A BRIEF EVALUATION OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT-GENERAL BUILDING (GGB) in a COLONIAL PERIOD

Abstract

Following collapsing the empires, the modern nation-states were established at the end of the First World War and the palaces were replaced by modern administration buildings. However, the modernization practices of the Korean peninsula coincided with the colonization of Japan in the years between 1910 and 1945. While the dynastic and imperial capital Seoul was re-planned in the context of modern urbanization practices, Kyongbok Palace, one of the most important palaces, was destroyed in this period and the Japanese General Administration Building was built in its place, instead. The building did not exist only as an administration building; but also, it has become the representation space of Japanese hegemony. However, it continued to be used after the colonial period ended and its destruction was only possible in the early 1990s. In this context, this article aims to discuss the spatial practices and representation of the building in question on a historical and spatial basis.

Keywords

• modern administration buildings
• Japanese colony
• the Korean peninsula

Koloni Dönemi Yapısı Japon Hükûmeti Genel Yönetim Binası Üzerine Kısa Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

Birinci Dünya Savaşı sonunda yıkılan imparatorlukların yerine kurulan modern ulus devletlerle birlikte saraylar yerlerini modern yönetim binalarına bırakmışlardır. Bununla birlikte, 1910-1945 yılları arasında Japonya’nın sömürgesi olan Kore yarımadasının modernleşme pratikleri bu dönemde başlamıştır. Hanedan ve imparatorluk başkenti Seul modern kentleşme pratikleri bağlamında yeniden planlanırken, en önemli saraylarından Kyongbok Sarayı bu dönemde yıkıma uğramış, yerine Japon Genel Yönetim Binası inşa edilmiştir. Bina sadece bir yönetim binası olarak var olmamış; aynı zamanda Japon hegemonyasının temsil mekânı halini almıştır. Bununla birlikte, sömürge dönemi sona erdikten sonra da kullanılmaya devam edilmiş ve yıkımı ancak 1990’ların başında mümkün olmuştur. Bu bağlamda bu makalenin amacı söz konusu binanın mekânsal pratiklerini ve temsilini tarihsel ve mekânsal bir zeminde tartışmaktır.

Keywords

• modern yönetim binaları
• Japon sömürgesi
• Kore yarımadası

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