the malleable identity design of korean royal palace...

The Malleable Identity Design of Korean Royal Palace

Gyeongbokgung based on Historical Restoration

Hanna Lee1, Jong-hoon Choe2

Abstract. Gyeongbokgung, the Korean royal palace, has huge amount of

potential in terms of allowing identity design projects to be undertaken. Korean

identity and pride cannot be preserved through the simple restoration of the

Gyeongbokgung only. For the sake of current and future generations, it is

important that more creative and interactive methods of preservation are

maintained, rather than being satisfied with just a simple preservation of history.

My research project aimed to visualize the change in the meaning of

Gyeongbokgung within the historical timeline as it flows. The malleable

identity of Gyeongbokgung was applied on the splash screen of the smartphone

application for engaging young generations.

Keywords: Flexible Identity Design, Gyeongbokgung (Korean Royal Palace),

Smart Phone Application Design, Splash Screen

1 Introduction

In the present, Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace in Korea since 1394, which has a

preserved history and time, has been serving as a place for daytrips or breaks for the

citizens as well as being a touristic destination due to its original function as a

residence for the Dynasty and Royal family being no longer valid. In fact, the initial

restoration in 1996, Gyeongbokgung did not really have any significant meaning to

Koreans other than being sort of a museum for them. Visitors of Gyeongbokgung

could walk between the old buildings to find traces of time, but ironically these values

of history could not be ‘experienced’ but only ‘viewed’. In addition, although the

regeneration of Gyeongbokgung meant restoration of national identity and pride for

Korean people, the Korean citizen could not communicate with the brand of

Gyeongbokgung. My project was aimed to make the Korean royal palace not only to

having a visual identity but to also interact with the Korea’s young generation.

Moreover, the identity was changing shapes based on the historical and architectural

restoration of the palace on the smartphone application splash screen.

1 Ewha Women’s Univ., Arts & Design Building C, Room #102, Daehyeon-dong,

Seodaemun-gu, 120-750 Seoul, Korea

email: [email protected] 2 (Corresponding Author) Ewha Women’s Univ., Arts & Design Building C, Room #102,

Daehyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, 120-750 Seoul, Korea

email: [email protected]

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.125 (Art, Culture, Game, Graphics, Broadcasting and Digital Contents 2016), pp.6-13

http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/astl.2016.125.02

ISSN: 2287-1233 ASTL Copyright © 2016 SERSC

2 Objectives and method of the study

It is important to understand how the intangible, even spiritual values and stories of

the historical buildings and their preserved layers and traces of time could be

visualized and the meaning they would carry.

Therefore, this critical research and project aim to explore ways in which the

historical buildings can be visualized. The critical issues raised here are how to

deliver the meanings of the historical space through the flexible visual identity rather

than the static logo, and how to engage young Korean as the existing space.

This study looks at the historical meaning and architectural perspective of

Gyeongbokgung to find a visual key.

Firstly, I studied the trend of the flexible identity design of historical architectures

to look at the meaning of symbolized structural design. Secondly, I researched on

valuable elements in architectural perspective of Gyeongbokgung to design an

identity. Lastly, I proposed the malleable identity design for Gyeongbokgung and the

identities were focused on the splash screen of the smartphone application to engage

young generations of Korea.

3 Historical meaning of Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung (The Korean Royal Palace) in Seoul, South Korea has a very unique

story and values in its history compared to other buildings. Gyeongbokgung which

means the Palace of “Palace greatly blessed by heaven”3, was first built in 1394 as the

main and largest palace of Joseon Dynasty of Ancient Korea which repeated being

destroyed and reconstructed the buildings many times. Although majority of

architectures found in the cities of South Korea today is mostly newly built after the

Japanese colonial era (1910-1945)4, Koreans has been trying to erase the injuries and

pains of the colonial period by restoring its own cultural buildings of the past.

In fact, Gyeongbokgung was badly damaged a number of times because of the

wars with Japan and it was even refurnished by Japan during the Japanese colonial era

to be used as a Japanese government building. However, Korean government has

recently been trying to restore the palace to it’s original specifications before the

Japanese colonial era.

The primary reason that the Korean government and citizens want to restore

Gyeongbokgung probably has to do with restoration of a specific identity that the

palace once represented.

In fact, since the initial restoration in 1996, Gyeongbokgung became like a gallery

or a museum for the public viewing, as it is not actually used, occupied, or

experienced by the public as a space. I was hoping to express the lost identity of

Gyeongbokgung through the design I was planning in my research.

3 Introduction page of the Gyeongbokgung website,

http://www.royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng/data/data_01.jsp?dep1=2&dep2=1 4 Kim, D.U.: Palaces of Korea. pp 73--74. Hollym International Corp, New Jersey (2006)

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.125 (Art, Culture, Game, Graphics, Broadcasting and Digital Contents 2016)

Copyright © 2016 SERSC 7

4 The Research on Flexible Identity Design of Historical

Architectures

The identity design of the Casa da Música in Portugal, designed by the Sagmeister &

Walsh design firm in 2007, is based upon the shape of the building designed by Rem

Koolhaas.5 It focused on the featuring the structure of six sides of the building to

design an identity. Their variation of identity colors was reflecting the poster of music

performed at the Casa da Música.6

Fig. 1. Casa da Música Identity Design. Designed by the Sagmeister & Walsh in 2007

The Nouveau Théâtre de Montreuil in France has unique structure, and it became

identity design itself. The symbol was formed dynamic in the three dimensional shape

and lines based on a typical silhouette. It was extended as moving images which were

emphasized the structural form and parts of the building.7

Fig. 2. Nouveau Théâtre de Montreuil Identity Design. Designed by dépli design studio in 2007

5 Nes, V.I.: Dynamic Identities: How to create a living brand. pp 162--163. BIS Publishers,

Amsterdam (2012) 6 Sagmeister & Walsh website, http://www.sagmeisterwalsh.com/work/project/casa-da-musica-

identity/ 7 dépli design studio website, http://depli-ds.com/index/fiche/id/41/categorie/1/lang/en

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.125 (Architecture and Civil Engineering 2016)

8 Copyright © 2016 SERSC

Those two of identities show the potential that the architectural shape could become

its identity design. In addition, the buildings as 3 dimensional shapes was transformed

into 2 dimensional space by a particular viewpoint.

5 Architectural perspective of Gyeongbokgung to Design an

Identity

Amongst many exterior structures of Gyeongbokgung, the roof structure which went

through the most dramatic change from its pre-restored condition, was chosen

especially as the main concept when the basic module was decided. The structure of

the roof in Gyeongbokgung was not just about displaying the typical oriental

aesthetics.

Considering the previous gossip of Korean government and the people who talked

about the Japanese built Gyeonbokgung’s roof resembling the Japanese flag, it can be

argued that the roof structure of traditional Korean architecture symbolizes some very

significant historical, and political values.

Particularly in the ancient Korean architecture, symbolic meanings such as ‘head,

top, or highest’ were attributed to the roof structures. For example, on the roof of the

building where Korean king used to live, did not have any sculptures of dragons on

the top. This was because it was considered that the King or the Queen were supposed

to be the people who had higher authority than the dragons. Therefore, the role of roof

structure in Korean architectural design carries a special meaning as it plays the

central role in the building’s identity.

6 The Project: Design for Gyeonbokgung

6.1 Identity Design of Gyeongbokgung

I worked on the process where I geometrically simplified the roof structure:

Gyeongbokgung is not a single building. It features total of 24 individual buildings in

some 432,703 ㎡ of vast area.

Therefore, the graphic image that is in the form of many repeated patterns of

modules was used rather than a single completed one, to symbolically emphasize the

identity of Gyeongbokgung in the architectural respect.



Table 1. Designing identity design of Gyeongbokgung using types of the palace’s roof8

Designing Identity design of Gyeongbokgung using Types of the palace’s Roof

Shape

of roof

Name

of roof Mattbae Roof Woojingack Roof Paljack Roof Yukmo Roof

Represe

ntative

building

Geonsukmun

Gate Gwanghwa Gate Geunjeongjeon Hyangwonjeong

Variati

on of Identity

design

Variati

on of

Identity design

Viewpo

int Using air views to describe the buildings

6.2 Designing a Splash Screen of Gyeongbokgung

Korean Royal Palace is a complex place that went through many alterations in its

functionality due to the various historical and political incidences that occurred in the

past. It was once a location where Korean royal family resided, serving a purpose

for Japanese government during the Japanese invasion (1910-1945). Immediately

after the Korean independence (1945-1990), it played the role of a memorial museum

of the Japanese invasion era, until changing its theme more recently, (1990-) to be the

museum that has renovated features of the Ancient Korean Royal palace.

I emphasized the structural uniqueness and the symbolic message based on the flow

of the history that is communicated by its uniqueness. Although the graphic sits on a

2 dimensional plane, the symbolic message carried by the graphic design would

approach the audience in a 3 dimensional way.

8 http://royalpalaces.cha.go.kr/makeup/roof.vm?mc=rp_03_04



Table 2. Changing the air view of Gyeongbokgung by restoration

Changing the Air View of Gyeongbokgung by Restoration

1990 1999 2002 2004 2006

Demolishing the Japanese government building (1990)-> Restoring (2012)

4 Types of the Roof- based on real shapes of each buildings

Not a quantitative increase but a meaning of restoration process

Table 3. Gyeongbokgung splash screen design based on the historical restoration

Gyeongbokgung Splash Screen Design based on Historical Restoration

1. The map of original buildings of Gyeongbokgung before the Japanese invasion

2. 1990, starting restoration

3. 1999, restoring the main building of the King and prince’s building first

4. 2002, restoring the center gate which was placed in the space of the Japanese

government building



5. 2004, restoring the building for the picture of the first King of Joseon dynasty

6. 2006, restoring the building, the last queen was assassinated by Japaneses killers

7. Accomplishing restoration like original space

8. Becoming and moving dynamically with shadows depicted historical traces for

emphasizing restored identity

7 Conclusion

Gyeongbokgung which went through restoration processes for some ten years since

1990, is certainly not a brand new architecture with its past traces completely erased.

In fact, although the architecture was newly renovated then, its restored features of

pre-1910 specification enable Koreans to visualize their ancient history. The newly

renovated Korean Royal Palace shows how preserving the “heritage” greatly

contributes to adding significant value to the national identity. Moreover, new efforts

should be made by the current generation to enable improvements beyond the simple

preservation of history.

Through my research project, I made efforts to consider the historical meanings of

Gyeongbokgung by using the “roof” as an element to allow the visual reinterpretation.

What I would be able do as a designer is: to rediscover the historical meaning and

identity of Gyeongbokgung that lies underneath, in order to express them through the

visual design on the splash screen of the smartphone application.

References

1. http://www.royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng/data/data_01.jsp?dep1=2&dep2=1, March 11

(2016)

2. Kim, D.U.: Palaces of Korea. pp 73--74. Hollym International Corp, New Jersey (2006)

3. Nes, V.I.: Dynamic Identities: How to create a living brand. pp 162--163. BIS Publishers,

Amsterdam (2012)

4. http://www.sagmeisterwalsh.com/work/project/casa-da-musica-identity/, March 13 (2016)



5. http://depli-ds.com/index/fiche/id/41/categorie/1/lang/en, March 10 (2016)

6. http://royalpalaces.cha.go.kr/makeup/roof.vm?mc=rp_03_04, March 13 (2016)



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