Informal Architecture in Seoul: Poetic and tasteful? It’s simply a slow life.

 

한국어 ㅣ English

 

@Yeonnam-dong

Oh~~ what an imagination to make the roof with vinyl flooring! It’s so flexible idea.
A pavilion full of privacy has joined with an open flat bench. What a richness of space… sigh.

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@Seongbuk-dong

A broomstick and two wood-sticks support drooping branches and form a small space. Now it’s the cold wintertime and nobody visit here, but when the summer comes you can take a chair and celebrate cool breeze.

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@Seongbuk-dong

A tree through the roof, the floor slightly over the breast wall. From here, the broad view of the town is yours.

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@Dobong-dong

Dust cleaning should have been already began here for the spring comes. Near the foot of Mt. Dobong, an architecture stands at the end of the trail, where there is sound of a stream, though surrounded with concrete. How about to enjoy the fresh mountain water and the cool wind?
The green window is covered with a green shade.

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@Dobong-dong

Boulders, fresh water, and two trees just good for the shade.

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@Sangsu-dong

There is a fine pavilion 200 meters away from here, where a baduk board is equiped, and I used to play omok with my friend. These seniors should know this town very well, then why they sit here not going that pavilion? Small Ssamzi park is at the side, but it’s full of garden trees, lack of benches or other facilities. But seniors are often be found here, carrying their own chairs. Why? What is the difference between here and that pavilion?
Here faces the road. Here are lots of people passing, lots of thing to see, and plenty of sunshine.
That pavilion is not so.
Things can go far from the first intention even when specialists put their heads and make something together. What do you expect when the company people manufacture these kind of refreshment places on some left-over spaces? There are always unexpected things happening regardless of the plan. I don’t give blind faith to any fancy urban story.

Then my imagination stretched to the senior citizen center. Though I have not seen every centers in every town, among those that I know, not a single place is opened toward roads like here. They have solid border between the building and the road, they are certainly inward-looking, sometimes even closed so that no one can guess what’s going on inside. Some of them are ill-planed out of urgent to make any kind of well-being facilities. For example, the second floor of an old building, a storehouse at the side of playground, a building at the dead end of a narrow street, etc. Well, maybe it’s because my activities are mainly bound to Gangbook area, but what’s wrong with Gangbook? Anyway, my idea is out of short experiences.
Then my imagination again stretched to public buildings. One of troublesome things about public building is the closed design due to the excuse of security and management. They why not hire more janitors? Besides, stiff janitors with uniform better be well treated and be soften. My imagination goes on and on… blah-blah-blah.

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한국어 ㅣ English