"Apaty” 아파트

...Korean architecture seen on the streets varies from luxury villa settings on the hills north from Cheog Wae Dae with tradition inspired walls, through not really typical and difficult to interpret small houses of the 50's, lots of them turned into offices, bars and restaurants by now. More modern buildings which are visibly planned in the space derive from the 1980's. They vary in type and size. Some of them are as low as 4 stories some 10. Most modern apartment complexes are even up to 20 something levels and they really reach the clouds... 

What I love Koreans for...

I never really have written about architecture in Korea before, have I? Maybe about bridge or old palace, but not about normal people housing.

I am amazed with how well Koreans design their modern apartment condominiums. I do not know how it was in the old times after the Korean War, but I will share with you what modern things I have seen.

1 level businesses

Korean architecture seen on the streets varies from luxury villa settings on the hills north from Cheog Wae Dae with tradition inspired walls, through not really typical and difficult to interpret small houses of the 50's, lots of them turned into offices, bars and restaurants by now. More modern buildings which are visibly planned in the space derive from the 1980's. They vary in type and size. Some of them are as low as 4 stories some 10. Most modern apartment complexes are even up to 20 something levels and they really reach the clouds.

It depends on the architect and size and price of land wether space between buildings is kept or not. In Gangnam district where some of most sophisticated apartments are, people can sometimes watch their neighbours through the window. But, usually space is kept. Older buildings are placed in irregular way, fitted wherever there was a spot to build, some place, some tiniest property. In between these little buildings there are car parks constructed of few metal pipes and platforms which can fit up to 10 cars one on top of another with help of the lift.

Normally big streets which take car traffic, subway stations and buses are not inhabited by rich people at all. They are surrounded by mixture of churches, public buildings, hospitals, and houses with restaurants and bars or shops fitted on many levels. Some have student rooms and other poorest private properties.

Away from central big streets hills usually start and narrow streets surrounded with brownish mix of buildings climb up the hill.

Modern setting is regular. Blocks keep 90 degrees toward eachother and sufficient space in between which is additionally helped by common altitude difference. Huge apartment condominiums are built on more flat areas, but with the same rule – there should be enough of light so 90 degrees and several hundred meters of space in between is kept.

I was lucky to live in my own room rented from Polish family living on campus in family dormitory of Seoul National University and this is how I discovered advantages and disadvantages of Korean modern architecture. 

Sadang Condominium

At first Korean apartments have lots of daylight influx via huge windows. Window usually takes the space of the whole wall, and is double. It means that every even poorest apartment has got a balcony.

These balconies are a seperate system. In most modest setting a door to the apartment is situated on one huge balcony which serves as a corridor to the apartments. Then another balcony is attached to the living room and kitchen does not have any own. It is either hugged to the small corridor or assembled as a small dark attachment to the living room. These smallest apartments are usually two room with toilet-shower, corridor-kitchen and a living room. One of these rooms reminded me of marine vessel beds, because two sisters fitted there with just their beds one on top of another and a wardrobe. Ah, there was some 30 cm of space so they could get in.

Bigger standard has a living room part where there is a „clear” balcony attached, and „messy” balcony near the kitchen. „Messy” one is where usually people keep washing machines, driers and whatever mess they can keep. Some housewives do kimchi in big barrels, some other still keep chickens in cages despite municipal ban for several years. Family trash is also kept there often, as well as vegetable storage etc.

Influence from American middle class style is that there is a clear common living area and bedrooms rather small, but not too small, not so tiny as in many European flats. Inner windows are also rather big, they take sometimes as much as the whole wall, some other start at the knee hight and reach the cealing.

By design and architecture life of the whole family focuses in common living room/ kitchen space with bedrooms being used almost only for sleeping. However adolescent students who try to get into college also keep their desks and their own tvs etc. 

50's and 60's no style "somethings" now holding businesses

This division between „messy” and „clear” space took a root in culture. Traditional houses had something called „madang” multipurpose room. This is where families kept all the junk or had small garden, or done kimchi or kept chickens etc. Since late 1950's balconies in the first built big apartment complexes had substituted for „madang”. Due course of time balcony near kitchen by default was used as junk storage and balcony near living room was rather clean and used as cultural display – I have seen a lady having her art exhibition over there.

Another thing which took a root in culture is heating system. It is an expensive way of heating, but taken straight from ancient history.

Ondol heating system was based on direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor. It depends on how in which house but even at the sophisticated Confucian scholar home it was burnt in the hole under the rocky floor and via system of underside channels transferred underneath the house. Tradition of sitting on the floor started this way. After snowfall in winter temperature slowly drops reaching in January even 30 below zero. One meter above the floor in light wooden hanok houses it was already cold. Before dawn housewives or servants used to get up and make sure ondol started burning before any of the other family members or rulers were awake. First such site was excavated in North Korea about 1000 B.C.

In modern Korea it means any heating system which is located in the floor. There is a central thermostate which gives heat to water pipes in the floor which via radiators give hot air to the room. When it is on it is usually too hot, when off it gets cold very quickly, especially during cold Korean winter.

I have mentioned influx of daylight. Probably some of you know how dark it gets in winter especially on misty December days. Even in Korea it is a problem. And yet there is enough sunlight to turn on artificial light really late in the day.

Maetan-dong Condominium with visible glass walls

In some older apartments just like in Europe there is no elevator. I have once seen really genial way of moving simmilar to what I have also seen in some Polish blocks with narrow stairs. Instead of using 6 guys stretching their musles with some stubborn couch which doesn't wanna get through they just use an external lift and ...put it via the window.

Downsides... there is one. Most of modern 아파트 have electronic coded doors with automatic alarm. In Poland I know it from corporate buildings, public areas etc but commoners still carry traditional keys to their homes with them. Alarm systems if any are usually inside.

In Korea it's enough to touch one wrong button and police arrives or there is an angry neighbour irritated with a slightly drunk foreigner who again had mistaken herself...or himself or whoever one is at 3 am after nice time in the pub

Sometimes... there is a blackout.

Noone can get in or out...

...for some hours...

…Until somebody puts electricity again.