Several types of the pavements in Korea

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

If I could define a pave road in Korea, 

I want to say it is temporary and easy to construct.

I think, the one of the most effective way to change 

an entire image of city is a pavement.

Although city governments are taking care of pavements, 

it's little inefficient and not sustainable. 

For all those reasons, 

those pavements that they tried to 

change aren't in good condition now.

Now I show several types of the pavements.

*From: http://azureluv.tistory.com/

This is the pavement of Dongseongno of Daegu.

it almost consists of reddish bricks 

and there is uneven grayish stones sideways.

its condition isn't bad 

because that street is for pedestrians.

This method is vulnerable to cars.

And I think if those bricks were more darker,

 it looks cleaner than now.

 Here is Seomyeon in Busan.

As you see, 

the grayish pavement isn't in good condition.

This style of the pavement that is gray, a grid brick pattern 

and no bounded between a car and 

a pedestrian is the mainstream in Korea.

The two of alleys is in so poor condition.

It will be much better than now 

if the alley in the first picture is improved and 

fixed but the other alley which is

 in the bottom picture is still attractive.

 I mean the bottom alley matches with 

that place in that's own way.

It's the center of Ulsan's downtown.

A patter with black and white spots is matched 

with vivid signs and grayish buildings and 

I felt that pavement looked cleaner than 

other city's pavements when I saw that. 

I just guess that reason 

why I felt like that is that pattern.

But if this style of the pavement use into the alley 

that is in above pictures, 

it should be horrible and not match with that place.

This is a street in JeonJu hanok village.

That stone pavement is in harmony with 

that area very well.

If that pavement was concrete,

 it never got like this landscape.

 *From: ohmynews

You could think, 

I miswrote two words but not.

Seoul government has changed 

that pavement like the left picture.

I think someone who is seeing that picture

 is the same mind with me.

*

Lastly

Now you have seen sever type of the pavements in Korea 

like concrete, stone, grid or black and white patterns, cement and asphalt.

I think the best way to pave is the way of stone like JeonJu Hanok village's pavement.

the most  basic reasons why I think like that are that the stone pave is strong at contamination and damage from cars and sustainable.

it was made in 1971,

 but it is still working well and in good condition.

Multiplex house called Villa in Korea

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

*From: http://Joongang.joins.com

This place is called 'Villa village'. In Korea,  the word 'villa' is using as a multiplex house. 

As I heard, 'Villa' is luxurious word to Korea in the old days for that reason real estate brokers used that word to sell multiplex houses easily. 

So in this page, I call these sort of a multiplex house 'Villa'.

It is the facade of villas. 

It has a parking lot on the first level and a staircase in the center or side and is usually 3~5 story building.

It is the view of the first level. If you want to enter that villa, you have to unlock the digital door-lock.

These alleys are around the villas.

'Villa' has two of the most strength.

First, it doesn't need large land to build so lots of villas are built in a residential area whose land price isn't expensive. As a result you can see that houses and villas are mixed up densely.

Second, It had its own parking lot. that fact is very attractive to this area which is very dense.

Because of villas built here and there, the sun is hard to stream into some general house and many windows on the villas could invade privacy of people who live in that house.

This is an old multiplex house.

Difference between old and new is, the old villa hasn't own parking lot but has unity because of a brown and red brick material and was built intentionally for that reason that isn't mixed up with houses.

It is a quite expensive villa and located in a high place. Frankly I don't know the reason.. T.T

I'll try to get the reason.

The style of Korean modern housing

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

Some people say there isn't Korean style of house except for traditional things like 'Han-ok'

But I don't think so, now I show you general residential street or area not an apartment area.

I think, there are fourth typical and general Korean style of houses in Korea.

The first style of house is combination old with modern.

These houses, not the white wall house, consist of a tiled roof, a red brick outer wall and a two-story type.

 Although it has own character, it's not cool in design.

Second, This is the modern style of house.

This style consists of a rooftop, brick wall, two-story type.

This house form at a right angle entirely for that reason it looks minimal and clean.

and even if these houses are old and they look little shabby, they have a stately atmosphere.

   

Third, It is also the modern style of house.

The difference between second and third is third style of house has a roof.

And I guess, but ain't sure, the house including roof has a wide yard mostly.

Because of a roof, it little looks more like a western-house.

These pictures are from a top view.

Almost the whole modern house has stairs outside, a little yard.

And the reason why some houses have a green floor on the top is because of being waterproof.

Lastly, This is the lowest level of house and a shanty.

Mostly senior citizens live in these houses.

This area consists of a narrow and poor alley, dense home, a painting wall and a poor roof.

These are alleys in housing areas.

Because of low level structures and little open facades, those alleys come as a familiarity to us.

But there is the parking problem and it isn't safe.

It's the inside.

Mostly, a porch is used to hang out the washing.

Korean don't spread grass on the yard because it's not suitable weather to spread grass in Korea.

It's former residential and commercial complex.




















*
Lastly
I wish you know what is Korean housing style.
Of course that is similar with Japanese housing but I think, Korean style has humane and rough attraction.


**
Location
here is around the Busan city hall.

Centum city area is Yeouido in Seoul not Manhattan in N.Y

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

Here is called as 'Centum City'

There are two departments and many high apartments and buildings.

Busan, the city of Korea, said this is multi-functional high-tech complex and new town of Busan.

But I think it is just the forest of buildings with cars.

*From: http://saik.kr

Yes this is the view we can see easily in any big city.

I think this isn't a good example of a new town.

But people who live this town or want to live there think are proud of living there.

I think the reason why they think like that is continuous advertisement 
that high building is the symbol of wealth.

I also think this kind of town isn't bad but I'm sure of the thing that this down is very desolate and cold-hearted because there is high probability that residents won't go outside without aim.

And this town is completely for cars not a pedestrian.

Although there is a well made underpass, that cannot connect road to road with ease.

So it looks as if every street is connected but it isn't.   

There would be cool because the shade from a building.

But building winds and the shade isn't good at Winter.

And sight is restricted by a giant facade.

*

Lastly

This town is necessary for like Korea which don't have enough lands.

But the one thing we have to know is this town is a good example of the town.

General city buses in Korea

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

This is a city bus in Seoul and there are also different color of buses.

That bus isn't look tidy because, I think, there are lots of signs.

'This' and the bus number '708' is necessary but other things is not.

However I also know that advertisements is important because they make money so buses could be operated well.

*From: Wikipedia

*From: 승현미디어

I think, the problem is advertisements is now overwhelming the bus. 

In this case, it doesn't come citizen as just a moving sign, not a public facility.

I just wish the advertisement is toned down

and smaller to show naturally and pervade the bus.

It is the bus in Rome.

Although the advertisement sticks out, it doesn't seem to be excessive.




*From: http://www.daegu.go.kr

*From: http://content-type.tistory.com and Wikipedia

It is the general inside of the bus in Korea.

As you can see, there are advertisements in back of chairs, signs around 

and chairs with blue and yellow covers in one direction.

I wish they reduce advertisements to look tidy and change the design 

and arrangement of chairs.

*From: http://donga.com 

Some low floor and new buses are changed similarly like the right picture.

Frankly,  I don't think the left picture is nice but the other is nice 

because the left is so excessive.

It's a bus in Rome. I think this is the best example.

It unifies color entirely and arrange chairs lively and signs and advertisements upwards and aside.

As a result of those things, it looks tidy and nice.

*From: http://www.daegu.go.kr/

This is one of uncomfortable things.

A person who sit outside feel uncomfortable about where to put his legs.

*

Lastly

But I don't think buses in Korea are not good. I just wish they get out of the classical style.

Store signs in Korea

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

How do think about this signs?

I guess it could be better if they use a matching color. the blue signs doesn't match with a wood background. And it doesn't care about font.

Those seem that they were made for legibility not harmony.

Although that isn't a bad thing on the whole, those signs are little selfish and advantageous.

This store is using a suitable sign with the structure.

it cares about the color, font and harmony with the background.

Left vivid structure is contrasted with right minimal structure.

Although the left thing isn't bad entirely, it is so showy.

The right thing, it doesn't have a sign though, is could seem like boring but the one thing I can be sure is that structure won't destroy the street landscape because it doesn't have elements to overwhelm around structures. 

This sign is old style of the sign. Although it seem to be countrified, it is well matched with that gray concrete building.

This is the most universal design of sign these days. It only function as notifying their shop names.

It just stands out themselves without harmony.

This style of sign is the mainstream. 

I think, the problem of those sings is each sign is located separately. 

All signs have different colors, font and arrangement.

**Lastly

 I think if just change signs, it never change street landscapes.

And changing most signs with the distinct style isn't answer because own structure has the sign that is suitable its facade.

Renovated Daegu citizen hall, is standing alone

⚠ Warning : I'm not good at English

DAEGU

 *From: http://www.yeongnam.com

It has completed but isn't operating yet.

The difference between new and old hall is,

it locate wide parking spaces in the basement for making the square, widen the pedestrians road and upgraded externally and internally.

But I think, although it is better than the past and the good structure visually, it doesn't take 

care of elements in detail.

*From: http://blog.naver.com/milkguitar and Yonhapnews

This is the old citizen hall.

As you see, parking spaces take up the wide space and the pedestrians road was poor.

Now I tell things that hope to be improved.

This is the main square.

But I think it doesn't function as a square at all.

First, there isn't a seat at the center, shade and a wind screen. That means, people are fhard to stay sitting, reluctant to stay in in the summer and winter and on a rainy day.

These are the only benches located in the square. the problems are, this sitting place is located aside, don't have enough lights and seems like just a smoking area.

these problems could lead teenagers to come there smoke because the place is secluded and homeless people come to sleep.

Second, it isn't easy to approach. If you want to go to that square, you have to walk up the stairs sideways. That means people cannot pass or approach there naturally. In other words, people who build this don't care of the flow of human traffic.

Third, This is enough wide road practically but not because lots of street furnitures make the road narrow. Except for beauty at night, inside streetlights don't need necessarily, they just are overlapped.

Fourth, I don't know why they don't use this amazing stair seat.

This have ceiling and is quite located inside the road for those reasons it can exclude rain and sunlight and make people watch street naturally. 

There need removing trees to be open to the view.

(*I wish, don't plant trees obligatorily)

(**there is the bench mentioned below on the left picture)

The reality, however, is that they make this bench.

If you sit this, you can only watch the stone stair and facade of the hall because of small scrubs at the bottom right of the picture.

Lastly, This is entrance. But i wish using original entrance because 

it's hard to enter and contradiction about the structure.

I know they just want to reduce being crowded at the entrance, though.

+

+

Really lastly,There is the crack by the side!! Even if it's not open yet.

I worry that what if this hall collapses T.T

But I wish never happen that.

This is their action from my civil complaint.

It is coated by something and we can't see what is in there.

and plus when I watched that crack in detail, that didn't look like crack because

there wasn't the depth of the crack.