The history and social functions of Jongno clock-alley, Seoul

The Relations in the Planar and Sectional Scales and Kan Composition of Traditional Korean Architecture

“…Previous studies have suggested that the internal spatial structures were modified according to the building's function, not only in terms of scale but also in terms of the arrangement of internal columns to create appropriate spaces. [5] Upon classifying the floor plans according to their architectural type, the findings revealed that Buddhist temples comprised approximately 45% of the total number of buildings, followed by Confucian schools at 20%, palaces at 10%, pavilions at 11%, shrines at 7%, government-managed buildings at 6%, and others at 1%. These results suggest that Buddhist-related facilities represent a significant portion of the traditional timberstructured buildings in Korea, comprising almost half of the total number of structures examined…”

“…[6] In a prior study, the predominant occurrence of a 3-unit front width (Purin-Direction 3kan) and 3-unit side width (Beam-Direction 3kan) in traditional Korean architecture was attributed to several factors. First, the front width of 3 units was determined to be the minimum unit capable of achieving centrality and serving as the entrance facade of the building [5]. Thus, having centrality was deemed significant.…”

“…[6] In a 3-unit configuration, the core bay (jeongkan) refers to the middle bay, while the side bays (hyeopkan) are located on either side. In addition, it has been established through previous research that the 3-bay façade represents a fundamental structure in traditional wooden architecture not only in Korea but also across East Asia [5]. The recognition of this structural element has been preserved through generations and continues to be employed in contemporary design.…”

“…Considering the characteristic of purin-direction kan with a strong symbolic meaning and the side bay with a strong structural meaning, [5] the relationship between the height and purin-direction kan, height and beam-direction kan were analyzed respectively. Upon data analysis, in the case of purin-direction kan, when the scale increases from 3 to 5 kans, the median showed a difference of about 3.8-6.6m.…”