This dissertation aims to elucidate the architectural characteristics and patterns of lecture halls (Gangdang) in Korean seowon of the Joseon dynasty, focusing on how spaces formed by the combination of heated rooms (Ondol) and wooden-floored halls (M...
This dissertation aims to elucidate the architectural characteristics and patterns of lecture halls (Gangdang) in Korean seowon of the Joseon dynasty, focusing on how spaces formed by the combination of heated rooms (Ondol) and wooden-floored halls (Maru) were mutually integrated through floor plans, structural framing systems, and related elevation elements to support the functions of the lecture hall. Although seowon lecture halls accommodated the distinct functions of Confucian instruction and residence simultaneously, previous studies have tended to focus either on their role as instructional spaces or on analyses of individual architectural elements. In response, this study adopts an integrated analytical approach that examines floor plans and structural framing systems together, with particular attention to the manner in which Ondol rooms and Maru were combined, in order to comprehensively investigate the spatial organization of seowon lecture halls.
The research focuses primarily on state-recognized seowon from the Joseon period in which the original form of the lecture hall is well preserved. The study employs a combination of literature review, field surveys, and measured drawings. Through these methods, it identifies the compositional characteristics of floor plans and structural systems resulting from the integration of Ondol rooms and Maru, and systematically analyzes the architectural strategies used to combine these two distinct functions within a single building.
The analysis of floor plans reveals that seowon lecture halls consistently maintained a basic structure and scale in which Ondol rooms were arranged around a central wooden-floored hall (Daecheong-maru). From the seventeenth century onward, however, the addition of a front Toi-maru, a raised wooden platform mediating between the rooms and the exterior, bringing about changes in both the plan and the elevation of the lecture hall.
An examination of the longitudinal structural framing demonstrates that these spatial configurations were directly reflected in the framing system. The framing of the Daecheong was designed to secure a wide, open space suitable for instructional activities, while the side framing emphasized the structural stability of the Ondol rooms and accommodated residential functions through the incorporation of walls and openings, including windows and doors. In particular, the framing at the boundary between the Ondol rooms and the Maru played a crucial role in clearly distinguishing the two spaces while simultaneously integrating them into a single architectural whole.
In addition to identifying appropriate spatial scales for the operation of the Ondol rooms and Maru within the floor plan, this study clarifies the typical configuration of lecture hall architecture as an integrated system in which structural framing, heating facilities, openings such as windows and doors, and elevation elements including Toi-maru are closely interrelated. Several characteristic patterns are identified. First, although attempts to determine appropriate proportions for the Daecheong-maru, Ondol rooms, and Toi-maru appear in the early seventeenth century, most lecture halls exhibit a standardized configuration in which the Daecheong-maru occupies three bays on the front elevation, while the toi-maru is composed of a single bay by a single bay. Second, in order to allow the Maru and rooms to be unified into a single space depending on the scale of instructional activities, large and uniformly sized openings were installed between the Daecheong and the two-bay rooms. From the early seventeenth century onward, this requirement influenced structural systems, as seen in the gradual reduction of tall columns (Goju) at the boundary framing between the Daecheong and Ondol rooms in three-bay-deep lecture halls. Third, slender columns were sometimes employed as a structural device to efficiently configure veranda spaces or to accommodate large openings of uniform size in two-bay rooms. Although first appearing in the early seventeenth century, such columns continued to be used when necessary in later periods, indicating that practical considerations for instructional use were prioritized over purely hierarchical or monumental expressions within seowon architecture. Fourth, with respect to floor elevation, the height of the Daecheong floor was carefully determined in relation to its function, while the floor level of the rooms was adjusted in consideration of the relationship between underfloor heating facilities such as Hamsil-agungi and the upper structural frame. Fifth, the front Toi-maru of the rooms was typically equipped with windows and low railings, and even in lecture halls without a full front Toi-maru, side platforms (Chok-maru) were provided. These features indicate a standardized treatment of the elevation and spatial use of the rooms occupied by the head and deputy head of the seowon. As these veranda spaces directly faced the exterior, walls were often installed on the sides to protect against wind and rain and to shield the private residential spaces from external view.
Although these characteristics exhibit minor variations according to period or individual buildings, the fundamental principles governing the configuration of plans, structural framing, and elevations—aimed at distinguishing instructional and residential functions while integrating the Daecheong and rooms into a unified architectural system—remain consistent.
Through this integrated analysis of floor plans, structural systems, and elevation-related facilities, this study confirms that the seowon lecture hall was not a single-purpose instructional space but rather an architectural type that combined the heterogeneous functions of instruction and residence.
By moving beyond approaches that focus on individual architectural elements, this research introduces an infrastructural and spatial perspective on the integration of Ondol and Maru in Joseon-period architecture, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of spatial organization principles in traditional Korean architecture.