky” facade, ordinary and basalt bricks were used, which were divided in two and laid with sharp corners outward.

Gyopyeong-Ri House, Gyeonggi-do

Architect: Studio Origin

The project is distinguished by a complex structure consisting of three interpenetrating volumes of different heights. The concrete surfaces of the southern and eastern facades are decorated with brick screens.

House H 1115-7, Sacheon

Architect: A.E.A

The building consists of three heavy vertical volumes that form a single structure due to a complex system of corridors and a common platform. The dark brick façade contrasts with light polycarbonate inserts and a horizontal concrete volume.

Fortress Brick House, Seoul

Architect: Wise Architecture

“Brick Fortress” combines two private houses into an ensemble: one for the parents, the other for the son’s family. Brick plays a major role in the project, creating a feeling of strong connection between all components of the building.

Beyond the Screen House, Seoul

Architect: OBBA bureau

This apartment building was designed by students of Rem Koolhaas - architects Soyun Li and Senzhon Kwak. In this project, they relied on compactness: on three floors of the building there were 14 complexly arranged (with multifaceted walls and ceilings) apartments. The facade is decorated with “perforated” brickwork.

Pyrus House, Seoul

Architect: bureau 'Snow AIDe

The concept of this private house is built around a home cinema. A semi-basement room without windows was allocated for him. To prevent vibration and sound from destroying the house, the remaining zones were located at a certain distance.

Japan and China firmly occupy the first positions in the uniqueness of modern architecture. However, along with them is Korea, which, for some unknown reason, receives less attention. Korean architects keep up with their Asian brothers and amaze with new projects.

Historically, the culture of the East is always following traditions, a skillful combination of innovative achievements and the heritage of the past. But in the case of Korea, the situation is different. The traditional architecture of this country was characterized by two directions: palace-temple and folk. The system of beams and supports borrowed from China was present in both, but the first was distinguished by its opulent decoration, traditionally curved tiled roof, and the second by its simple appearance and predominance of straight lines.

Dancing Dragons Towers

In current buildings, traditions are practically unreadable; everything is dominated by modern trends and styles characteristic of Europe and America. The capitals of both countries - Seoul and Pyongyang - stand out in particular. Over the past decade, the appearance of these and other cities has changed dramatically.

Velo Tower in Seoul

One of the attractions of Seoul is the office building of the Hyundai Development Corporation. The distinctive features of this building include modern futuristic motifs, expressed in the predominance of geometric shapes, lines sharply dividing the façade, and also the fact that the appearance is not thematically related to the work of the company. The architects sought to fit the building into the surrounding parks, squares and city squares, but in this case a traditional detail is also indirectly traced - a circle symbolizing the Great Limit, also found in the Yin-Yang sign.

The Kring cultural complex has several circles on the facade, but, in this case, the dominant geometric figure acts as a decorative element, which classifies the building as a whole to the organic style of architecture. An original solution is to fit the windows into circles, and the interior features a cylindrical glass passage connecting different objects on the territory of the complex.

Natural organic motifs are found throughout the office complex of their two 17-storey Twin Trees towers. The building fully corresponds to the stated name, as it has a branching structure, similar to a tree trunk, and even “roots”, which are 8 floors located underground. Inside, the main volumes of the building are connected by paths providing for the movement of both vehicles and pedestrians.

The surge in popularity of the elite and expensive Gangnam area after singer PSY's hit of the same name prompted architects to make changes to its appearance. Built back in 1980, Chunga House has been converted into a modern shopping center. Renovated in 2009, it is considered one of the best renovations. The changes included adding another floor, replacing the stone cladding with white tiles and multi-colored lighting of the building thanks to LED screens.

Modern trends have not bypassed residential buildings. Vi-Sang House was built according to the design of the popular Korean architectural bureau Moon Hoon in 2011. The building is intended for one family and is located in the small town of Gyeonggi-do. Despite all the avant-garde design of the building, the authors turned to traditional compositional techniques. This is expressed in the minimalism of the design, facade and interior decor; the uniqueness lies in the skillful play with the geometric shape of the building itself and individual elements, such as a zigzag roof and rectangular windows of different sizes.

The main eastern tradition of curved roof edges is found in the National Library in Sejong, which is a curved concrete volume with glazing on both sides of the facade.

The Centercity gallery building in Cheonan is quite the opposite. The conceptual solution fully meets the latest advances in technology and architecture. A special feature is the interactive two-layer facade made of aluminum panels, which creates the optical illusion of a wave-like surface, the changes of which depend on the person’s viewing angle.

Korean architecture amazes not only with large-scale multifunctional buildings, but also with pavilions designed for various forums, conferences and exhibitions. Despite the fact that these are temporary events, the authors take the design of pavilions seriously, carefully developing ideas for the facades. The pavilion of the Hyundai automobile concern for Expo 2012 fully corresponded to the brand concept: the dynamic facade symbolized constant change - the main key in the company's philosophy. The futuristic effect was complemented by LED screens on the facade.

The ideas that Korean architects use are surprising and make us admire, such as the cafe-museum in the form of a Rolleiflex camera in Seoul, the appearance of which is an exact enlarged copy.

But sometimes the chosen topics are misleading. The Twin Towers in the South Korean capital resemble the frozen moment of the 9/11 New York bombing. However, the authors claim that even the name “The Cloud” refutes this information; when designing, they resorted to romantic motifs of lightness and the image of a skyscraper in the clouds.

The predominance of modern technologies, such as the presence of LED screens on the facades of buildings, the use of modern materials - glass, concrete, tiles, metal - undoubtedly indicates that Korea occupies a leading position in modern architecture. Uniqueness affects both office centers, pavilions, galleries, and simple residential buildings. Korean architectural firms are gradually becoming popular around the world, transforming the appearance of cities outside their country. Perhaps, such surprising and exciting examples will appear in Russia soon.

North Korea is one of the most difficult countries to travel to in the modern world. The strict political regime, coupled with isolation from most developed countries, has given rise to many myths and speculations about the life of North Korean society.

Like other former military dictatorships, North Korea seeks to express its ambitions not only through military might, but also through large-scale architectural projects.

Take a look at the most impressive examples of what North Korean architecture looks like today:

The entrance to the capital Pyongyang is decorated with a huge Reunification Arch, which symbolizes the united parts of North and South Korea.

Following the arch in the depths of the city there is a Monument to the Workers' Party with the slogan: “Long live the Workers' Party of Korea, organizer and guide to all victories of the Korean people!”

A 105-story hotel building rises in the heart of Pyongyang Ryugyong, which is the tallest abandoned building in the world. Active construction of the hotel took place between 1987 and 1992, after which the project was finally stopped due to lack of investment. By 2008, the government made attempts to complete the hotel, but the project was never completed. As of 2017, the 330-meter building was still completed, but was not finally put into operation.

On the opposite side of the city is the 170-meter granite Juche Idea Monument, which is the second tallest structure in North Korea.

Schoolchildren's Palace Mangyongdae Children's Palace is one of the largest public complexes in the DPRK. The building is designed for the development of various children's extracurricular skills: from studying and to computer work and classes. The complex includes 120 classrooms, a swimming pool, a gymnasium and a 2,000-seat theater.

Much of the country's architecture is designed to honor the memory of its leaders: the founder of the North Korean state, Kim Il Sung, who effectively ruled the DPRK between 1948 and 1994, as well as his son and follower, Kim Jong Il, who later shaped the path of development country until his death in 2011.

Portraits of former national leaders of the DPRK can be found throughout the city on the most important buildings of the capital: from the central railway station...

To the facade of the building of the Hall of People's Assembly.

Despite the fact that North Korea lacks its own electricity and the lights are turned off in most territories at night, the portraits of the country's founder on buildings never stop being illuminated.

In addition to monuments and portraits, Pyongyang also has a square named after Kim Il Sung, which can accommodate up to 100 thousand people at a time, and serves as a venue for large-scale festivals and military parades.

In the center of the capital there is also the Arc de Triomphe, which was built in memory of the resistance to the Japanese occupation of 1925-1945. A special feature of the monument is that 25,500 blocks were used during its construction, corresponding to the number of days in the life of the Great Leader of the country, Kim Il Sung.

Another example of the scale of North Korean architecture is the Victorious War Museum, built in honor of the end of Korean War 1950 - 1953.

The metropolitan of the North Korean capital is one of the most important objects of pride for the country. Built in 1973 according to Soviet designs, Pyongyang's metro is one of the deepest in the world, serving as a potential bomb shelter if necessary. High ceilings, columns, chandeliers and mosaics on the walls - such amazing decoration of some stations makes them one of the most richly decorated underground stations in the world.

One of the latest structures created in the capital of the DPRK was the huge Munsun Water Park (Munsu Water Park). The water sports complex houses outdoor and indoor swimming pools, attractions, saunas, basketball and volleyball fields, climbing walls and much more.

North Korea is also home to the world's largest stadium, the May Day Stadium ( May Day Stadium), built for the 1989 Youth and Students Festival.

When fully filled, the stadium can accommodate up to 150,000 people, and is used today as a venue for annual mass games to celebrate the country's history.

Science plays an important role in the life of North Korea, for the development of which the country has built a modern scientific and technical complex in the form of an atom, which was opened in early 2015. To implement the scientific building project, an entire island was allocated, artificially connected to both banks of the Taedong River.

According to the modern leader of the country, Kim Jong-un, the center will help “to continue the development of a rich and powerful fatherland through the locomotive of science and technology” .

The whole Street of Scientists in Pyongyang continues the theme of science ( Mirae Scientists Street), consisting of high-rise buildings of various shapes, erected in a record time of less than a year.

In addition to residential infrastructure, the new microdistrict contains research institutes engaged in innovative developments that will compete at the global level.

Despite the fact that most of the towering residential buildings in the DPRK look like the same type of concrete boxes...

There are also more striking examples, like the pastel-colored Orphanage in the city of Wonsan.

Completed in June 2015, the building has several floors and is painted in bright colors that break up the dominant concrete gray style of North Korean architecture.

Despite the flamboyance of some rare buildings, the overall picture of North Korean urban development clearly shows how the country's leaders are fascinated by scale, power and might, not only in politics but also in architecture.

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