SPACE May 2025 (No. 690)
Presentation material of the lecture. Screenshot from Zoom.
The second lecture in ‘Ahn Changmo’s Urban Architecture History Lecture Series, Season 4’, co-hosted by the Korea Architects Institute and Society of Korean Modern Architecture & Urbanism was held via online (Zoom) on Apr. 7. In this session, Ahn Changmo (professor, Kyonggi University) focused on the theme of the ‘Architect’, and aimed to explore the legacies of those architects who have left a significant footprint on our soil since the opening of our ports. This includes Afanasy Seredin-Sabatin, Eugene Coste, Shim Ui-Seok, Nakamura Yoshihei, Yi Hunwoo, Park Kilyong, Park Dongjin, William Vorries, and Kang Yun. In the lecture, Ahn Changmo shone a light on the cathedral architecture built by several priests who came to Joseon as missionaries, including Father Eugene Coste.
The session began with an analysis of the Yakhyeon Catholic Church (1892), which was designed by Eugene Coste. As Korea’s first brick-built cathedral, Yakheon Cathedral stood tall on a hill during an era when most buildings were single-story, creating a striking visual impact on its surrounding public. One notable feature of many churches and cathedrals in Korea, including the Yakheon Cathedral, is their geographical placement on elevated ground. Ahn analysed this in relation to the Korean traditional approach to land use. Traditionally, Koreans avoided building houses on the upper slopes of hills— above roughly 70% of the incline. Thus, hilltops were left vacant even after urbanisation, and these vacant lots were eventually attractive options for missionaries as it was both affordable and close to residential zones.
Ahn also examined traditional hanokstyle cathedrals, such as the Ganghwa Cathedral (1900), to explore how Catholic architecture of the time absorbed elements of Korea’s traditional architecture and Confucian culture. In this lecture, Ahn provided a broad analysis of the characteristics, history, and formal consistencies found in the contemporary cathedral architecture from the opening of Joseon’s ports to 1945, giving especial focus to structures that have been designated or registered as cultural heritage sites. Ahn pointed out that the vertical alignment in design is commonly found among churches constructed in this period. He raised an important question: did the architectural similarities seen across different buildings, constructed by various priests, stem from deliberate design choices or from the technical skillset and construction habits of contemporary Chinese builders who carried out much of the construction work? In addition, he also questioned the validity of labeling these priests ‘architects’, arguing that, given the context of the era, it would have been nearly impossible for a single individual – and especially a priest – to complete such large-scale buildings without broader support. Ever since the word ‘architect’ was introduced to Korea, it has referred to the figures who have designed Western buildings, and the first ‘architect’ in Korea refers to the first person to have learned and acquired Western architecture.
Since the term ‘architect’ did not exist in Korean history, he noted that Korean discourse around architecture has often defaulted to Western standards. As a result, Western-style architecture designed by Westerners introduced after Korea’s port openings have historically been more highly regarded in Korean architectural history, even when compared to similar styles designed by non-Westerners, such as Japanese architects. Ahn questions whether if this attitude can be considered appropriate, and calls for a re-examination of who the ‘architect’ is in our lands. The lecture series runs biweekly on Mondays from Mar. through June and is open to anyone via registration through a Google Form.
