Contemporary Jeongja

Seoul, Korea | 2019
[Exhibited at the 8th Annual Minimal House exhibit]

The historical ‘Jeongja,’ a type of minimal pavilion in the landscape, still has powerful relevance today. Its proximity to urban life allowed it to be a cultural gathering place where poetry and music was shared.

Like its predecessors, this contemporary version within the hills of northern Seoul is witness to diverse vistas that highlight the city’s ancient and modern culture. Its apertures are not just windows, but are apparatuses to visually frame the collection of sites that surround it. Their curvature diffuses light to minimize the contrast between inside and outside so that one’s eyes can comfortably experience both distant exterior and close interior. The curvatures also set up a semantic game making the building appear both thick and thin.

As a place to enjoy cultural and social events, the room’s apertures frame historically significant sites and landscapes. The apertures also diffusely reflect environmental sounds inward to mix with music and conversation.

GRADATION WINDOWS
Traditional windows such as the ones in the Suzhou gardens in China use decorative patterns to create a gradation between inside and outside alleviating eye strain (left). Similarly our version (right) uses deep, curved windows to manage contrast and merge the exterior and interior scenes

CONTEMPORARY TRADITION
The traditional Korean Jeongja pavilion (left) was placed in the landscape in close proximity to the city and included a forecourt. Our contemporary version similarly maximizes views back to historical sites while placing the forecourt on the roof.

PLAN
A language of semi-circular curves give cues to circulation as well as directing views

SITE PLAN AND VIEWS
Without resorting to an over-use of glass, the project siting and apertures are calibrated to frame surrounding historical views

WEST-EAST SECTION
Private programs are half submerged on the west while public rooms open up on the east

SOUTH-NORTH SECTION
A site wall shields the adjacent property on the south while views open up toward historical sites to the northwest

The half-submerged bedroom receives natural light from above into the pool-like bath while glimpses of the cliff wall beyond become part of the interior scene

The building mass connects the roof garden to the site

The Jeongja appears as an anthropomorphic figure in the landscape the ‘looks’ at various directions

Through the language of curved walls and openings, the building appears both thick and thin

Architect
John Hong AIA, LEED AP (principal in charge)
Seungjae Kang, Youbeen Um, Kyle Jang (design team)

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