제주 글라스하우스

Hyeopja Beacon is a means of communication that utilized torchlight and smoke to deliver urgent political or military-related news. It served similar functions as the well-known Bongsudae. Unlike typical beacons installed at the top of a mountain, these types of beacons were built on hills or coastal areas. Alongside Maldeungpo and Somaro, Hyeopja Beacon is one of the three beacons in Jeju that still maintain their original form. It is designated as Monument No. 23-2 of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Hyeopja Beacon has been able to maintain its original shape thanks to long and broad rocks that are piled up in layers, which help withstand lateral force. Ten layers of long plate stones are constructed in the irregular piling method. It is a trapezoidal stone structure whose entrance is 0.7 m wide and upper section is 8.6 m in both length and width and 3.1 m tall. At the top of the beacon, there is a flat and round fire pot with a diameter of 4.2 m where people made a fire back in the day.

Bangdupo Lighthouse is located at the end of Seopjikoji Trail and has a nickname of “Wish Lighthouse.” It is a white, 7-meter-tall lighthouse at about 40 m above sea level. It is seated on top of Jeju's red volcanic foundation so the harmony among the red ground, white lighthouse and blue sea is impressive. There is Seonnyeobawi Rock right underneath the lighthouse and a legend has it that seonnyeo, or fairies of Heaven, came down to earth every night and took baths here. One night, the son of the Dragon King of the Sea secretly watched the fairies taking a bath. The fairies eventually caught him and were no longer able to come down to this place ever again. The Dragon King's son prayed for the fairies to come back and in the end, received a promise that he would be able to marry a fairy when she comes down to earth on the 100th day. On the 100th day, however, the waves became so violent that the fairies weren't able to come down and the son of the Dragon King who was waiting for them eventually turned into a rock at this location. It is interesting that the rock was not a fairy but the youngest son of the Dragon King. The view of Bangdupo Lighthouse and Seonnyeobawi Rock is especially beautiful from the Seopjikoji Trail. Thanks to such picturesque scenery, it has been a popular spot to film numerous TV series, including All In, Warm and Cozy and Orange Marmalade.  

The Glass House is another work by Tadao Ando along with the Yumin Art Nouveau Collection (formerly Genius Loci). It is not common for works of a master to be built in a series in one area so it would be nice to compare and appreciate the two works. While the Yumin Art Nouveau Collection feels as if it is perfectly assimilated into the environment, the Glass House rises above the ground and is visible from everywhere in Cape Seopjikoji. Similar to an UFO that has made an emergency landing, the building has a completely different vibe from Yumin Art Nouveau Collection. It is actually a restaurant built on a beach with the sunrise view that looks like a V-shaped glass box installed on the second floor. Geometric planes with the exposed concrete and glass while excluding fancy decorations create uniqueness of the building. This also feels like a modern sculpture rather than a building. As you gradually get closer to the Glass House from afar, the view of Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone can be seen through the window created between the buildings that seem to be connected to each other. The first floor is located 3.6 m above the entrance, and the backside is closed whereas the front surface made of glass is wide open. Sunrise Park is a plaza built for people to see the sunrise and a view of the vast sea.