A walking tour of Seochon and Bukchon, from the Blue House to the architect's office
“The city holds a wide and deep story.”

A walking tour of downtown Seoul, exploring the streets you've often overlooked.
The charm of a city revealed through unfamiliar yet familiar scenery!

Our daily lives revolve around space.
The spaces within the city are filled with layers of traces of time and various stories.
A space that has accumulated over many years has a deep charm in itself.
The author states that “buildings are historical artifacts and at the same time, they are the social and artistic crystallization of the time in which they were built.”
Let's take some time to think while looking at the old building.
You can have a mystical experience as if you have gone back in time to that time.
Break down the boundaries of time by personally experiencing the vivid scenery and atmosphere of that time.
"A Walk Through the Blue House, Seochon, and Bukchon with an Architect" offers a leisurely, cultural stroll through the transformed Blue House, a public park, and the Seochon and Bukchon villages, where past and present coexist.
It gives us the joy of taking in the countless scenes that pass us by while taking a walk and savoring the stories contained within them.
Books allow us to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, take a break, and experience the present moment.
Even in a comfortable and familiar neighborhood, let's walk back down the alleys.
You will encounter “the road the king traveled on, the neighborhoods where high-ranking officials lived, the valleys where the nobles enjoyed the arts, and the spaces where writers and painters created their works” in every nook and cranny.
Listening intently to sounds and gazing at scenery for a long time allows us to fully appreciate things we might otherwise overlook.
This alone will make your trip more fulfilling.
We introduce the one book that can awaken the sense of rest and reflection that modern people have lost.

This book will help you have a much more enjoyable and meaningful experience when walking around the Blue House and its surrounding neighborhoods.
I don't know how long the Blue House can remain an open space for citizens.
So, I hope you will visit now and feel the architectural meaning embedded in the history and space created over a long period of time.
And I hope we can think deeply about what kind of era will unfold before us.
Let's think together about what choices we need to make to become wise and smart citizens in the Republic of Korea where we live.
I hope this book will be beneficial to readers.
--- p.7 From “Towards a City with Broad and Deep Stories”

The spatial structure of a building influences human behavior.
Depending on how a space is designed, it can either facilitate free communication or hinder communication and promote isolation and isolation.
Even people who are good at communicating will gradually close off their communication possibilities if they live in a space where communication is difficult for a long time.
To respond to the rapidly evolving domestic and international political landscape and current issues, there is a greater need than ever for a space where the president can work and communicate with his staff, overcoming the ideological symbolism of his authority.
--- p.21 From “The Blue House and the White House”

As mentioned before, the site of the Blue House was formerly the garden of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Traces of this palace can be found along the road from Chunchugwan to Bukaksan Mountain, surrounding the rear garden area outside of Gyeongbokgung Palace's Sinmumun Gate.
According to various sources, the wall of the outer palace wall, Chunsaengmun, on the east is connected to the ridge toward the Prime Minister's official residence, and the wall starting from the inner palace wall, Chunhwamun, passes the ridge of Bukaksan Mountain to the north and continues to Chuseongmun on the west.
The length of the palace was recorded to be 698 gan (approximately 1,675 m).
It is believed that the current wall surrounding the Blue House was built based on the site of the palace in the rear garden built during the reign of King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty.
This can be estimated based on the long stones that remain at the base of the Blue House wall.
--- p.58 From “Blue House, the Symbol of the Blue House”

You may have hidden in the attic or under the stairs when playing hide-and-seek as a child.
There is comfort in a space that is human-scale (an architectural term meaning that it uses people as the basis for design).
People feel comfortable in these spaces.
That's why people stay for a long time.
Although it may seem a bit chaotic, Seochon has a strange sense of familiarity and comfort.
It's similar to how we are delighted when we travel abroad and discover the old narrow alleys and houses crowded together in that city.
This is because places like this smell like warm people.
--- p.66 From “Reasons to Visit Seochon and Bukchon After Seeing the Blue House”

The boundary between inside and outside feels vague.
It makes you feel like you're outside the building even when you're inside, and inside the building even when you're outside.
The two levels are created by taking advantage of the steps of the fault, and the roof of the higher outpost provides an excellent observation deck.
The view of Gwanghwamun is visible at a glance.
Remodeling is the act of layering time on a space that holds memories of the past.
Architects breathe new life into existing buildings that have reached the end of their lifespan with their creative passion.
--- p.72 From “Yoon Dong-ju Literature Museum and The Forest Bookstore”

The size of buildings has a great influence on the image of a town.
The sight of buildings of similar size next to each other is harmonious and beautiful.
The Gahoe-dong Cathedral was divided into three wings, hiding the large sanctuary and priest's residence behind the surrounding small buildings.
In a church, interaction between believers is important.
Architects think deeply about not only the building but also what kind of yard it will have.
It's as if the building was built with the five courtyards in mind, taking into account people's movements and gazes.
The space left after building a building is the exterior space and the yard.
For many architects, the form of a building takes precedence over the exterior space.
This is an attempt to express the meaning and architectural view of the building.
--- p.89 From “Buildings Encountered While Walking Through Bukchon”

Currently, the Park No-su House is operated as the Jongno-gu Park No-su Art Museum.
Park No-su's house, registered as Seoul Cultural Heritage Material No. 1, exhibits the characteristics of an urban hanok built on sloping land.
Known as the artist's house and an open art gallery in Sejong Village, the well-preserved floor, hallway, staircase, and window frames, along with the presence of several fireplaces, suggest that it was a luxurious residence.
It is located on a sloping lot, and if you climb the hill behind the house, you can overlook Seochon.
It has a wonderful view of the narrow alleys and small hanok houses of Seochon.
--- p.118 From “Park No-su House (Jongno-gu Park No-su Art Museum)”

The two houses in Gahoe-dong, Sulwhasoo's flagship store and Osulloc Tea House, are a harmonious blend of Hanok and Western-style architecture.
The Sulwhasoo cosmetics exhibition hall, housed in a two-story Western-style building with a Korean tile roof and glass, and the Osulloc Tea House, housed in a modern house, create an awkward yet harmonious and splendid encounter.
Standing in the space between a Hanok and a Western-style house, you can experience the heterogeneous elements mixing together to create a unique atmosphere.
The modern landscape connects two eras.
Let's take a look at the railing on the second floor of the building that connects the Sulwhasoo building, a remodeled Hanok, and the Osulloc Tea House, a modern house.
Up until Sulwhasoo, wooden railings were used, and from Osulloc Tea House onwards, glass railings were used, cleverly expressing the intersection of past and present.
--- p.148 From “Sulwhasoo Flagship Store, Osulloc Tea House”

Palpan-dong is a place where historic houses and new attempts coexist.
As you enter the alleys of Palpan-dong, you will find small coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries.
‘Milk Hall 1937’ and ‘Rosso’ are famous restaurants on social media.
The representative place of Palpan-dong is ‘Palpan Butcher Shop’.
It started in 1940, so it has a history of 80 years.
In addition, there are stores with a long history that have firmly established themselves.
There are many locals in Palpan-dong who have been living here for at least 30 to 40 years.
--- p.154 From "Palpan-dong Alley"

Baekakjeong is a rest area behind the Blue House residence. It can be reached by climbing along the wall next to Chunchugwan for about 20 minutes.
It plays a central role in hiking Mt. Bukak.
This is because it is a place that people who aim to reach the summit of Bukaksan Mountain and other hikers must pass through when climbing.
Originally, there was no pavilion here.
If you look around, you can find trees planted by past presidents everywhere.
From here, you can see the city center of Seoul as well as three sides of Seoul except for the north, and the surrounding area is dotted with roof tiles from the Joseon Dynasty.
Looking at this, if it is true that the Baekak Shrine was moved from the summit to the bottom, it is highly likely that this is the place.

--- p.166 From “Bukaksan Mountain, From a Fortress of Defense and Border to a Resting Place for Citizens”