Brutalist Korea: Capturing Concrete's Stark Beauty in Photographs
Photographer Paul Tulett brings his distinctive eye to South Korea's postwar architecture, focusing on the austere beauty of concrete in a series of starkly stunning images. His work, featured in the new book Brutalist Korea published by Prestel, reveals these buildings not as static monuments but as living entities weathered by time, integral to the visual culture of modern Korea.
Iconic Structures from Seoul to Jeju Island
Through raw, monumental surfaces, Tulett tracks the evolution of South Korean architecture during a period of rapid industrialisation. Key highlights include:
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul: Designed by Zaha Hadid and completed in 2014, this fluid, futuristic structure rises like a colossal spacecraft. Beneath its aluminium skin lies a concrete skeleton with flowing interior voids, cantilevered volumes, and massive spans that recall old-school Brutalism.
- Jeju Glass House, Jeju Island: Created by Tadao Ando in 2008, this glass house offers a wink at transparency in an era of enclosure. On an island shaped by fire and wind, it feels both ancient and alien.
- JH Building, Seoul: Completed in 2023 by architects Han Ji-Young and Hwang Su-Yong, this building echoes Seoul's changing identity, where architectural experimentation and urban density produce expressive, intelligent structures.
Architectural Diversity and Innovation
Tulett's photographs showcase a range of styles and purposes, from educational to residential buildings.
- White Cube Matrix – Paju Kindergarten: Designed by Unsangdong Architects in 2014, this concrete labyrinth of cubes and apertures reads like an architectural toybox, blending childlike daring with adult precision. It's a Brutalist bunker reinterpreted as a playful fortress for finger paint and nap time.
- Simple House, Jeju Island: Architect Moon Hoon completed this home in 2017, describing it as a house with personality. Featuring knees, elbows, and a defiant fist, it shows a curious tenderness as it lifts to allow views and sunlight to soften its angular armour, negotiating with nature rather than harmonising.
- Chungha Building, Seoul: Remodelled by MVRDV in 2013, this once-dated mid-century block was transformed into a sculptural, light-catching presence. Instead of demolition, the team wrapped the facade in curvaceous white frames, giving each level a stage-like identity.
Historical and Cultural Context
Many of these structures carry deep cultural weight, reflecting Korea's complex history and forward-looking ambition.
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza: Occupying the site of a former Japanese military facility and near Joseon dynasty relics, it symbolises Korea's ability to build on the past while vaulting forward with brutal ambition.
- Jeju Stadium: Completed in 1968, this broad elliptical bowl rises from volcanic plains like a discus in flight. With rhythmic supports and clean geometry, it endures actively while newer arenas face obsolescence.
- Geumo Yuhyeondae, Sayuwon: Designed by Seung H-Sang in 2017, this quiet platform features a concrete plane, reflecting pools, and a deep void, complementing nearby structures with contemplative stillness.
Metaphorical and Artistic Expressions
Some buildings transcend mere function to become metaphors for broader themes.
- House Of Open Books, Paju Book City: Completed in 2005 by Himma Studio, this concrete meditation on language and reading features folded planes and slanted lines resembling an open book mid-turn. It transforms architectural mass into metaphor, encouraging visitors to savour it like great literature.
Paul Tulett's work captures the essence of South Korea's brutalist gems, highlighting their austere beauty and role in the country's architectural evolution. Through his lens, concrete becomes not just a material but a narrative of resilience, innovation, and cultural identity.
