In the historic city of Gyeongju, South Korea's ancient capital, centuries-old temples and royal tombs stand just meters away from cutting-edge contemporary buildings, creating a unique architectural landscape where past and present coexist in remarkable harmony. Once serving as the capital of the Silla Kingdom from 57 BC to AD 935, Gyeongju continues to bear traces of multiple historical periods, including the later Joseon era (1392-1910), while inspiring today's architects to reimagine traditional design principles.
The city's most iconic Buddhist landmarks, Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, represent the pinnacle of Silla-era religious architecture and artistic achievement. Buddhism became officially adopted in the Silla Kingdom in 527 following the martyrdom of Ichadon, and these magnificent structures were constructed in the mid-8th century under the commission of Kim Dae-seong during King Gyeongdeok's reign, when Buddhist art and architecture reached their golden age. Bulguksa Temple's intricate stone terraces, elegant bridges, and twin pagodas—Dabotap and Seokgatap—embody the Buddhist philosophical ideal of harmony between heaven and earth, reflecting both the deep devotion and sophisticated artistic refinement of the Silla people.
A short mountain path from Bulguksa leads visitors to the breathtaking Seokguram Grotto, a domed granite sanctuary that houses a serene Buddha statue positioned to face the rising sun, masterfully merging natural light with profound spiritual symbolism. This architectural marvel was created entirely using interlocking stones without any mortar, designed as a tranquil space for meditation and contemplation. The precise placement and proportions of the main Buddha statue, the careful arrangement of relief sculptures adorning the walls, and the ingenious design of the circular chamber with its domed ceiling all demonstrate the application of sophisticated mathematical and scientific principles in ancient Korean construction techniques. Both Bulguksa and Seokguram were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995, recognized for their "exceptional significance" as timeless examples of the seamless integration of religion, nature, and human creativity.
Nestled in the peaceful valley of Oksan, east of Gyeongju, the Oksanseowon Confucian Academy represents the educational and philosophical ideals that flourished during the Joseon era, when Confucian principles formed the foundation of Korean governance and scholarly pursuits. This royally chartered academy, established in 1573, served dual purposes as both an educational institution and a sacred shrine honoring the distinguished scholar Yi Eon-jeok (1491-1553), whose moral philosophy profoundly influenced Yi Hwang, one of Korea's most revered Confucian thinkers. Surrounded by majestic mountains and flowing streams, the academy's thoughtful layout follows the fundamental Confucian principle of learning within nature, seamlessly blending study halls, lecture rooms, and ritual spaces with the natural landscape.
The academy's open courtyards face wooded hills by deliberate design, reflecting the Confucian pursuit of balance between personal self-cultivation and harmony with the natural order. Oksanseowon achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019 as part of "Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies," recognized for illustrating how Neo-Confucian philosophy originating in China took root and evolved within Korea's distinctive landscape, aesthetic sensibilities, and social values.
Modern architectural innovation thrives alongside these ancient treasures, exemplified by the House for Rejuvenation, designed by architect Kim Jae-kyung, an associate professor at Hanyang University. This project represents a compelling example of how traditional Korean architectural principles can be thoughtfully reinterpreted for contemporary purposes. The structure was created to house a renowned 150-year-old traditional Korean medicine clinic that had been passed down through five generations before being relocated to the city's outskirts and transformed into a public space. Kim's design explores traditional East Asian wooden architecture, creatively reinterpreting its fundamental structural principles for modern applications.
A central focus of Kim's innovative work involves the bracket system, known as "gongpo" in Korean—structural elements positioned beneath roofs that support weight while adding ornamental beauty, commonly seen in Korea's centuries-old wooden structures like Bulguksa Temple. "The project reinterpreted traditional East Asian wooden joinery in a modern structural language. Each house employs a distinct structural method and varying degrees of light and openness," Kim explained. The complex consists of three distinct halls: the Hall of Remedy for medical practice, the Hall of Meditation serving as an art gallery, and the Hall of Contemplation designed as a tea house. Each hall incorporates traditional architectural elements including gongpo, bent timber that embodies the aesthetics of force flow, and double rafters that express the beauty of exposed structural elements. This innovative project earned the grand prize at the 2025 Korea Wooden Design Awards.
The OAR Contemporary Art Museum has emerged as one of Gyeongju's most popular cultural destinations since opening last year, despite—or perhaps because of—its unusual location beside ancient Silla royal tombs in the Noseo-dong district. This cluster of royal burial sites comprises approximately a dozen large and small burial mounds that have remained intact for over 1,500 years. Architect Yoo Hyun-joon described the experience of visiting the museum as "moving as standing before the pyramids," noting that "the 1,500-year past remains open—without walls—making Gyeongju a city where one can truly feel the passage of time like nowhere else."
The museum's design thoughtfully embraces its extraordinary surroundings, integrating the royal tombs into its architectural concept through a vast glass facade measuring 29 meters wide and 12 meters high that frames the ancient burial mounds, allowing visitors to experience them as an integral part of the museum's architecture. The rooftop provides spectacular sunset views, and during autumn months, the grass covering the royal tombs transforms into a golden carpet. Coinciding with the APEC 2025 summit, the museum currently presents the exhibition "Spoonful More of Happiness," showcasing 49 paintings and video works from its permanent collection.
The 82-meter-tall Gyeongju Tower at Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park stands as another testament to the city's ability to honor its past while embracing contemporary design. This observation tower was conceived by Japan-born Korean architect Jun Itami (1937-2011), whose Korean name was Yoo Dong-ryong. Itami drew creative inspiration from the legendary nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa Temple, once the largest and most magnificent Buddhist temple of the Silla Kingdom before its destruction during the Mongol invasions in 1238, leaving only stone foundations as evidence of its former glory. The glass structure reimagines the lost pagoda's distinctive silhouette, echoing both its original height and spiritual essence.
However, behind the tower's symbolic beauty lay years of legal controversy that persisted long after its completion in 2007. Itami and his family engaged in protracted legal battles with the city over copyright issues, stemming from the tower's resemblance to a design the architect had previously submitted to an earlier competition where it won second place. The dispute was finally resolved when the Supreme Court officially recognized the tower as Itami's original work, though this recognition came shortly after his death in 2011, adding a poignant dimension to the architectural legacy he left behind in Gyeongju.
