Beauty of Empty Space in Korean & Japanese Architecture

Masterpieces of stone and light

Chapter 1

Master of light and concrete

Chapter 2

Seoul's architectural trifecta at Leeum

Chapter 3

Naoshima and the island of art

Chapter 4

The philosophy of space in Korea and Japan

YOUR GOAL

Master of Masterpieces of stone and light

Ch 4 · The philosophy of space in Korea and Japan

Traditional architects use the shakkei technique to turn distant mountains into living indoor art.

choko A wooden window frames a view of distant green mountains.

choko Pungsu jiri and mountain energy

Pungsu jiri and mountain energy

choko Traditional Korean architecture relies on pungsu-jiri, the study of land energy.

At 275 meters high, Museum SAN blends its architecture with the mountain peaks.

choko Museum SAN sits on a high mountain ridge overlooking the surrounding landscape.

**Tiny Transparent Spaces**

BETA

choko Arrange glass and concrete walls to discover how Korean and Japanese museums frame nature.

Fun Fact

Borrowed scenery: The word chagyeong translates literally to borrowing scenery, treating the natural outdoor landscape as a free, living painting.

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Glossary

yeobaek (noun)
The Korean design philosophy of leaving empty space on a canvas or in a room, allowing the viewer's mind to actively fill in the rest. At beautiful venues like Korea's Museum SAN, architects use this concept by framing empty mountain views and quiet concrete courtyards, proving that sometimes what is left out is just as powerful as what is put in.

Gossip

What is the best view to frame through windows?

Quiz

What is the Korean term for the beauty of empty space or white space in art and design?

choko The madang courtyard of light

The beauty of empty space

choko Ma in Japanese and Yeobaek in Korean celebrate the beauty of emptiness.

Glossary

negative space (noun)
The empty or unoccupied area in and around the main subject of an artistic or architectural work. Tadao Ando utilized negative space at Wonju's Museum SAN to harmonize concrete structures with the surrounding forest.

Quiz

What is the name of the traditional Korean courtyard that serves as an open, central gathering space?

choko Borrowing the landscape through windows

Quiz

What material does artist Suh Do-ho use to sew his translucent, architectural sculptures?

choko The beauty of empty space

Quiz

At what elevation above sea level is South Korea's Museum SAN built to align with mountain energy?

Quiz

Which Korean artist is famous for creating floating, transparent fabric replicas of his childhood home?

Quiz

Which concept in Japanese aesthetics refers to the artistic use of negative space or emptiness?

Quiz

What is the architectural term for 'borrowed scenery' used to frame outdoor nature through windows?