The Characteristics and Changes of Modern Korean House Design Since 1960’s

 

 

Jiyoung Yoon, Zhangjingyu

 

Dongseo University

San69-1, Jurae-dong, Sasang-gu

Busan, Korea

[email protected], [email protected]

 

 

 

Abstract

 

This study attempts to analyze the characteristics and changing trends of the design of modem Korean houses since 1960s, and to understand the impacts of Western architecture and design on modern Korean house design. The photos of 101 houses were selected from the magazines published since 1960s. The data collected were analyzed via frequency, percentage, and average.

The result reveals that the interior design of the living room in modern Korean house has undergone lots of changes in finishing materials, window treatments, types of cabinets, and use of lighting fixtures. It can be concluded that 1960-1970's is a period of introducing Western design as a superior, while 1980's is a period of exploring various ways toward harmony between Korean style and Western style, and 1990's is a period of settlement of Koreanized modernism style, differentiated from the Western style of 1980’s.

 

Keywords- modern; Korean; house design; characteristics; changes

 

1. Introduction

                                                                      

House design is one of the most essential cultural standards. It connotes view of value, lifestyle, aesthetic consciousness and technology in the same age, reflecting strong cultural identity physically. However, modern Korean house design seems to be discontinued from the tradition with sudden introduction of Western architecture form, material and technology.  

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics and changing trends of the exterior and interior design and floor plan of modern Korean houses from 1960’s to 1990’s and to understand the impacts of Western architecture on modern Korean house design. Also, this study is to reveal the characteristics of Korean design shown in modern Korean houses.

 

2. Objectives and methodology

 

2.1. Specific objectives

 

The specific objectives are the followings;

1)      To analyze the characteristics of the exterior design of modern Korean houses including the form, material, dominant style and image.

2)      To analyze the characteristics of the interior design of modern Korean houses including architectural interior components such as ceiling, wall, floor, window and interior elements such as furniture, furnishing, lighting and accessories.

3)      To analyze the characteristics of the floor plan of modern Korean houses including relationships among the living room, dining room, kitchen and entrance.

4)      To analyze the impacts of Western architectural design on Korean house design.

2.2. Methodology

 

Photos and plans were used for content-analysis approach that yield qualitative and quantitative data. The photos of 101 houses including exterior, interior and floor plans were selected from all the architectural design magazines published since 1960 in Korea. 16 houses for 1960’s, 20 for 1970’s, 30 for 1980’s and 35 for 1990’s were finally selected according to the criteria that those were published in more than 2 architectural magazines or got a prize as good design. The data collected were analyzed in both qualitative way including the form, material, style and image and quantitative way via frequency, percentage and average.

 

3. Findings

 

The results reveal several important findings.

 

3.1. The characteristics and changes in the exterior design

 

The exterior design of modern Korean houses has been continuously changed in use of materials, roof form and style. The change in use of materials is related to the development of technology and new materials. In the roof form, a flat roof and a gabled roof are most popular in modern Korean houses. Several variations in the roof form began to appear since 1980’s and the mixed roof in one house such as a combination of flat and semi-circled roof began to appear in 1990’s. Modernism, the most popular exterior style in 1960-70’s has been replaced by late-modern style since 1980’s. Also, post-modernism style became more popular in the exterior design since 1990’s. This means that the exterior design of modern Korean houses reflects a global trends of deformation and variation in style.  

 

3.2. The characteristics and changes in the floor plan   

 

The most popular floor plan in modern Korean house design are ‘ㅁ’ and ‘L’ shape. This reveals that ‘ㅁ’ or ‘L’-shaped floor plan, one of the major characteristics of traditional Korean houses remains unchanged. Houses with openness among living room, dining room and kitchen increases in 1990’s, compared to the previous decades. Also various connections among these three areas since 1980’s reflect diversity in lifestyle and traditional preference for open interior space.  

 

3.3. The characteristics and changes in the interior design

 

The interior design of living room in modern Korean houses has undergone lots of changes in finishing materials, window treatments, types of cabinet, and use of lighting fixtures. The configuration of furniture including sofa shows the trend of each period. Modernism is the most popular dominant style in the living room from 1960’s to the present. Also, neo-classic and traditional Korean styles are revealed as the most common sub-dominant style of living room.

A shift from modernism to other style such as late modernism, post modernism and de-constructivism shown in the exterior design do not appear in the interior design of modern Korean houses.

 

Figure 1. Changes in the interior design of modern Korean houses from 1960’s to 1990’s

 

 

Table 1. Changes in the characteristics of modern Korean house design

 

 

4. Conclusion

 

The results show that modernism is the most popular style in modern Korean house design. It can be interpreted that traditional Korean design is characterized by unornamented minimal design, openness and flexibility in use of space, which are also the characteristics of modernism. This commonness seems to make modernism easily accepted and settled down in modern Korean house design. It is concluded that 1960-1970’s is a period of introducing and imitating western design as a superior, while 1980’s is a period of exploring various ways toward harmonious combination between Korean traditional style and Western styles. 1990’s is a period of settlement of Korean modernism style as a result of various exploration of 1980’s, which is differentiated from Western house design.  

 

 

References

 

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