The Journal of Korean Art and Archaeology

I INTRODUCTION: PURPOSE AND METHODOLOGY1

Situated in Unjeong-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do Province, Seongyojang is an exceptionally unusual Korean traditional house. It is an excellent example of vernacular architecture. On its premises stand nine separate residential buildings that have a combined total perimeter of 102 kans (a kan is the traditional unit of area surrounded by four columns). A typical traditional Korean house has only one drawing room, called sarangchae. Seongyojang has five sarangchaes with different names and functions: Yeolhwadang, Dongbyeoldang, Seobyeoldang, Jageunsarang, and Hwallaejeong. Seongyojang does not follow the unique characteristics of the region as seen in the functional layout of space and the composition of space2 (Plate 1). In order to fully appreciate the architectural originality of Seongyojang, we must look at the original architectural purposes of its previous owners rather than Seongyojang as it is today. However, there are no known records on the concepts and the intentions of the original owners, requiring us to delve into the history of the family and the construction of Seongyojang.

( Plate 1 ) Ground plan of the main house of Seongyojang

This research seeks to discover the architectural purposes of Seongyojang, to analyze the concept of planning and design elements to be employed for such purposes, and to evaluate the meaning and the value of the architectural purposes. In other words, this research is intended to trace every process of architectural planning from the constructional objectives of Seongyojang to the selections of design elements for the complex building. By doing so, the author will derive the architectural theory of Seongyojang.

The foundation of Seongyojang was laid in 1756. It underwent many alterations over the next 200 years, gradually expanded and altered until it was configured as we see it today. The last alteration was made in the 1960s to anchae or the main house. Therefore, analyzing the architectural composition at any specific time in isolation is clearly inadequate in ascertaining the whole planning process of Seongyojang. This research focus on collective relationship not only to address the architectural composition at any one point but also to identify all the changes made through a long period of time. With this methodology, all the planning concepts that were applied to Seongyojang will surface.3

II YI FAMILY TREE, THE OWNER, AND THE HISTORY OF SEONGYOJANG

01 THE GENEALOGY OF YI CLAN (SEE TABLE 1)

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( Table 1 ) The Genealogy of Yi Clan

The first owner of the Seongyojang manor was Yi Nae-beon (1693~1781), the 11th descendant of Prince Hyonyeong who was the second eldest brother of King Sejong (1418~1450). Yi Ju-hwa (1635~1708), Yi Nae-beon’s father, was from a well-established aristocratic family in Chungju.4 Yi Ju-ha had three wives. The first wife came from the Nam family of Uiryeong and the second wife, the Jeong family of Gyeongju. The tombs of the first and the second wives are in Chungju and Jincheon, respectively. The birth mother of Yi Nae-beon was the third wife from the Gwon family of Andong. It is said that Yi Nae-beon’s mother moved to Gangneung with her son because her parents had some connections there.5 Yi Nae-beon and his mother settled down in Jeo-dong near Gyeongpoho Lake. In the 1760s, they moved to Baedari-gol where Seongyojang is located.6

Yi Nae-beon had no son, so he adopted Si-chun (1736~1785), a son of his half-brother Jung-beon, as his own son to succeed the family. Yi Si-chun died only four years after he became the head of Seongyojang. He had three sons, Hu, Seung-jo, and Hang-jo. The eldest son, Yi Hu, became the third generation head of Seongyojang at the age of only 13.7 Yi Hu took the state examination four times.8 He never managed to pass and finally gave up trying.9 Yi Hu had two sons and three daughters, and he took care of the families of his two younger brothers who died before him.

Unlike Yi Hu, who spent his entire life as literati in seclusion without any government post, his two sons, Yong-gu (1798~1837) and Bong-gu (1802~1885) passed the state examination and were appointed to government posts. Yi Bong-gu, the younger one, became the magistrate of Cheongan in 1850 and then was promoted to county head of Tongcheon in 1853. He was highly respected for his good administration and it was he who made the Yi family of Seongyojang widely known and represented it extremely well.10

Yi Yong-gu, the fourth generation head of Seongyojang, died at the young age of 39. He was survived by two sons, Hoe-suk, 14 years old and Hoe-won, 7 years old. Like their father, the fifth generation Hoe-suk (1823~1876) and Hoe-won (1830~1909) passed the state examination and were appointed to government posts. Yi Hoe-suk became the fifth generation head of Seongyojang and he served as a magistrate. His younger brother, Hoe-won, was adopted by Yi Bong-gu (younger brother of his birth father) and grew up in Seoul and served at a government office for a long time.11

The social life of the Yi family became very active after Hoe-suk and Hoe-won obtained their government posts while the head house of Seongyojang had difficulty to succeed family lineage because few children were born to the fourth and later generations. As in the first generation, the house of the eldest brother and the younger brother exchanged sons by adoption to preserve the family lineage.12

Yi Hoe-suk had no son, so Yi Hoe-won’s eldest son, Yi Geun-u (1877~1938) who came down to Gangneung with his father and lived in Seongyojang, became the sixth generation head of Seongyojang. Yi Geun-u was very sociable. He invited many literati well known for poetry, calligraphy, and painting to Seongyojang13 and actively corresponded with literati of every town. Since Yi Geun-u, the sixth generation head, the Yi family of Seongyojang thrived and had many children. It is said that there were many houses for the offspring of the Yi family in the vicinity of Seongyojang.14

02 REMODELING OF SEONGYOJANG

If Yi Nae-beon is the original builder of Seongyojang, Yi Gang-baek, the present head of Seongyojang, is the ninth generation. The heads of Seongyojang have steadily expanded and remodeled Seongyojang. Major architectural changes were made three times. The first change was made by Yi Nae-beon, the first generation; the second change was made after the third generation; and the third change was made during the sixth generation by Yi Geun-u.

A great deal of research was done to ascertain the history of construction of Seongyojang and to trace the changes made to the house. Historical documentation at Seongyojang including the records on land transactions, papers on the survey of households, national census records, reports of state examinations taken by Yi family members, doctrines given to descendants, and posthumous manuscripts were studied and the genealogy was examined. Yi family members were interviewed as well. According to the findings, the construction and remodeling of Seongyojang occurred as shown in Table 2.

03 ARCHITECTURAL PURPOSES OF THE HEADS OF SEONGYOJANG

Over a period of some two hundred years, Seongyojang was successively expanded and remodeled. Each change was made for different reasons and under different conditions. The author was able to ascertain the architectural purposes through the years by determining the living environment and achievements of the heads of the house from the first generation (Yi Nae-beon), after the third generation, and the sixth generation (Yi Geun-u).

1) Establishment of the House by Yi Nae-beon

Yi Nae-beon and his mother settled down in Jeo-dong near Gyeongpodae Beach. They accumulated wealth by purchasing land step by step. The Yi family needed a new residence as they had prospered and become established in Jeo-dong. They decided to build a new home in today’s Baedari. The Baedari area was reportedly the home of the Jo family clan of Changnyeong. Before then, it was where the Bak family clan of Gang-neung had lived. The Yi family of Yi Nae-beon bought land in Baedari, built a house, and set roots there.15

If not for geomantic reasons, Yi Nae-beon chose Baedari-gol because it was a strategic location for economic purposes and would, therefore, bring him wealth. At that time, the waters of Gyeongpoho Lake extended to the front of Hwallaejeong, one of the drawing rooms of Seongyojang, and people crossed a bridge from a ferry there to get to the mainland. The location commanded a sweeping view of the wide fields and rice paddies all over the valleys in the area, making it easy to manage them, and it was an important junction of transportation.

Seongyojang was originally constructed as a typical upper-class house, with anchae as its main house. The original house built by Yi Nae-beon was reportedly in the shape of □, the usual configuration of upper class houses in Gangneung.

2) Residence of Yi Hu for Extended Family

Yi Hu, pen named Oeun, made the basic foundational preparations for expansion of Seongyojang as we see it today. He transformed what was an average upper-class residence into a huge manor from both economic and architectural viewpoints. Yi Hu’s purposes in expansion of Seongyojang can be gleaned from the history of his family.

Yi Hu’s father passed away when he was only 13. Even though he became the head of Seongyojang at such a young age, Yi Hu raised his two younger brothers, Seung-jo and Hang-jo. Both of them would eventually die young, leaving surviving sons, and Yi Hu raised the young nephews. Gangneung still was a strange place for the Yi Hu family and his young nephews had no other relatives to depend on in the area. Yi Hu himself said that he worked hard and lived frugally his entire life to accumulate wealth and survive in Gangneung in the face of pressures from the local gentry and to financially support the families of his younger brothers.

Yi Hu had his nephews live in the same house together with him and his own two sons. He extended the annex of the main house for the family of Seung-jo and built the Yeolhwadang house for the family of Hang-jo.16 The name Yeolhwadang means “listening to stories of relatives tenderly and affectionately,”17 suggesting that Yi Hu longed for happiness and love in his entire extended family.

Although the construction of Seobyeoldang (meaning a separate house to the west) was completed after Yi Hu died, it seems that Yi Hu himself had planned the construction. Seobyeongdang was a kind of library and educational institute for children of the house. No other wealthy family built such a huge private educational facility within the premises like Seongyojang and it bespeaks a great deal of the importance Yi Hu attached to the extended family at the time. All members of the extended family lived together under the same roof.

3) Construction of Huge Manor by Yi Geun-U

The fifth generation Yi Hoe-suk and the sixth generation Yi Geun-u began to make marked changes to Seongyojang. The Yi family of Seongyojang was able to hold its own in the face of the local gentry of Gangneung by accumulating wealth through effective management of agricultural business and emerged as the wealthiest family in Gangwon-do Province. Since the fourth generation of Yi Bong-gu, men from Seongyojang succeeded in advancing into central government posts and the Yi family could extend its social activities nationwide. As more and more children were born in Seongyojang, it became impossible for the entire extended family to live together under one roof. Houses were built outside Seongyojang and the family was dispersed. Yeolhwadang was made as lodgings for visitors from all over the country and Seongyojang became a playground for famous people from all over the country rather than merely a residence for a big family.

The architectural changes made at this time are noteworthy also. Hwallaejeong was remodeled as it is today. Some part of the main house was removed and today’s Dongbyeoldang was built in its place. In front of the servants’ quarters, houses were built for second and third wives. In addition to expanding Seongyojang, these three buildings changed the entire character of the village of Baedari-gol. With the construction of houses for second and third wives and more farmers’ huts within Baedari-gol, the premises of Seongyojang effectively included the entire village of Baedari-gol. Previously, they had been enclosed by the servants’ quarters. Hwallaejeong was a building on the edge of the new, expanded premises.

The Yi family also expanded Banghaejeong, a villa used as country house. A huge pine-tree forest was developed in the vicinity of Banghaejeong and the forest was named Yigawon, meaning ‘Garden of the Yi family.’ The border of Yigawon was Okjamam of Gyeongpoho Lake. Now, the conceptual boundary of Seongyojang expanded to the north of Gyeongpoho Lake from Baedari-gol.

III CHANGES IN ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION

The entire two-hundred-year history of construction of Seongyojang over nine generations can be divided into three important periods as seen in Table 3 and Plate 2.

( Plate 2 ) Changes in Architectural Composition

01 FIRST PHASE (1756~1785)

During the first phase, the foundation of Seongyojang was laid. The main house as we see it today is known to have been a part of the original building.18 Records state that when Dongbyeoldang was constructed in 1920, part of a □-shaped building was removed, evidencing that Seongyojang was indeed originally of such a shape. In the mid eighteenth century, the Bak family clan from Gangneung had long been established in Baedari-gol and the premises of Seongyojang did not likely extend beyond the boundary of the □-shaped house.

The anchae at present has several wings, including the master’s room, a main floored hall called daecheong, lady’s room called anbang, and kitchen. A room at the rear of the anbang and master’s room was used as a closet or storage room. The floor plan before the construction of Dongbyeoldang shows that storage rooms were connected down to the kitchen.19 As seen in Plate 3, the layout of the main house was typical of an upper-class house in Gangneung at the time. This shows that the Yi family, who had been living there for only twenty years by then, followed the norms of upper class residences in the area.

( Plate 3 ) Upper Class Residences in Gangneung

02 SECOND PHASE (1786~1843)

Yi Hu, the third generation head of Seongyojang, was the most active of all in construction of the buildings on Seongyojang. He constructed Yeolhwadang (which represents Seongyojang at present), the pond, and Hwallaejeong. In the second phase, new buildings were constructed and the boundary of Seongyojang was gradually extended. Expansion continued into the fourth generation of Yi Yong-gu and Bong-gu. Seobyeoldang was built on the main premises of Seongyojang and Banghaejeong, a villa, was built near Gyeongpodae Beach.20

During the third generation, three brothers lived together in Seongyojang and during the fourth generation, two brothers lived together there. Compared with preceding generations, the family rapidly increased in size in the second phase. In order to accommodate the new family members, more buildings were constructed on the premises of Seongyojang including Yeolhwadang and other small houses. Yeolhwadang was later used as a study and Yi Hu used it for the education of the children of his two deceased younger brothers. The inscription on the tombstone of Yi Hu states that brothers, nephews, and servants lived together, suggesting that small houses for the grown-up nephews of Yi Yong-gu were built near the main house of Yi Hu.21 Oebyeoldang, a small separate house outside the main house, is presumed to have been used by the nephews of Yi Hu. The sixth generation of Yi Geun-u is said to have lived here until it was separated from the head family of Seongyojang.22

Seobyeoldang and Yeonjidang located between Yeolhwadang and the main house are presumed to have been constructed in the second phase. Given the function of the space, Seobyeoldang belonged to the area of Yeolhwadang while Yeonjidang was used as servants’ quarters of the main house. The madang, a courtyard surrounded by buildings, enclosed by — shaped Seobyeongdang and L-shaped Yeonjidang formed a space between Yeolhwadang and the main house, separating the two areas from each other. The long servants’ quarters were arranged in a line from Yeolhwadang and the main house was reportedly built in this phase.23 With the lotus pond and Hwallaejeong having been created at the entrance of Baedari-gol, the premises of Seongyojang, an inner village previously, came out to the front of the area.

03 THE THIRD PHASE (1844~1938) (SEE PLATE 4)

( Plate 4 ) Plot plan of Seongyojang in the 1930s (reproduced based on historical evidence)

Yi Hoe-suk, the fifth generation head of Seongyojang, served in a govern-ment post for a long period of time and died without a son. Yi Hoe-suk’s death marked the beginning of a hiatus in construction at Seongyojang. Construction resumed when Yi Geun-u, the sixth generation, became the head of Seongyojang. Unlike the second phase, the function and the features of buildings were changed by remodeling or redecorating in the third phase. During this period, buildings of the Yi family of Seongyojang were constructed at several locations in Baedari-gol. The premises of Seongyojang then covered the entire valley of Baedari-gol.

Yi Hoe-won returned to Seongyojang in 1894 after a long time in a government post in Seoul. Seongyojang was given public space for visitors. Whereas Seongyojang had exclusively been the residence of a family, it now had both a private area and a guest area.24

It is reported that when Yi Geun-u was alive, many guests used to stay at Seongyojang for as short as one week to as long as several months.25 Depending on the social status of the guests, they were put up in Yeolhwadang, a small drawing room, or in a drawing room at the entrance. The guests entered through a tall gate in the servants’ quarters to the main house.

The guest area was clearly separated from the residential area for the family. The area between Seobyeoldang and Yeonjidang was partitioned by a brick wall. The main house and servants’ quarters were also separated by a wall with a small door. Entering through the tall gate, guests encountered a smaller gate to Yeonjidang that leads to the madang of the main house.

The long servants’ quarters had more than 20 kans and were used for three purposes. The servants’ quarters in front of the main house were used as rooms for servants and for storage of household goods for the main house. The area between the main house and servants’ quarters was partitioned by walls and there was a small door in the wall through which servants ran errands for guests and their master. The servants’ quarters in front of Yeonjidang and Yeolhwadang were residences for artisans working for Seongyojang. It is said that there were carpenters, plasterers, tutors for children, pharmacists, Oriental medical doctors, paperhangers, a blacksmith, and gold and silversmiths, all of whom worked for Seongyojang.26 These servants stayed alone at Seongyojang, separated from their families.

IV PURPOSE OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONCEPT OF PLANNING

01 PURPOSE OF ARCHITECTURE: ESTABLISHING A GRAND MANOR

The architectural purposes of the head of Seongyojang varied from generation to generation. At the initial stage, the goal was to construct a house for a family to live in and lay down roots in a strange, new place. Then, the goals changed. Seongyojang was expanded into a manor where an extended family including families of brothers lived all together. Finally, the goal became to make Seongyojang a center of social activity. With the flourishing of the Yi family, a great manor came into being.

A manor can be said to be a socio-political, economic, and architectural compound. On huge tracts of land, which yielded more than tens of thousand sacks of rice, were hundreds of tenant farmers working for Seongyojang. The grain storage house served as the financial foundation of Seongyojang.27 With such a strong economic foundation, Seongyojang became associated with those in political power and master artisans as well as foreign diplomats. Seongyojang was a socio-political center of nationwide importance.28

To serve public social activities, Seongyojang was divided into two separate areas. The inner space of the main house was for the private life of family members of the direct line while the Yeolhwadang area was used to put up guests. At the same time, the residential area, which previously included only the inside of the main house, was extended to cover the entire area of Baedari-gol village. Houses for concubines and tenant farmers’ huts were built outside the main house. Seongyojang at last became a public residence as the regional power center.

Yi Geun-u classified his guests and friends into several groups and prepared separate guest areas appropriate for each group. Yeolhwadang was used as an official place to receive the guests of Seongyojang and at the same time a place of large social gatherings. It was an open and public space to serve guests. In contrast, Hwallaejeong was a relatively closed space. Only a few special guests who were very close to Master Yi of Seongyojang were invited to stay in Hwallaejeong. Dongbyeoldang within the main house area was a private space. It served as an ordinary master’s room. Here, members of the family got together to discuss family matters. Besides these three spaces, there was Banghaejeong by Gyeongpoho Lake. It was a villa and was used to put up guests who stayed for long periods of time.

02 SPACES FOR FAMILY AND GUESTS (SEE PLATE 5)

( Plate 5 ) Extension of Seongyojang over the phases

When it became a manor, Seongyojang was no longer only a residence. It became an aggregate consisting of a residence for ‘a big family’ and buildings for guests. The main house and Dongbyeoldang in the east can be understood to be a private area for members of the family while the Yeolhwadang area in the west is for guests. Dongbyeoldang is the drawing room for the Yi family and Yeolhwadang is the official residence for the head of the manor. Dongbyeoldang and the main house comprise a perfect residence and Yeolhwadang is effectively an independent house.

Between the two areas is the Seobyeoldang complex. It includes the Seobyeoldang, the main building, and an auxiliary building, Yeonjidang that encloses Seobyeoldang. Seobyeoldang was used as a library and study room where the children of the family were educated. It is between Yeolhwadang for the adult men and the anchae. These three buildings were reportedly at one time connected by a secret wood floored corridor. The respective locations of these three buildings and their connections show the composition and relationships of the members of the Yi family.

Seobyeoldang was the inner part of Seong-yojang and was the place where members of the family connected with each other. Yeonjidang separated the family area from the guest area. Most of the residents of Yeonjidang were maids who watched the guests to protect the children of Seongyojang. Yeolhwadang and the main house are clearly demarcated by the L-shaped layout of Yeonjidang. In the front, Yeonjidang separates the two areas of Yeolhwadang and the main house, and inside, Seobyeoldang connects the two areas. This is an exquisite way to manage space and make it practical.

The private and public areas are connected by a long line of servants’ quarters. The servants’ quarters are one long facility consisting of many one-unit rooms and they serve two functions. The part belonging to the main house is used as storage for household goods and the other part belonging to Yeolhwadang is used as drawing rooms for non-family members including tutors, medical doctors, technicians, and guests. There are two gates attached to the servants’ quarters. An ordinary gate in the east to the main house is used for everyday passage by members of the family and is closed to outsiders while the tall gate in the west to Yeolhwadang is open and used by guests.29

If we set aside the guest area in the west, which starts with Seobyeol-dang, we can see the composition of the private area surrounding the main house much more clearly. Between Yeonjidang and the main house are two inner gates and the madang between these two gates serves as a secret entrance for the family. Dongbyeoldang, a drawing room, and the ㄷ-shaped main house are connected diagonally to form living quarters. In front of Dongbyeoldang is a madang and a hill is at the back. The family shrine is on the hill close to the drawing room. This composition alone satisfies all needs for ordinary upper-class housing.

03 ENCLOSED EXPANSION OF RESIDENTIAL AREA (SEE PLATE 5)

The two areas of Seongyojang in the east and west are not situated parallel to each other. They are not of equal status. The private area is enclosed by guest area. We can understand the characteristics of aggregated composition of Korean architecture through Seongyojang. It is an aggregate of buildings and, at the same time, it is a cumulative record of the construction of Seongyojang.

The area consisting of the main house and Dongbyeoldang serves the most fundamental function, that is, a residence for family. We can think of this area as an expanded version of the □-shaped house built by Yi Nae-beon when he settled down in Gangneung. With the new extension of the Yeolhwadang and Seobyeoldang compound, the character of Seongyojang changed. As discussed before, the newly extended area was for the happy living of the families of three brothers. Because the building clusters were connected by a line of servants’ quarters in the front, the physical area of the house was very large. The area of existing living quarters became a part within the whole that was encircled by the servants’ quarters. The center of social gatherings, which used to take place in the drawing room, was moved to newly constructed Yeolhwadang and the nature of the area changed.

Another change was made in the sixth generation Yi Geun-u. Within the valley of Baedari-gol, dozens of huts were built for Seongyojang’s tenant farmers. This meant an expansion of the premises of Seongyojang to the entire valley of Seongyojang. The ridges of Baedari-gol valley are the natural boundary to the extended area. Hwallaejeong and Bangji (pond) at the entrance to the village is the artificial boundary connecting the ridges in the front and rear. The existing Seongyojang area enclosed by the lined servants’ quarters becomes a part of the whole, that is, Baedari-gol, and the function of Yeolhwadang as guest area extends to Hwallaejeong. Creation of Banghaejeong and Yigawon in the vicinity of Gyeongpodae Beach meant that the territory of Seongyojang extended beyond the valley of Baedari-gol. Then, the function of Hwallaejeong as a guest space was extended to Banghaejeong.

Since it started as an ordinary upper-class house, the premises and lands of Seongyojang were expanded over three phases. It was expanded into a complex residence for a large family, then into a manor covering the whole valley, and further to a vast area including Gyeongpoho Lake. In every expansion phase, a new public building was constructed, thus giving Seongyojang a new function and new place each time. The three new buildings were Yeolhwadang, Hwallaejeong, and Banghaejeong. The expansion of territory and construction of new public buildings tells us about the management or architectural history of Seongyojang.

V INTERPRETATION: DIMENSION OF SET AND PLANNING ELEMENTS

A large complex systematically constructed inevitably has a structure of sets and order. Because various buildings were constructed and expanded over generations, Seongyojang has a very complex structure but each element is connected with each other in a very systematic and efficient way. The buildings and spaces of Seongyojang form four different dimensions, each of which consists of a set, and the sets are overlapped in a certain order.

Unit rooms form one building and individual buildings form a set of buildings. On the premises of Seongyojang, there are more than four building sets. Being interrelated, these groups comprise a larger building group. This big group, in turn, has a relationship with the natural environment and it becomes a complex at a geographical level. If we divide these interrelated complexes in four levels such as individual building, building group, aggregation, and geographical level, the smallest unit of architectural elements in each level can also be named.

01 COLLECTIVE ELEMENT AT INDIVIDUAL BUILDING LEVEL (SEE PLATE 6)

( Plate 6 ) Dimension of Set – Level 1: Composition of Yeolhwadang Rooms

There are ten buildings at Seongyojang. Although the shape and floor plan of each building is unique, each building is a group of several rooms. That is, the collective element at the level of a building is a room. Thus, the unit for a building is a room. There are three types of rooms that serve as units: ondol, an under floor heated room, maru, a wooden floored room, and a room with a clay floor. Of course this classification is based on the materials used for the floor. Even so, each category has a unique feature as a space.

What is important is the collective relationship of the three types of rooms, rather than the specific feature of the ondol, maru, or clay floored room. For example, the set of <clay floored room+clay floored room> makes a building that is used as a storage space or workplace. The set of <maru+maru> becomes a pavilion. The common set for a traditional Korean home is <ondol+maru>. Many buildings of Seongyojang, especially Yeolhwadang, clearly show the collective feature of an element, <ondol+maru>. Yeolhwadang is a kind of guest building. It consists of four marus, three ondols, and two elevated marus. Traditional upper-class Korean houses have this kind of veranda elevated above the ground. Noteworthy are the three ondols and two elevated marus. The ondols in typical residential houses in Gangwon-do Province are laid out in a ⊞ configuration of four ondols. In Yeolhwadang, one unit of the four-unit ⊞ is an elevated maru instead of an ondol. Thus, the remaining three ondols compose a L-shaped layout, and two elevated marus create a — shape. Next to the L-shaped ondol is a big wooden floored hall and in the front of the ondol is an elevated maru. Accordingly, all three ondols adjoin the maru. If the ⊞-shaped floor plan was used, one room out of the four could not adjoin the maru and it should be a set of <ondol+ondol>.

Underneath the elevated floor is a wood-firing hole, thus helping the collective element of <ondol+maru> function more effectively. An ondol and maru cannot function independently in a building. Each has only a neutral function. The function of a space is defined by the collective relationship of the ondol and maru. At the level of a building, the <ondol+maru> is the most basic element of a collective relationship.

02 BUILDING GROUPS AND OUTSIDE SPACE (SEE PLATE 7)

( Plate 7 ) Dimension of Set – Level 2: Composition of Main House Group

There are four groups of buildings on Seongyo-jang: the main house group in the east, Yeolhwadang group in the west, Seobyeoldang group in between the main house and Yeolhwadang groups, and the Hwallaejeong group consisting of Hwallaejeong and Lotus Pond. There used to be a number of building groups such as the Oebyeoldang group, group of buildings for concubines, Dongjin Academy group, and farmers’ hut group outside the long servants’ quarters of Seongyo-jang. These no longer existing building groups are not addressed in the discussion here.

The main house group is the oldest of Seongyojang. This area we see today is the result of changes and expansions made to the □-shaped house common in the Gangneung area. The main structure in the north and rooms in the west are remains of the original □-shaped house. L-shaped Dongbyeoldang in the east was added in the 1930s and the kitchen in the south was added in the 1970s. Later, the long servants’ quarters were attached to the front and the family shrine was added to the side to form the main house area.

When individual buildings were clustered to form a group of buildings, one element emerges as the most important medium indispensable to the group. It is the madang. The four buildings: main house, rooms in the west, kitchen, and Dongbyeoldang form a perfect group of buildings as they encircle the madang. When Dongbyeoldang was extended, the outside space was extended into two areas. The square madang was maintained. The long outside space was configured lengthwise on one level of lowered ground, in consideration of L-shaped Dongbyeoldang. This newly created space was placed in parallel with the above-mentioned inner madang enclosed by the servants’ quarters. Thus, you pass through the madang in the rear of the servant’s quarters and then the madang of Dongbyeoldang to reach the corner of the inner madang of the main house.

Three outside spaces, madang in the rear of servants’ quarters, madang of Dongbyeoldang, and madang of main house are continuous with one space leading to another. This special continuity is a powerful collective element, which aggregates the five buildings of the main house group.

03 LEVEL OF AGGREGATION AND DATUM ELEMENT (SEE PLATE 8)

( Plate 8 ) Dimension of Set – Level 3: Composition of Main Quarters

Of the four building groups of Seongyojang, the main house group, Seobyeoldang group, and Yeolhwadang group form an aggregation and are thus separated from the Hwallaejeong group. This aggregation of three groups of buildings can be regarded as the ‘main quarters’ and are commonly called ‘Seongyojang.’

Each of the three building groups of the main quarters has its own unique character. The main quarters are the residence of the direct descendants of the family. As such, it must be a closed area. In contrast, the Yeolhwadang group is an area open to numerous dependents of Seongyojang and its guests. The Seobyeoldang group, on the other hand, is a half public and half private space where a live-in seamstress and nannies live, taking care of children and doing other work for the main house group and Yeolhwadang group. The degree of openness is in the decreasing order of Yeolhwadang group, Seobyeoldang group, and main house group. The largest madang is in the Yeolhwadang group as it was intended to accommodate large numbers of people. The smallest is in the main house group. The style of building is the most magnificent and unique at Yeolhwadang as it is a space to serve guests.

The line of 23 one-room servants’ quarters connects the three different building groups with one ‘main quarters.’ Because the servants’ quarters are in a line and serve as a wall, the madang of the Yeolhwadang group could be separated from the outside and the space of main quarters was more closed. Since the gate for guests is in front of the Seobyeoldang group, the route to the entrance to the madang of Yeolhwadang is indirect. The servants’ quarters lean slightly on the Yeolhwadang side, making the perspective view of Yeolhwadang look more spectacular. Spaces each of which is of a different size and function are divided but at the same time integrated into the main quarters by the line of servants’ quarters. Building groups of different sizes and shapes are unified into one collective form by the line of servants’ quarters. With the use of the datum30 called the ‘lined servants’ quarters’ in Seongyojang, Seongyojang could become a systematic aggregate.

04 GEOGRAPHIC LEVEL AND HWALLAEJEONG (SEE PLATE 9)

( Plate 9 ) Dimension of Set – Level 4: Main quarters group

Two groups of Seongyojang—the main quarters and Hwallaejeong group—have very different functions and sizes in comparison. The main quarters consisting of three building groups with ten buildings are mostly for everyday household tasks and serving guests. In contrast, the Hwallaejeong group consists of only one building and a pond. The building is small and is used by only a few people. Nevertheless, the two groups are on equal footing because they are related with the topography of the whole valley of Baedarigol.

However big it is and however important its function may be, the main quarters are but a part of the whole of Baedari-gol valley. The Hwallaejeong group, on the other hand, serves as an important structure that connects the hills in the front and at the rear. Due to the location and existence of Hwallaejeong, Baedari-gol valley constitutes one single architectural property. In this regard, Hwallaejeong is simultaneously one building, one building group, and aggregated group. That is, Hwallaejeong is a collective element with a complex character, which exists in all the levels: building-building group-aggregated groups. Hwallaejeong is in a complex form where one building is at right angles to another building. It is as if the spirit of the mountain in the rear were transferred to the mountain in front. Even the form is designed to be part of the topography. If the lined servants’ quarters are a powerful datum at the aggregated group level, Hwallaejeong is an indispensable datum at the geographic level.

VI CONCLUSION

Throughout the two-hundred-year history of its construction, the architectural goal of Seongyojang, which started as an ordinary upper-class residence, was to become a ‘great manor’ beyond geographical limitation. In order to achieve that goal, the architects of Seongyojang adopted the planning concept of ‘repeated expansion of residential area.’ The outside area as a center of activities and ‘collective elements as datum’ such as lined servants’ quarters or Hwallaejeong were selected as tools to be used for materialization of that concept.

The earliest part of Seongyojang was built for family members in the direct line and was expanded to accommodate three groups of buildings as it came to serve dual functions: residence for family members and lodgings for guests. The three building groups became a set by the powerful datum element of the lined servants’ quarters and formed a single complex of main quarters. The territory of Seongyojang does not end here. Through the datum element of Hwallaejeong, Seongyojang’s territory extends to the entire valley of Baedari-gol below the mountain ridges. The extension of Seongyojang’s territory over the three phases then moves further to cover the Gyeongpodae Beach area through villas, Banghaejeong, and Yigawon.

The processes of extension of territory and selection of design elements can be understood more clearly through collective interpretation because design elements are closely related at the aggregate level. At the individual building level, the combination of individual rooms, that is, relationship of room units <ondol+maru>, is the collective element. At the level of the building group, an outside space element of the <madang> is adopted as a collective element. At the level of aggregation, the unit building called the lined servants’ quarters is the collective element, and at geographical level, the Hwallaejeong group of buildings serves as the collective element.

If we can say that the processes of setting architectural goals and concepts of planning, selecting design elements appropriate for those goals and concepts, and gathering together the selected design elements, and the collective relationship principle applied to each process constitute an architectural theory, the architectural theory of Seongyojang can be summarized as a ‘collective composition for repeated extension of territory.’