Traditional Space

A Study of Korean Architecture

The author sums up the Korea's traditional space in two words - emptiness and formlessness, and examines many of the spatial characteristics under such various notions as transparency, overlapping, multi-layering, inner/outer unity, variability and circularity. He recognizes that emptying and non-definitiveness are all incorporated in the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and thus takes them as a symbolic manifestation of the most popular sentiment of Korean people.

“The Spirit of Korean Cultural Roots” series has been planned as part of the projects to figure out the source and the characteristics of Korean culture in general. The publisher of the series plans to release a total of 100 volumes (50 in Korean and 50 in English) by the year 2009 to precisely deal with various topics related to traditional Korean cultures - including literature, history, music, fine art, craft, furniture, food, costumes, architecture, and plays - under one grand theme. Pursuing openness and professionalism, these volumes finally aim to help readers understand Korean culture more deeply. One of the merits of this series is that it comes closer to the readers through its unique editing with small-size format and with abundant visual materials. One of the characteristics is that the series offer English translations with a view to contribute to the globalization of Korean culture abroad.