The Language of Modernism and the Sense of Tradition
Introverted
Architecture is the constructing a place in which users can remain in a meaningful way. As most architecture is placed in a communal living environment (or natural environment), such as a city or town, it implies relationships between public and private spaces, community and individual, and inside and outside. Gestures made in accordance with this idea serve as the foundations for a society’s conception of architecture. The monumental architecture of the past served to overwhelm the surroundings, to express itself alone, and enforce societal consensus. Houses in ancient cities established more intimate environments with their courtyards for sitting with their backs to the street. In Renaissance cities, the façade of a building on the edge of the street was a means of communication by elevating urban space as public space. In South Korea, urban streets were never considered public spaces, so buildings were designed to adopt an inward focus, embracing the yard within the lot’s encircling wall, rather than facing the street. As a result, an intricate internal order was produced within the lot, constituted by the complex constituents of the yard and building. In terms of architectural attitudes toward urban streets and the surrounding environment, as well as architectural strategies across different plot contexts, Jeong Jaeheon’s architecture is comparable to traditional Korean architecture. The construction of a wall (fence) around the lot against the urban street and surrounding environment, as well as the creation of a rich internal order inside of the fence, are consistent features in his architecture. The chinks and windows in the walls and fences, standing neatly while suppressing any overt formal gesture, give the overall impression of enclosure while also generating curiosity about the inside of the building.
Yard: Internal Order
The sense (yard), as is well known, is an important element in Korean architecture. In this way, Jeong Jaeheon’s architecture displays a strong sense of Koreanness.
