Within the Wanju county of South Korea's North Jeollabuk-do province lies a unique property that mixes tradition and modernity.
Situated atop the OZ Gallery and Awon Museum is a hotel that houses a 250-year-old hanok-style accommodation originally built in the city of Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do. Hanok is a traditional Korean house built in the 14th century during the Joseon Dynasty. Its structure is different depending on the social class. Typically, upperclass people have hanok houses with tiled roofs.
Design-anthology.com reports that it took architect Jeon Hae-gap 12 years to culminate the whole property.
According to Jeon, "I wanted to create a facility that allows visitors to experience this quiet mountainous village as purely as possible. That's why I decided to go on a search for an old hanok that could be relocated here."
Awon Hotel is comprised of an Anchae — Seolhwadang Hall (main house), Sarangchae — Yeonhadang Hall (guest house), Byeolchae — Cheonmokdasil Room, and the Cheonjin — Manhyudang Hall where K-pop group BTS shot its 2019 BTS Summer Package music video.
Jeon added that the structure was reassembled without nails or adhesives. Its walls and windows are adorned with hanji, a traditional Korean paper that uses the bark of the Mulberry Tree as its foundation.
Guests can take walks amongst the bamboo forest just behind the hotel.
