The Secret Spirit of Korean Architecture (Saffron Korea Library) [Paperback]

Kim Bongryol (Author), Sajid Rizvi (Editor, Contributor), Lee Yongsuk (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2007 | Series: Saffron Korea Library

"The Secret Spirit of Korean Architecture" is a response to the growing international interest in Korean architecture, its tangible historical and contemporary forms, and a multidisciplinary contribution to the discourse that has resulted in new writing and audiovisual materials exploring principal features and themes, materials, techniques and methodologies particular to the genre. Korean architecture can rightly be seen as one of the best kept secrets of East Asian cultures and civilisations. While aspects of Korean art have become increasingly popular worldwide, Korean architecture remains unknown outside the circle of specialists and visitors to the country. This volume is an edited compilation of Kim Bongryol's acclaimed writings that appeared originally in Korean. The author holds forth on a range of subjects that are beyond the scope of architecture but may be familiar to students of East Asian art and material cultures, art history and history in general. At the same time he invites the reader to contemplate ideas that are particular to Korea and Korean architecture. While dealing with histories of the architectural landmarks chosen for discussion, the author surprises the reader with some of the most intimate minutiae of information about people and communities involved in the planning and development of these buildings. He is not content with extolling the attributes of architectural treasures under his scrutiny and proceeds further to examine and bring into a sharper relief the human dimension behind the existence of these treasures, engaging the reader with eloquent yet piquant passages on that essential aspect of the processes at work in world architecture. Kim Bongryol does not wish his audience to remain in thrall of the remarkable achievements in Korean architecture; instead he wants the reader to appreciate Korean architecture in the dual contexts of Korean history and contemporary society. Kim Bongryol is no stranger to the international community of architects and to the world of art and design at large. He has featured in major art and architecture events in the West and has been a pre-eminent participant in biennials such as the Venice Biennale.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kim Bongryol was born in 1958, majored in architecture and attended graduate school at the Seoul National University. He is professor of architecture at the Korea National University of Arts and has contributed numerous articles in the field of history and criticism of architecture. His three volumes in Korean, Korean Architecture - Traditional Architecture (1985), Beobjusa Temple (1993), and The Architecture of Monastic Vows (1998) have an international following amongst the community of architects in South Korea, the East Asian region at large as well as the Korean architectural communities in North America and Europe.

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Saffron Books (October 31, 2007)
• ISBN-10: 1872843832
• ISBN-13: 978-1872843834
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,663,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-Have for Korean Culture fans., November 16, 2006

By 

Joong Won Lee "Joongwon" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Spirit of Korean Architecture (Saffron Korea Library) (Paperback)

This book was originally written for the local architectural magazine ("Yi-Sang-Kun-Chook") in S. Korea for a period of two years in early 90's.

Prof. Kim's writing became instantly popular among scholars, students, and professionals in S. Korea. I was one of the addicted members of his monthly writings.

There were already many books on the history of Korean Architecture, but none of them had the present eye as his did. Most of the boring existing books contained the vocabulary of korean architecture and dynastic style-identification (by-gone analytical tool in the West) that was a poor replica of history of western architecture.

On the other hand, Prof. Kim's work was extremely original. Relying heavily on his field trip, he was able to tell the audience about the spirit of place and setting with his own voice. His explanation to the background history was very intriguing. He would sometimes use current TV series to easily explain the past settings or sometimes he would use current headline news to explain the urgency of the matter at that time.

In short, his depiction of history was very journalistic. Above all, Prof. Kim was not a scholar who only delved into the theoretical books in library. Former architect, his analysis are restless, impulsive, and wiggly. It enlivens the souls of readers. For the first time, mass of architectural audience in Korea packed their bags to go and see the traditional architecture.

Competition themes and architectural discourses in Korea shifted their centers to traditional architecture. Rich in samples, light in writing, deep in thoughts.... great book ! (I believe this is only the first book of the masterfully written trilogy.)