| Title |
The Emergence and Development of 2-Bay × 2-Bay Sites in the Silla Royal Capital |
| Authors |
정영수(Jeong, Youngsoo) ; 전봉희(Jeon, BongHee) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.2.315 |
| Keywords |
Silla Royal Capital; 2-Bay × 2-Bay; Kan or bay; Ancient Wooden Architecture; Typology; Embedded Pillar |
| Abstract |
This study reassesses the architectural-historical significance of 2-bay × 2-bay building sites in the Silla Royal Capital. A typological and
diachronic analysis of 246 building sites, including 26 examples of the 2-bay × 2-bay plan, traces their developmental trajectory. The results
reveal this plan not as a fixed type, but as a dynamic one that continually reshaped its role. It developed from a dominant prototypical form
in the embedded-pillar phase into a modified form occupying a central, hierarchical position in the early Unified Silla period. It later became
a reconstructed type that diversified into ancillary functions as new spatial norms, such as the 3-bay facade, emerged. Based on this
trajectory, the study identifies two main architectural-historical implications. First, the 2-bay × 2-bay plan represents an important early
experiment in shaping the concept of the kan or bay. Second, it serves as a key indicator of continuity and transformation during the
technological transition from embedded-pillar to foundation-stone construction. In sum, by restoring the dynamism of the even-numbered bay
experiment that preceded the later odd-numbered bay paradigm, this research offers a new perspective on the history of early wooden
architecture. |