Symbolism In Architecture Of Korea Town In Toronto

When entering a new town the first thing that catches my attention are the buildings. As I walked through Korea town which is located in Toronto, Ontario along Bloor street between Christie and Bathurst Street in Seaton Village. I notice the buildings provide an insight into culture, tradition, values and diverse architectural style. It had buildings that were completely made where others were still being made but still showed the outline of traditional Korean architecture. I realized the built structures were created to remind Koreans of their home.

The buildings are distinguished by their simplicity, naturalistic tendencies, economy of shape and the prevention of looking to intense. The roof structure that is visible in China town was modified in Korea town. The roofs present in Korea town were into a gently sloping roof, there was not much sharp angles, or strong lines present in between the buildings. More so, there was not much ornate colour or fancy designs present on the building. It presents inner conformity and is settle in term of colour. The shape of the buildings are symmetrical and the design is very geometric in form. What further distinguishes Korea town from the rest of Toronto is the way each building communicates the aspiration of its function while also fulfilling its practical needs. It represents the difference in expression, apart from differences in planning, it distinguishes the forms of architectural types such as: the restaurants from the banks and the recreational from the salons. More so, when architectural form becomes the main content from the way the buildings have their arrangement in relation to its decoration- it is symbolic.

The symbolism can be understood in many aspects. For example, Korea town has many stores, restaurant, banks, markets all written in Korean to bring the cultural notion of Korea to Toronto. The signs are in various forms some being tall, other signs being short, overlapped, and use of garish colours are constantly present. More so, the structure of language used for the store name permits endless new meanings, to the building itself. Especially for people such as myself who have no idea how to read Korean. It raises its importance as it is a form of architectural symbol which is logical and gets the communication of that building across. The value that the buildings hold in Korea town are quite significant because they give some passage towards old buildings and the ability to see directly into the past. The selection of windows, facade treatment, ornaments present in the building show us what life was like 100 or 400 years ago and what kind of materials and values were available in the past to use. These historical structures provide richness to the current time, showcasing the culture of Korea through the built environment.

Lastly, I believe the architecture present in Korea town continues the tradition of story telling through its infrastructures. Large and small buildings both present time and reflect on knowledge, values and tradition being represented. The top of the buildings were kept the same whereas the bottom was decorated with lights, bamboo material, Korean advertisements and plants. As people pass by the street it makes you feel distinguished from Toronto as if you are not in Toronto but rather in Korea. The street names written in Korean, the smell, atmosphere gives a cosmopolitan vibe. The community further draws attention to Korean food, groceries, K-Pop nightclubs, and karaoke! Just transforming multiple buildings along Bloor street one can see the change that a building can communicate through its design and bring Korea to Toronto.