Spontaneous Seoul: coexistence of modernity, tradition, and hyper density

This paper critically investigates the adaptation of modern architecture and urban design in South Korea since the 1960s, focusing on the city of Seoul. Although the paternity of modern architecture could be considered European, its widespread application is genuinely global and took place mainly after World War 2. Large housing complexes were built in the West from the 1920s to the 1960s. From the 1970s, orthodox modern architecture – intended as a standardised construction system that produced mono-functional residential blocks – started to decline or was even declared dead by Charles Jencks in 1972. Instead, in South Korea, this was the moment modern architecture began to be adopted and developed with a radical approach. The developmental state of that period incentivised an extremely functional system to implement housing provisions that clashed with the existing traditional built environment.

However, this study sees this clash as a positive coexistence between large housing complexes and small urban areas. This dichotomy between corporate urbanism and a more spontaneous form of construction generates a distinctive local milieu capable of producing a unique level of mixité – the variety of urban functions. The resulting symbiosis between these two forms of construction is the main focus of this study. Through on-site analysis using tools such as photography, video recording, and field notes, the paper analyses the formation and transformation of the urban blocks in selected areas by studying their physical form with a focus on the user's activities.