A Study on the Placeness and the Plasticity of the Chapel and Exhibition Hall of Chuldu-san Holy Place

절두산 성당의 장소성과 조형성 연구

The Chapel and Exhibition hall of Chul-du-san-Holy place are considered as the most important work of architect Lee Hee-Tai (1925-1980), and as a work representing Korean architecture in 1960's. What is the reason that these buildings can acquire such a remarkable estimation? This study tries to make clear this reason with an analytic method. These buildings are situated in singular site, in which small mountain comes up alongside with Han-river. Architect laid out the Chapel and Exhibition hall to the memory of 108 saints who died for their faith in this mountain, considering the specificity of the site, the direction of approach stair, and the formation of public space. Architect proposes an opposed composition of form for these two buildings. So the Exhibition hall is characterized by trabeated structure, centripetal force and Apollonian order. It has strictly proportioned facade, which is composed of two 15m-by-l5m squares and subdivided equally in three portions. The Chapel is charaterized by arcuated structure, centrifugal force, and Dionysosian sentiment. In this work, architect Lee Hee-Tai also expressed the locality of Korean architecture with the grammar of column-roof.