• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.89-100
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to critically review the repair works of Seokguram architecture and to search for its original form and space. Seokguram's architectural form has been transformed throughout three repair works. The first transformation occurred during the repair work of the Colonial Government in 1913-1915, and the second occurred during the repair work of the Colonial Government in 1920-1923. The repair work done by the Korean Government in 1961-1964 also caused a severe change in the architectural form and space of Seokguram architecture. The more the repair work was added to Seokguram, the more its original form flew away like a mirage. Through the three repair works, the spatial composition of Seokguram changed in the following directions: from ((front chamber + passageway) + main chamber) to (front chamber + (passageway + main chamber)) through the second repair work, from (front chamber + (passageway + main chamber)) to (front chamber + passageway + main chamber) through the last repair work. Although the compositional space hierarchy of Seokguram was maintained during the first repair work, the architectural form based on the dry method was changed to the form based on the wet method. The Korean government's repair work was a tragedy for the 'Seokguram conservation project' that the people who led the conservation process misunderstood the architectural nature of Seokguram.