
Wonun Geunnak
Grace from Afar, Joy Within
Type
Cultural Visitor Center
Location
Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea
Year
2020
Collaborators
Sayyoung Chang
Hanseul Cho
Eunseong Ahn
Wonun Geunnak is translated as "Grace from Afar, Joy Within." The title describes the grace of a hanok, the traditional Korean house, as perceived from a distance, and the spatial pleasure discovered by entering and inhabiting it. "Grace from Afar" refers to the harmony that architecture creates within its natural and urban surroundings, while "Joy Within" refers to the experiences revealed from inside.
Located between Insadong and Bukchon, two of Seoul's historic districts, the project proposes a tourist information and traditional cultural experience center. Rather than reproducing the formal appearance of a traditional hanok, it translates the spatial relationships and sensory qualities of Korean architecture into a contemporary architectural language.
Grace from Afar focuses on how the building relates to its surroundings. Inspired by mountain ridgelines and the flowing roofs of clustered hanok buildings, the curved roofscape introduces a gentle rhythm into the vertical cityscape. Courtyards of varying scales and openings between the buildings connect the public plaza with the rear garden, drawing wind and views through the site and linking it visually and physically to the streets around it.
Joy Within explores the spatial qualities revealed after entering the building. Courtyards, wooden floors, and timber louvers create layered and ambiguous boundaries between interior and exterior, while a sunken rear courtyard and reflecting pool draw daylight, sky, and surrounding views into the architecture. A hanok reading room set beside a digital exhibition space lets visitor information, rest areas, exhibitions, performances, and cultural programs sit side by side, allowing guests to move naturally between past and present. Together, Grace from Afar and Joy Within propose a contemporary urban hanok — one perceived through its silhouette against the city, and inhabited through the layered spaces within.












