From Vertical to Horizontal : The Unique Layout of Seokguram

Abstract

Seokguram Grotto is a structure unparalleled throughout East Asia. The round main chamber in particular is unique to Seokguram and without equal in Korea or China. Researchers thus far have attributed the design for Seokguram to foreign influences. However, the source of inspiration is more likely domestic, an adaptation of the Silla tunnel-type stone-chamber tombs of the seventh and eighth centuries. By rearranging the rectangular and circular components of the tunnel-type tombs from a vertical to horizontal layout, the structure of Seokguram gained structural stability and increased space for the accommodation of various sculptures of Buddhist figures. The resulting layout of Seokguram is a symbolic representation of the earthly or secular realm, the world of Buddha, and the transitional space in between.