Conflict and Compromise of Architectural Fragments

Abstract

이 논문은 부분과 전체라는 통일된 관점으로 한국의 현대건축을 이해하는 방식을 제안한다. 첫 번째 목표는 부분과 전체의 관계성을 바탕으로 한국건축의 외형을 분류하는 체계를 만드는 것이다. 건물의 표상은 어떤 관념을 내포하는 것이 아니라 객체의 실물적 이미지라는 관점에서, 건물의 부분과 전체는 그 표상의 내용들이고, 그것들이 조직되는 방식은 이미지가 전달되는 방식이다. 따라서 이 분류방식을 통해 한국의 건축가들이 외형으로 어떤 것을 표상하고 어떻게 전달하였는지를 이해하는 것이 두 번째 목표이다.

This paper proposes an approach to comprehend contemporary Korean architecture through a singular perspective of "part and whole." The objectives are twofold. Firstly, it aims to develop a taxonomy that classifies the exterior appearance of Korean architecture based on the relational aspects of parts and wholes. Instead of considering the representation of a building as an abstract concept, it views it from the perspective of a physical image of the object. The parts and their organization into a whole within an architectural object serve as the means through which the image is conveyed. Consequently, the second objective is to comprehend what Korean architects had been representing and how they convey it through the appearance of their buildings using this classification approach. Since modernization in South Korea, architecture has been an important medium of communication in the social realm: a representation of the Korean identity, an expression of singularity, authority, a self-establishment of learned modernism, or a proposal for high-density urban condition. Although there have been diversified architectural expressions in modern and contemporary practice in Korea, and despite the emphasis put on the outward expressions, domestic architectural discourses have, since around a certain time, prioritized conceptual themes over their tangible manifestations into an architectural object. Research on architectural expression has predominantly focused on specific architects or labeled architectural styles, with a scarce investigations employing a methodology rooted in the Korean architectural practice. With a focus on the communicative role of architecture, this paper attempts to delve into the atlas of architectural languages in the exterior of Korean contemporary architecture. Underlying in this thesis a premise and hypothesis that "externally fragmented architectures provide a deeper understanding of the context of Korean architecture." The fragmentation is caused by multifaceted concepts and necessities, including critical challenges within Korean architecture such as regionality, spatial experience, pragmatic concerns and intricate urban environments. The taxonomy is to classify the manipulation of generated architectural fragments in the process of incorporating them into each whole, which pertains to the representational strategy. It is a formation of architectural imagery on the exterior through the syntax of diverse fragments. The strategy not only encompasses an artistry of an individual architect, but also emerge as an utterance of the architectural object. Each period is thematized, identifying the crucial themes relevant to the fragmentation of Korean architecture. Then, the syntax between fragments is scrutinized and developed into the taxonomy. Significantly, the primary objective of this research is to investigate the convergence between fragments and representation within the distinctive historical context which manifests into indigenous imageries in the Korean architectural milieu. The research is twofold: First, it develops a basic taxonomy of architectural part-whole, based on the relevant theories on mereology. It further specifies the physical, perceptible languages that contribute to the diversification of each basic type by analyzing significant projects by Korean architects. Second, as a primary objective, it investigate the specific diversification of representational strategies throughout the 1960s and 2000s. Through a iterative process of categorization and analysis, this study aims to identify the architectural fragments that are at hands of Korean architects, and the concurrent evolution of fragmented architecture into a diversified taxonomy. The methodology suggested for understanding the fragmented architecture would be applicable to analyzing architecture more inclusively across the borders of heterogeneous "-isms" and styles. Further investigations regarding mutual influence and comparison with a broader international architectural practice could provide a comprehensive understanding of the introspection of Korean architecture.