This study aims to find out the sources of the window and door in Korean Architecture and what their unique Architectural Characteristics are. It also investigates how the Architectural space was characterized by these windows and doors.
The prototy...
This study aims to find out the sources of the window and door in Korean Architecture and what their unique Architectural Characteristics are. It also investigates how the Architectural space was characterized by these windows and doors.
The prototype of the Korean window and door was a kind of "Gujuck" (a coarse straw mat) in the prehistoric age. This developed into a regular type in the Three Kingdoms period, that is a wooden panel door of Koguryo, a "Go-chang" (a kind of higher window on the wall, its lattice constitutes oblique lines) of Packche, and a "Sal-chang" (a kind of latticed window constituted by only vertical lines) of the Silla Dynasty.
The archetype of Korean hardware for windows and doors also is found in these Dynasties.
All of the above became more refined during the Koryo Kynasty, that is a "Jung=za-sal-chang" (a kind of window with lattice constituted of parallel horizontal frames and parallel vertical frames), and a "Kyo-sal-chang" (a kind of window with lattice in oblique frames).
Yi-Dynasty windows and doors developed into many styles, such as "Ddi-sal-chang," "Yong-za-sal-chang," "a-za-sa-chang" etc.
The notable characteristics of this age are
1. The frame of lattice is simple, while on the other hand, the Chinese frame is mechanical, and the Japanese frame is very sharp and feeble-looking.
2. The lattice lines harmonized with the structural line of beams, colums, and rafters as well as with the textural line and grain of wood.
The characteristics of space utilization which may be sad to be typical of all of the above are:
1. The Architectural space is assimilated with nature when windows and doors are opened. This is achieved by the Korean hanging window, a unique style of Korean architecture.
2. When we are within Korean architectural space, we can hear the sound of wind, trickling water falling from the eaves, singing birds etc, in consequence of the semitrans parent paper of window. This is the so called "Natural sound projection into space."