• Journal of architectural history
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.135-154
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• 2012

The goal of this paper is to analyze the Freedom Center Apacle in Seoul designed by Kin Soo Geun who was a leading architect in Korean Modern architecture. Freedom Center was built in 1963, that was the largest monumental building to support military regime during cold war period in Korea. This paper deals with historical background of construction of Freedom Center and its characteristics compared to similar monumental buildings, especially Corbusier's Chandigar and Kenzo Tange's Hiroshima Peace Center. The Monumentality in Freedom Center came from the reference to these two buildings and its site plan. This paper tried to show how similar the layout of buildings between the Freedom Center and Peace Center. The origin of the sublime aura in Tange's linear layout of Peace Center is from Japanese Famous Shrine(Jinku). Kim translated it to serve the ideological purpose to protect from socialist regime in the name of freedom. Its over-scaled roof and weak contents showed Freedom center was a kind of theaterical setting belong to formalist building. But in spite of its symbolic and representational gesture its also had a architectonic physical quality to make it a monument. The change and duration in time testified the autonomous power of architecture in Freedom Center. Freedom Center was also important for using the exposed concrete and its superior finish. It was influenced not from western way of Benton Brut which was usually called New Brutalism but Japanese way of treating expose concrete. In spite of its limits Freedom center achieved new trend and sensibility in Korean Modern Architecture.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.120-131
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• 2014

Sajikdan(a sort of national shrine in Korea) built at the time of foundation of Joseon was entrenched into Sajik Park going through Japanese colonial era and recently the efforts to restore it is in progress. The details of change in Sajikdan in terms of diachronic analysis are as follows: Firstly, the first period refers to one prior to Japanese colonial era from the first king (also named as "Taejo" in Korean) of the Joseon Dynasty, during which it secured and strengthened the presence as a place for performing important national rites in a nation. It was built on the foot of Inwangsan Mt. at the time of the first king in Joseon Dynasty at first, was destroyed fully by fire during a Japanese Invasion period to Korea(1592-98) and afterward its ancestral ritual facilities were completed under the regime of Youngjo. However, as Japanese intervention coming to the fore, its place was destroyed and then ancestral rites were also abolished in 1908. Secondly, next period falls on 1910 to 1944 when it was transformed and entrenched into a park by the Japanese Empire. While facilities related to a park and an heterogeneous building around the part of boundary were set up, the area of altar, a ritual house and d door of Sajikdan were also designated as historical remains and treasures. Thirdly, this period refers to one from Korea's liberation year from Japanese colony(1945) to the year of 1984 when it had a mixed placeness with the statues, monuments and buildings with heterogeneous nature built. Furthermore, a door of Sajikdan was removed and reconstructed over twice due to opening of Sajik Tunnel. Fourthly, a final period falls on 1985 to the present when efforts are in progress to restore the historicity and symbolism of Sajikdan. A plan for restoration is promoted but now is a difficult time suffering from troubles caused by residents' resistance. Scrutinized historical researches through excavation investigation and residents' understanding are required altogether for restoration of Sajikdan.