Tradition & Culture

The Hanok

Not far from Jeongdok Public Library, in the lovely neighborhood of Bukchon east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, there’s a spot from which you can see all of 31 Gahoe-dong, Seoul’s most famous district of Korean-style hanok homes. A sea of black tile roofs spreads out before you, the curves of the roofs bringing to mind undulating waves. As you make your way through the neighborhood, you are greeted by stretches of handsome clay and stone walls that line the winding alleyways. Through an open gate, you spy a courtyard: in the garden stands a lone pine tree, placed strategically to form the perfect image through the window.

The hanok, or “Korean house,” is just what the word implies --- a Korean traditional dwelling. Perfectly designed for their environment, hanokare both practical and beautiful, possessing a rustic charm so representative of the aesthetic of old Korea. With the industrial development of Korea in the modern era, hanok have largely been replaced by apartments as the dwelling of choice for many Koreans, especially in Seoul, but they have not disappeared completely, with remaining hanok districts the focus of preservation and renovation efforts.


The Original ‘Green’ Home?

Like many traditional dwellings, the hanok is built for its environment. A peninsula at the northeast corner of the Eurasian landmass, Korea is characterized by both continental and maritime climates. Summers can be hot and humid, while winters are sometimes bitterly cold. Accordingly, the hanok attempts to resolve both the  summer heat and winter cold simultaneously, and does so with elegant simplicity. Enter a hanok home, and you’ll find both a room --- usually open to the outside --- with an unheated wooden floor (a maru), and a room with a  heated stone and clay floor (ondol) covered in oiled paper. When it’s hot, the occupants stay mostly on the cool  wooden maru, and when it’s cold, they move to the warm ondol. It’s a beautiful, efficient harmony that keeps energy usage down, and one made all the more amazing by the coexistence of fire (to heat the floor) and wood, two  traditionally mortal enemies. The ondol deserves a bit more attention. An indigenous   heating system, ondol involves heating the floor with wood smoke transferred from a clay furnace, or agungi, to  the floor via a system of flues, not unlike the hypocaust  system used by the ancient Romans. This is still the preferred heating system in Korea, even in non-hanok homes, although nowadays, wood smoke has been replaced by heated water from a boiler. The ingenious system is said to have impressed no less an architectural giant than Frank Lloyd Wright, who learned of it during a stay in Japan.

Hanok home are built entirely of natural, biodegradable ingredients: wood, clay, stone and paper. In recent years, the health benefits of the yellow clay --- called hwangto in Korean --- have gotten increasing attention. Hwangto emits a healthy dose of far infrared rays, so sleeping in a hanok home is like receiving a cleansing thermotherapy treatment at a spa.


Use of Space
Traditionally, hanok often consisted of several buildings, with dedicated spaces for men, women and servants. Many good examples can be seen in the countryside, home to many grand aristocratic villas. In Seoul, however, many of the hanok --- built during the capital’s urbanization in the early 20th century --- have been adapted to urban conditions in order to make maximum use of space.

The hanok is more than a building, however --- the empty space is just as important. Depending on the region, the shape of the home might change: in colder climates, they tend to be closed squares, in central regions they are L-shaped, and in southern regions they are open I shapes. In all these arrangements, however, the space tying the wings together is a courtyard called a madang. The rooms of the dwelling usually face into the maru, which in turn connects the inner and out spaces. In so doing, the hanok harmonizes into the natural surroundings, a key tenant of Korean traditional architecture.



Examples to See

Bukchon
Located between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces, this neighborhood of tile roofs and winding alleyways is home to Seoul’s largest collection of hanok homes.

Seochon
Found to the west of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seochon isn’t as lavish as Bukchon, but it’s still home to many hanok homes, including residences of some of Korea’s most important modern cultural figures. Recently designated a preservation zone.

Unhyeongung
Not far from Insa-dong, this Joseon-era villa --- the home of the important Joseon regent Heungseon Daewongung --- is a spectacular example of traditional hanok architecture.

Changdeokgung Yeongyeongdang
Built in the famous Huwon Garden of Changdeokgung Palace, this 19th century residence was built in the rustic fashion of a country gentry.

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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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