One of the reasons why Louis I. Kahn is regarded as a pioneer of Post-Modern Architecture is that his works are interpreted as Structuralism and Post-structuralism in architecture. A. Lüchinger’s interpretation of Structuralism and M. Benedikt’s interpretation of Post-structuralism; especially Deconstruction Theory, in Kahn’s architecture must be proper cases for understanding this context. However, when we precisely analyze their insistence, several fallacies can be found with their incomplete grasp of Kahn’s architectural thinking. The most problematic thing is that they maximize fallibility with focusing only on the analysis of superficial phenomenon, such as formal composition, disposition of space, decorative features, and so on. Therefore, the meaning of architectural essence toward Post-Modern Architecture which Kahn had pursued during his lifetime is sometimes misinterpreted. For this reason, this paper attempt to reanalyze Kahn’s philosophy of architecture deeply with the view of aesthetics which has a key role in both overcoming their fallacies and illuminating the potentiality of Kahn’s architecture.

수행이 중심이 되는 선원건축은 일반 사찰건축과 다르다. 그 공간적인 미 학 또한 특별하다. 최근 들어 명상센터와 템플스테이 관련한 건축물을 유행 처럼 짓고 있지만 선원건축에 대한 불교건축적인 기준이 없어서 설계와 건 축에 기준을 찾고 적용하는 데 어려움이 따른다. 이에 선원건축의 일반 사찰 건축에 대한 상이성을 모색해 보고자 전문적인 선 수행도량인 해인사 상선 원을 중심으로 살펴보았다. 상선원과 더불어 남양주 화개선원과 문경 봉암 사는 특별한 공통점과 특징성을 가지고 있다. 선원건축은 외떨어진 고요한 곳에 위치해 있으며, 백골건축이라 불릴 정 도로 단청이 생략되어 있고, 건물 사면이 문과 창호 및 복도로 구성되어 있 다. 내부에는 그 어떤 상징물(불상, 불단, 탱화 등)도 없고 생활과 관련된 시 설이 최소화되어 있으며, 마당에는 탑이나 종루도 없이 비어 있다. 그리고 수행에 방해가 되는 혼침과 벌레를 쫓는 환경이 갖춰지고, 수행공간도 평등 의 공간으로 남게 된다. 이러한 특별함에 대해 공간미학의 관점에서 비움과 채움, 가둠과 열림, 차가움과 따뜻함, 고요와 폭류의 개념을 추출하였다. 수행공간인 선원건축은 건축공간 내에 불교사상이 반영되어 있고 수행정 신을 고양시킬 수 있는 환경이 구축되어야 한다고 보았다. 선원(禪院)은 진 여가 온전히 드러나는 선의 근원[禪源]이고 불교 수행의 핵심을 담아내는 공 간이다. 이러한 건축적 미학을 선원건축에 담아내고 우리 삶의 공간으로도 끌어와야 할 것이다.

Unlike the extrinsic Modern Functionalist, Louis I. Kahn, a modern American architect, had been pursued intrinsic architectural nature based on historicity; The Essence of Architecture, during his lifetime. That is the reason why he is generally called as one of frontiers toward Post-Modern Architecture. However, the actual meaning of his ‘The Essence of Architecture’ is so vague and unclear until today, because not only his complex personal thought and career but various and subjective interpretation by so many later architects and architectural theorists. In the context, this paper attempt to reanalyze and clarify Kahn's idea of ‘The Essence of Architecture’ with the deep and objective view of aesthetics focused on a distinguished contemporary German philosopher, N. Hartman’s idea of phenomenological relation and the stratified structure of a work of art.

The purpose of this research is to rethink Alvar Aalto's architecture on the basis of the aesthetic concept of play. This attempt is valid because he had asserted the importance of play in his design. But more fundamentally, his critical view of the instrumentalised rationalism implied the idea that a human being is “Man the Player” as well as “Man the Thinker”, of which theory was elaborated in Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens (1938). Premised on it, this paper investigated the evolution of the play idea in aesthetics and located Aalto's concept within the map. Summing up, his play was an intuitively grasped desire opposed to a rational requirement, which leads to a dialectical synthesis. This schema is similar to that of Schiller, in which Spiel reconciles the reason and the sense. However, Aalto's play could be differentiated into the "astonishingly rational" and "a jest", each of which roughly corresponds to the Spieltrieb (play impulse) and the sinnliche Trieb (sensuous impulse) in Schiller's thinking. On the other hand, Aalto's architecture illustrates play that could be interpreted as the overflow of surplus energy. This play is the very concept that can bridge the gap in the form-function formula of modern architecture. Aalto's play idea seemed to basically originate from his personality but its value must be confirmed by the Finnish litterateur Yrjö Hirn as Aalto mentioned in his statements (1953 & 1972). It appears that Aalto's play concept was materialised in architecture through his typical design language, such as the undulating wall, the aperspective space, the imitation of nature and the collage of heterogenous elements. However, we should be careful not to reductively analyse the application of play in practise. As Huizinga's comprehensive theory suggests, the play element exists in any cultural areas including any architectural activities. In conclusion, this paper argues that Alvar Aalto the Homo Ludens presented the possibility of critical rationalism in modern architecture by imbuing dry modernism with "the life enhancing charm" of "the art of play".

Computerized visual database construction of architectural precedents has just begun in some research institutes in the world. In Korea the first visual database has shown its testl version by S architectural design firm in september 1996. In this article the author discusses the historical contexts and the recent computerization cases, the traits, the uses and the limits of architectural visual database system of precedents. The forms and contents of data fields in two cases are compared with a focus on the description of architectural traits of each data entry. Compared to the KIA format, the S database has better performance for architectural design reference because it collects more pictures and drawings and larger texts for the field of architectural chracteristics. But this latter also is constrained by its capacity of memory and so lacks the reciprocity of the DOORS in the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University. A visual database system which has more flexible allocation of memory and respondent with the users is yet to be prepared. But this system also should be maintained by some experts in architectural history, theory and criticism, because their knowledge is essential for selection of precedents and revision of the data description. A full-fledged electronic visual database in architecture will not only save much effort for the architect, but also will change the architects' design behavior. Nevertheless this does not mean the automatic promotion of architects' creativity.