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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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 Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:00 pm Post subject: Korea's ugly churches |
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This is not intended as a thread about religion, but rather Korean architecture. Having said that, man, there are some ugly structures here used as churches. And not just ugly, but bizarre. As a non-religious person who nevertheless loves beautiful church architecture, Korea's church buildings can only be described as ugly. Maybe the atmosphere inside is agreeable to the congregants, but they sure are ugly to the eye.
https://uglychurchesofkorea.wordpress.com/ |
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Chaucer
Joined: 20 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:57 pm Post subject: Steeples |
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What I can't stand are the mass-produced aluminium circular/spiral steeples that you see on church buildings. Horrible!
Whoever makes them and has conditioned pastors to think they're normal is raking it in though. |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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| I know, it's bizarre. You'll see a church spire on the top of a four storey building with a dunkin donuts on the first floor. It's whack. Spires were part and parcel of a particular type of church construction. It's part of the architectural integrity of a 'stand alone' building. Taking it and placing it on top of a concrete block building that houses other companies is indefensible. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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Not to mention the neon crosses on those spires.
At least the churches are (sometimes anyway) nicer than the average apartment block.
I live next to an ugly church that sits on top of a samgyeopsal restaurant. I bet it smells nice in there... |
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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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The link you posted is missing the one outside of Migeum exit 3! It features a roof-mounted spinning, neon cross... flanked on both sides by rub-and-tug spinning barber poles  |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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Doesn't Smithington take Koreans to task for being superficial? Korean churches don't exist to make you happy and satisfy your personal sense of aesthetics.
That being said, some do look...unusual. I think the term "ugly" is in bad taste when describing a place of worship that may also provide community services to the poor and elderly. "Weird" or "Bizarre" might be better. |
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Qonny
Joined: 28 Oct 2014
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| Korean churches don't exist to make you happy and satisfy your personal sense of aesthetics. |
They don't?? Thats not very fair.
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| That being said, some do look...unusual. I think the term "ugly" is in bad taste when describing a place of worship that may also provide community services to the poor and elderly. "Weird" or "Bizarre" might be better. |
Come on. You always talk about how you listened to O&A. And you are telling me you take umbrage with someone calling Korean churches ugly?
These two facts dont compute.
The blog is funny. Architecturally, many Korean churches, and buildings are hideous. You know it. I know it. We all know it. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Qonny wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
| Korean churches don't exist to make you happy and satisfy your personal sense of aesthetics. |
They don't?? Thats not very fair.
| Quote: |
| That being said, some do look...unusual. I think the term "ugly" is in bad taste when describing a place of worship that may also provide community services to the poor and elderly. "Weird" or "Bizarre" might be better. |
Come on. You always talk about how you listened to O&A. And you are telling me you take umbrage with someone calling Korean churches ugly?
These two facts dont compute.
The blog is funny. Architecturally, many Korean churches, and buildings are hideous. You know it. I know it. We all know it. |
A little different than a public figure. Also, I find myself nodding in agreement at the ones that are obviously 5 million dollar architectural blunders, but when they go after some rural church in some old building its kind of off.
But whatever, the blog is fine. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| My old neighbourhood in Sangbong had a church above a sex shop, and next door to a massage parlour. Like an all-in-one sin and repent package deal. |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| My old neighbourhood in Sangbong had a church above a sex shop, and next door to a massage parlour. Like an all-in-one sin and repent package deal. |
LOL
The thing is, Koreans have a decent architectural heritage, even with religious structures. Buddhist temples are often beautiful, and the setting is inspired. They need to include some degree of traditional Korean architecture into their church building, but instead they go for monstrosities like this: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/09/rw-concrete-church-south-korea-nameless-architecture/
Was Robocop the architect? |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Joe Boxer wrote: |
| The link you posted is missing the one outside of Migeum exit 3! It features a roof-mounted spinning, neon cross... flanked on both sides by rub-and-tug spinning barber poles |
Photo, please. The blog accepts photos from others, or you can just post it here. Or attach a link from the net.
Post any photos you've got folks. |
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jcd
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Long gone are the days where slaves of the church paid for and helped to build Notre Dame etc...; and where churches demanded all your time and lots of your money with serious consequences if you refuse. Thank God. |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| jcd wrote: |
| Long gone are the days where slaves of the church paid for and helped to build Notre Dame etc...; and where churches demanded all your time and lots of your money with serious consequences if you refuse. Thank God. |
A church can be modest, simple and yet beautiful. They can be built cheaply without being an eyesore.
And yes, it can be done without slave labor.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that very few of the simple, pretty churches in our hometowns were built from forced labor programs. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:58 am Post subject: Re: Steeples |
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| Chaucer wrote: |
| What I can't stand are the mass-produced aluminium circular/spiral steeples that you see on church buildings. Horrible! |
Those things look like the fortress of the flying monkeys.
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| Whoever makes them and has conditioned pastors to think they're normal is raking it in though. |
I doubt the conditioning was for normal, but rather for cheap. |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:32 am Post subject: |
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| One would think that with all the money these churches make, the amount of valuable real estate they occupy, that they'd knock down and rebuild more aesthetic buildings. I've often wondered why they don't at least do that. |
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