Architecture Asia Special Issue - ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2020

HONORABLE
MENTION
B-4
Jetavana Buddhist
Temple
Public Amenity:
Social and Cultural
Buildings
Architect:
Hyeung Nam Lim / Studio GAON
Location:
Chuncheon-si, Korea
The temple was designed and planned to accommodate a modern lifestyle, embracing the old
ways and Buddhist doctrines. The underlying spirit and design foundation of the Center was
to restore the essential Buddhist spirit that Sakyamuni had discoursed on and preached about
while sitting in Jetavana. Brick, which symbolizes the remains of Jetavana, was an obvious
choice as the building material. However, the frames were constructed as a concrete structure
overlaid with bricks. Considering the existing layout of traditional temple buildings, the path
passing inward through the Iljumun Gate was designed to curve three times, following the
original elevation of the site topography.
JURY CITATION: Following the idea that the form of religion has changed only because of
historical situations and circumstances of the time when the religion was settled, the architect
chose to design the Buddhist temple in the most modern way, using bricks and steel bars.
The rethinking of the relationship between religions and modernity leads to a very interesting
perspective of religious architecture design.
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