SPACE ACADEMIA OPEN CALL 03 - Alternative Interpretation and Theories of Korean Modern Architecture and City

SPACE Academia International Open Call for Papers 

SPACE ACADEMIA OPEN CALL 03 - Alternative Interpretation and Theories of Korean Modern Architecture and City​ 

- Theme: Alternative Interpretation and Theories of Korean Modern Architecture and City

- Theme Statement

Alternative Interpretation and Theories of Korean Modern Architecture and City

Modern and contemporary Korean architecture emerged through the introduction and adoption of Western architectural technologies, institutions, and disciplinary frameworks. Strictly speaking, however, normative Western modern architecture has never existed in Korea in its original form. Modern and contemporary Korean architecture differs not only from that of Europe and the United States, but also from that of Japan and China in terms of its modes of reception and historical character. As a result, Korean modern and contemporary architecture has often been viewed, through Western standards, as something deficient or belated, and has remained positioned on the periphery of a Western-centred architectural world. Although various interpretations and arguments concerning a ‘Korean modern architecture’ have been proposed, they have generally fallen short of attracting attention beyond the status of derivative discourse within a global architectural culture centred on the West (and Japan).

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Today, as the Western-centred international order shows signs of fragmentation and a transition toward a multipolar world, the cultural hegemony long maintained by the West also appears to be facing challenges. The global expansion of K-Culture may be understood as one indication of this shift. These circumstances call for both a fundamental reassessment of modern architecture as a Western-centred institutional and disciplinary framework and a new interpretation of Korean modern and contemporary architecture.

This call seeks proposals for alternative perspectives on modern and contemporary Korean architecture and urbanism.

Is it possible to develop alternative interpretations of Korean modern and contemporary architecture that differ from the normative models of Western modernism? From perspectives distinct from those of Western modern and contemporary architecture, how might the unique phenomena of Korean architecture and urbanism be identified and interpreted? These questions are closely related to the issue of a distinctive Korean modernity of Korean modern and contemporary architecture.

Submissions may focus on individual buildings, architectural typologies, and cities (their forms and organization) in Korea from the opening of the ports to the present. The call welcomes proposals for alternative theories or aesthetic discoveries derived from new interpretive perspectives, rather than the unilateral application of Western discourse.

Theoretical studies that broaden our understanding of the distinctive phenomena of Korean modern and contemporary architecture are also welcome. Critical discussions that examine contemporary architectural theory developed after modernism as a strategy of self-renewing incorporation led by the West may likewise be considered. Furthermore, submissions that critically examine Western architectural institutions (or culture) themselves, or that attempt to define architectural cultures and systems unique to Korea and distinct from those of the West, are encouraged.

Within this broad framework, both themes and subjects may be expanded without limitation. Geopolitical boundaries need not be confined to Korea; comparative studies extending to the architecture in East Asia and the non-Western world are also welcome. What is important is the opening of new horizons for understanding modern and contemporary architecture and urbanism in Korea (or other non-Western contexts) through alternative interpretations.

It is hoped that this call will become a platform for new discursive practices that broaden our understanding of modern and contemporary Korean architecture and urbanism.

(written by Sanghun Lee)

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