This study analyzes the patterns of restoration of historical sites in historic city centers, focusing on Gaeksa. By examining the urban environments of the historic city centers where the Gaeksa stood, as well as the influences of restoration periods...
This study analyzes the patterns of restoration of historical sites in historic city centers, focusing on Gaeksa. By examining the urban environments of the historic city centers where the Gaeksa stood, as well as the influences of restoration periods, this study considers how the restoration types of Gaeksa sites vary and explores the meaning of these differences.
The Gaeksa site restoration type can be categorized into five types based on the scope of restoration: Gaeksa Restoration Type involves restoration limited to the original Gaeksa area; Gaeksa Relocation Type involves restoring the Gaeksa by moving it to a different location. The City Wall Restoration Type includes restoration of Gaeksa as one of the key buildings within the city walls, while the Urban Historic Environment Association Type involves the simultaneous restoration and maintenance of nearby cultural heritage, including Gaeksa administrative offices. Additionally, there is the Gaeksa Site Maintenance Type, which preserves Gaeksa sites as archaeological remains or excavations.
During the 20th-century, changes in administrative districts and expansions of urban areas altered the urban environmentof the historic city centers. By categorizing changes in these city centers into areas of Bu-Mok Growth, Bu-Mok Decline, Gun-Hyeon Growth, and Gun-Hyeon Decline based on administrative districts indicating urban statuses during the Joseon Dynasty and the present day, this study analyzed how urban environments influenced restoration and maintenance types of Gaeksa sites. It was urban density and cultural heritage designation that had impact on Gaeksa restoration. Particularly notable are the Urban Historic Environment Association Type Gaeksa in Bu-Mok Growth areas and the City Wall Restoration Type Gaeksa in Gun-Hyeon Decline areas, demonstrating distinct strategic approaches depending on urban density during the formation of historical landscapes.
The periods of Gaeksa restoration can be divided into three phases: Phase I (1950s-1970s), Phase II (1980s-1990s), and Phase III (2000s onward). Initially, restoration and maintenance primarily occurred at the individual building level, but gradually shifted toward restoration at the urban scale in later periods. Notably, Gaeksa sites restored during Phase I as Gaeksa Restoratoin Types were often restored again in Phase III as Urban Historic Environment Association Types. Comprehensive analysis alongside changes in original city centers reveals that restoration was predominantly concentrated in Bu-Mok Growth areas during Phase I, became most active in Gun-Hyeon Decline areas during Phase II, and returned to predominance in Bu-Mok Growth areas during Phase III.
The expansion of Gaeksa restoration from individual buildings to building complexes reflects shifts in the desired historical landscape direction across periods. In Phases I and II, restorations were conducted to prevent cultural heritage damage and emphasize their historical and cultural value. By Phase III, heritage protection and preservation expanded to include the conservation of historical regions as landscapes, shifting the focus from physical structures to the symbolic meaning of places and their integration within historical landscapes. Consequently, Gaeksa sites are now restored not merely as individual heritage structures but as integral parts of historical urban landscapes representing administrative centers during the Joseon Dynasty.
In summary, Gaeksa sites initially restored as Gaeksa Reconstruction Types in Bu-Mok Growth areas during Phase I were restored again as Urban Historic Environment Association Types during Phase III. Meanwhile, in Phase II, individual buildings in Bu-Mok Decline and Gun-Hyeon Growth areas underwent restoration, and City Wall Restoration Types in Gun-Hyeon Decline areas continued into Phase III. Thus, the restoration and maintenance types that began in Bu-Mok Growth areas during Phase I expanded to other urban change types, with distinct Gaeksa restoration types becoming prominent by Phase III based on urban transformations.
This study is meaningful in terms of exploring the meaning of Gaeksa restoration not merely as historical architecture but in relation to urban environments. It also contributes by empirically analyzing as many currently identifiable cases as possible. However, as it focused solely on Gaeksa rather than all elements forming the administrative landscapes, future research should further examine the relationships between restoration of administrative offices, city walls, and urban environments.