As the Seoul Metropolitan Government finally allowed Shilla Hotel to build a ‘Traditional Korean Hanok Hotel’, a large-scale hanok hotel will be built in the city for the first time. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 3 (Korea Bizwire) – New life is being breathed into hanok, traditional Korean houses.
As the Seoul Metropolitan Government finally allowed Shilla Hotel to build a ‘Traditional Korean Hanok Hotel’, a large-scale hanok hotel will be built in the city for the first time.
Hanok hotels are currently operational in other cities such as the ‘Gyeongwonjae Ambassador’ in Incheon, and ‘Odongjae’ in Yeosu, but it is the first time a hanok hotel will be opened in the middle of urban Seoul.
Officials from Shilla Hotel commented that they plan to start construction after a year of planning and design. “We plan to show off the beauty of traditional hanok, but at the same time adopt modern construction methods to provide convenience to customers,” an official said.
The beautiful curves of the roof will be accented, and the outside of the walls will be decorated the traditional way, using clay. The inside of the walls will be pasted with hanji (Korean paper), and a traditional Korean garden filled with flowers and trees native to the Korean peninsula will be created.
The buildings will have four floors, with separate hanoks connected by stairs. However, the foundation of the buildings will be built using a concrete structure.
After a year of planning, Shilla Hotel officials say that the construction of the new hotel will take five years.
As hanok hotels help to share the beauty of Korean house structures with foreign visitors, another facility seeks to teach young residents about the beauty of Korean culture.
The Nowon district of Seoul announced that it will open a public day care center in September. The Surak Hanok day care center will be housed in a hanok below Surak mountain. (Image : Nowon District)
The Nowon district of Seoul announced that it will open a public day care center in September. The Surak Hanok day care center will be housed in a hanok below Surak mountain.
The Nowon district office invested 79 million won to build a two story building with a basement that has a gross area of 546 square meters.
To keep the building warm, insulation made of fiberglass was inserted in the walls and ceiling. The windows were also built with insulation features while preserving the beauty of hanok structures. A 5kw solar panel was installed outside the building. The walls and ceiling were built using traditional hanok construction methods.
The Surak Hanok day care center has a capacity of 99 children. A total of 12 classes including temporary care groups, classes with disabled children, and infant groups (between the ages of 1 to 5) will be established.
The uniforms will be in the style of modernized hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). Taekgyeon (Korean martial art), calligraphy, samulnori (traditional percussion quartet) and tea ceremony manners will be taught to the children to familiarize them with Korean traditions.
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
