Hanok - Traditional Korean Houses

Traditional Korean houses, known as Hanok, varied in size and form according to the dwellers' geographical and social-cultural position. Having evolved and been refined over time, traditional Korean houses reveal the wisdom and sensibilities of Koreans who lived long ago.

The basic features of traditional Korean Houses have displayed into a standardized architectural style into a consistent structure, through which some modifications to this structure can be said reflect the individual social and financial status of the resident. Korean architecture lends consideration to the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons. The interior structure of the house is also planned accordingly.

Daecheong, one of the key features of the upper class homes, was a large, open hall with wooden flooring located in the center of the house, facing south. It was a symbolic space that represented the authority and consciousness of the upper class, as well as serving as common space that provided access to every room in the house. In contrast, the rooms were closed spaces. A translucent yet durable paper known as changhoji was pasted on the doors and windows, and a lacquered paper was used to finish the floor.

Traditional Korean furniture reflects the formative beauty and spiritual values inspired by the natural environment. It is characterized by natural wood grain, joints without the use of nails, functional strucutre, and modest ornamentation.

Koreans valued living in harmony with nature rather than conquering, or living in conflict with it. This worldview was embedded in architecture, forming a nature-friendly home culture. Through the construction of traditional houses, people emphasized not functionally but also visual elegance. Hardly a single piece of roof tile or brick was neglected; all were decorated with engraved patterns. walls and chimneys were beautified with various designs, but not to the extent that they detracted from the natural and simple external appearance of the house.

Dancheong

Dancheong refers to Korean traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts for the purpose of style. It literally means "cinnabar and blue-green" in Korean. It is based on five basic colors; blue (east), white (west), red (south), black (north), and yellow (center). Dancheong has various symbolic meanings. Dancheong also represented the social status and rank by using various patterns and colors. It functions not only for decoration, but also for practical purposes such as to protect building surfaces against temperature and to make the crudeness of materials less obvious. The general characteristics of Joseon dancheong included the complex but refined compositions of patterns, strong color contrasts, and expressive rendering. The different style of dancheong could vary in one specific building depending on its structural location. The decorative compositions of dancheong can be classified into six types, based on the degree of elaboration of color and pattern. Popular designs seen in temples included auspicious animals such as dragons, phoenixes, giraffes, tortoises, flying horse, lions, and cranes with clouds; the four "gentlemen" plants, i.e. plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo; and scenes from Buddhist Tripitaka.