“Jitda” Pavilion

“Jitda”, meaning build in korean, is a pavilion that acts as a spatial device which summons our senses and memories of houses before hanok or the original form of homes deeply engraved in our subconscious mind. The yard in the center serves as a peaceful space that attracts sunlight and wind while providing protection from the elements and the erratic external environment.

While the initial intention was to cover the roof with the ground to preserve the sense of the original form, the roof and the walls are covered with “sanja,” which is not usually exposed in hanok architecture, in consideration of visitors’ safety and structural management as well as the image of the space. By incorporating sanja, the pavilion becomes a space full of light and shadows that welcomes visitors to freely move around and contemplate.

Old timber found at a sawmill was used for the construction of the pavilion and low mounds surrounding the pavilion were made with soil dug up from the site. The pillars were erected without a cornerstone after compacting the ground. Pillars, purlins and beams were placed on the pillars using a simple construction method and rafters were covered on the roof and exterior walls. After the sanja was constructed on the rafters, vines such as luffa, gourds, cucumbers, kidney beans, and morning glory were grown to cover the outer walls.

Passing through the bamboo grove at the entrance, visitors to the Jitda Pavilion will see a round yard with gudeul, old floor heating stone, laid out under an open sky in a quiet space like a forest. During the day, shadows from the round roof moves like a sundial, and at night, the moon rises in the round sky as the pavilion lights up the dark like a lotus lantern.

Sponsor: Hanok Cooperation,Architectual Lighting Design, Hanok Recycling Bank (Buck chone HRC Co., Ltd)