holding the bow
type
Self-Cultivation Center
location
Andong, Korea
year
2026
Collaborators
Sayyoung Chang + Minjun Choi
Holding the Bow is a retreat for mental cultivation and inner restoration that translates **Jipgungje Wonchik—the traditional principles of Korean archery defining the posture, focus, and mental discipline required before shooting an arrow—**into architecture. Rather than treating mental health as a condition to be externally corrected, the project understands it as an ongoing process of re-centering and self-alignment.
Located between Hwacheon Seowon and Okyeonjeongsa in Andong, the design draws from four principles shared by traditional Korean architecture and archery: terrain, center, landscape, and circulation. The building follows the natural slope, frames the surrounding scenery, and organizes its spaces through a looping path that repeatedly returns visitors to a central point. Moving through water, courtyards, and contemplative spaces facing the landscape, visitors alternate between outward awareness and inward reflection. The project proposes a contemporary retreat where balance and self-cultivation are restored through movement, nature, and spatial experience.





