Critical Design Approach and the Emergence of South Korean Urban Design in the 1960s : an analysis on the working methods of the housing, urban and regional planning institute (HURPI)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Rather than the simple adaption of Western design principles to the Korean context, this paper explicates how a unique critical urban design methodology evolved in Korea in the 1960s. Even as the era was a time of major transition and development, most research has offered limited discourse on the topic, imposing a straightforward reading where Japanese colonial influence is supplanted by Western logics. Through the example of the brief but intense activities of the Housing, Urban and Regional Planning Institute (HURPI), this paper offers a more detailed understanding that focuses on the 'how' rather than the 'what' of HURPI's significance. Through first-hand interviews with HURPI director Oswald Nagler and senior member Sung Chull Hong, the research of the institute is revealed as promoting dialectical 'critical design' methodologies that resulted in a sophisticated synthesis of diverse influences from Western, Korean, and Japanese Sources. Moreover, the modes of critical design methods are further analyzed in a recently discovered brochure on HURPI's defining research and pilot projects published by the Ministry of Construction.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Chapter 1 Introduction 1
• 1.1. Historical Background 2
• 1.2. Research Methodology 4
• Chapter 2 Naglers Background in Critical Thinking 7
• 2.1. Definition of Critical Design 8
• 2.2. Skepticism in St. Johns College 9
• 2.3. Urban Design Discourse at GSD, Harvard 10
• Chapter 3 The Critical Design Methodology of HURPI 15
• 3.1. Formation of the Design Team 16
• 3.1.1. Oswald Naglers Role in Korea 17
• 3.2. Basic Survey and Research 23
• 3.2.1. Urban Pattern: Linear City 23
• 3.2.2. Road Network: Hierarchy of Road Function and Hexagonal System 27
• 3.2.3. Community Facilities: Frequency of Usage and Accessibility 30
• 3.2.4. Housing: Low Rise / High Density 31
• Chapter 4 Pilot Projects and The Application of Critical Ideas 35
• 4.1. Education for Local Talents 36
• 4.2. Pilot Projects 45
• 4.2.1. Kumhwa Park Area Renewal Plan 47
• 4.2.2. Yeosu Industrial City Planning 50
• 4.2.3. Daegu Land Readjustment 53
• 4.2.4. Ulsan Master Plan 57
• Chapter 5 Conclusion 61
• 5.1. After Naglers Departure 62
• 5.2. Discussion 66
• Reference 73
• Korean Abstract 77