Table of contents for July 2020 in Space

SPACE strives to feature works of architecture from individual studies in contemporary Korean architecture to the current innovative shifts in international architecture. In this spirit, all domestic and international works of architecture submitted to SPACE as feature proposals will undergo the SPACE Peer Review System, in order to uphold a diverse, professional and fair system of judgement. Each month, all submitted works will undergo a blind test by two to three reviewers, who are representatives of the current Korean architecture scene. We cordially request your interest, support, and participation in submitting prospective featured works, in our efforts to secure a varied point of view and a transparent selection process. For submission, the following materials are required: photographs, drawings, outlines of the work, text description, a profile of architect or architectural…

As one of his most persistent themes, the ‘surface’ is the means and intended outcome of Kim Seunghoy (professor, Seoul National University)’s contemplation of how urban and architecture relates to one another. Through the All Nations Church Education Center, Gallery The Wall, Curachem, and Pangyo J Residence — the architectural works that feature in this issue — Kim explores variations of approach to the surface and creates numerous unique identities by placing diverse programmes and buildings of various sizes in different urban environments. Through an architectural expression directed towards the city outside, a consistent, established order throughout the inside, and a 3-dimensional relationship in-between, the true potential of the surface is evinced by Kim’s architecture.…

Gallery The Wall (hereinafter The Wall) is the renovation work of a 25-year old multi-household residence – which was once the honeymoon house of the gallery director – into a gallery and café. The 62.8m2 -sized site is situated adjacent to the U.S Army Garrison Yongsan (Yongsan Garrison). In spite of its small scale, this space is comprised of a wall and materials of various narratives (as befitting its name, The Wall) that house the contemplations of the gallery director. The external red brick wall of the original building, the recently-added expanded metal façade that creates changing patterns, and the glass external wall that envelops the lower floor, all create a familiar and yet new landscape in this quiet alley. The metal wire fence and wall that divides the Haebangchon…

With the era defined by globalisation seemingly coming to an end, whither Korean architecture today? In fact, this question may seem banal and too obtuse to elicit a valuable answer, but architect Kim Seunghoy’s works are worthy of note for exhibiting a major symptom as a result of recent history. Here, I think the most significant topic to discuss is the expression of a building’s skin and its materials. Consisting of many overlapping thoughts, however, the subject requires more explanation than easy interpretation. As a matter of fact, I think this is the first time that the issue of the skin has been foregrounded in a discussion of Korean architecture. Properties of specific materials have of course been explored, but such discussions are often overwhelmed by key concepts such as…

Simple Ideas with Difficult Solutions Park Insoo principal, PARKiz Architects  As with most architecture, the process of designing begins on a piece of paper, followed by the actual construction efforts on the site. Therefore, were it not for the actual construction, the meaning of architecture remains limited—the architecture eventually completed on site. In the film industry, the director not only writes scenarios but oversees the entire production process, developing the overall meaning and value of the film. Sometimes the scenario and setting may be better than the movie, or the other way round. The former is an example of poor direction with good planning, and the latter is mediocre planning that accidentally achieves a certain significance. This project, administered by the Gyeonggi Urban Innovation Corporation, as a private-sector public housing…

Inquiries and Submission spaceacademia00@gmail.com +82–2–396–3359 Chief Editors Mann-Young Chung (Seoul National University of Science and Technology) Sung Hong Kim (University of Seoul) Sanghun Lee (Konkuk University) Editors Yongsoon Chang (Hongik University) Sungyong Cho (Kwangwoon University) Won-joon Choi (Soongsil University) Chye Kiang Heng (National University of Singapore) Mark Hinchman (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) Alfred B. Hwangbo (Seoul National University of Science and Technology) Mark Jarzombek (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Hyun-Tae Jung (Lehigh University) Inha Jung (Hanyang University) Aarati Kanekar (University of Cincinnati) Hyuk Khang (Kyungsung University) Hyon-Sob Kim (Korea University) Jin-Ho Park (Inha University) John Peponis (Georgia Institute of Technology) Hayub Song (Chung-Ang University) SPACE Academia is the architectural theory research section of SPACE. The section serves to introduce academic papers that enrich and expand the research legacy of SPACE, in its…

On May 19, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the launch of the 6th Presidential Commission on Architectural Policy to oversee national building and urban policy. The Commission is a presidential establishment based upon the Framework Act on Building, and consists of 11 official members and 19 members from the across the private sector. The main task of the commission is to suggest new directions for architectural policy and to deliberate and adjust the policiesofrelated ministries. This commission pursues policy continuity by taking over the incumbent 5th commission’s major tasks, such as reforming the construction system, improving the administrative system, and revitalising residential policy, improving the building permit system and the methods by which they are ratified, promoting the integrated design of urban architecture, and leading regional development…

At times, the view outside the window — of Namsan and the surrounding scenery of Haebangchon — appears to be a living organism. The houses, the alleys, and the topography must have bonded together and matured like a tree. The lives of the inhabitants must also have been grafted onto one another in these houses and alleyways, coming to settle into serene shape like a bird nesting in the branches. The building of these houses and the paving of nearby roads reveals how their inhabitants have formed relationships with these spaces during their period of residence. The buildings that feature here — the All Nations Church Education Center (hereinafter All Nations Church), the Gallery The Wall (hereinafter The Wall), the Curachem, and the Pangyo J Residence — differ from one…

The Curachem, which has settled down at the Medical Research District at Osong, Choongchungbuk-do is the research lab of a bio-venture company. Making the research space and office rooms comfortable was our aim as we began the design of this research facility. The first floor is comprised of an office, meeting room, and dining hall. As a research facility, it holds various seminars and meetings. The meeting room and dining hall were positioned next to each other with a high-floor lounge at their centre. By opening the sliding walls of the meeting room, a large space that connects to the lounge has been formed. Using the concept of a ‘house within a house’, three gabled roofs were added to the dining hall to create a cosy atmosphere. The research spaces…

Hea Kyoung Jang, who majored in product and industrial design, founded Fict Studio in 2016, a name that stands for ‘From Craft to Industry’. Her focus is primarily on the materials seldom used in domestic objects and furniture, exploring the surprising ways in which they can come together. Her works include Nacre series, which employ nacre and resin, the Fragment series, which mix marble fragments with resin, and the Loess series, which combine loess and straw with jesmonite. SPACE conducted an interview with Jang, to hear more about her inventive methods and materials. Choi Eunhwa (Choi): Fict Studio’s first project was the Nacre series defined by an intriguing blend nacre with resin. When I think of the nacre, the thing immediately springs to mind is the grandmother’s vintage cabinet. Your…

The National Urban Research agency, Architecture & Urban Research Institute (auri), is to be promoted to the Korea National Institute of Architecture and Urban Research from this November. It will follow the promulgation of the Act on the Establishment, Operation and Fostering of Government-funded Research Institutes released on May 19. This promotion has been made 13 years after its establishment as a subsidiary organisation of the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements under the Prime Minister’s Office. Auri was established in June 2006 as the first national research agency in the field of architecture and urban space, and has been performing various tasks such as the revitalisation of public architecture, the development of city design strategies, and research on building assets. Attempts were made to achieve recognition as an independent…

The Pangyo J Residence was designed with the idea that cats are part of a family in mind. It was very enjoyable to spend time imagining a space where humans and cats could comfortably coexist. The site was of a northward inclination. A front yard with flowers and trees was designed and placed in front of the living room for the inhabitants to enjoy. The terrace in front of the dining hall, which was at a relatively higher level, was finished with flat masonry to accommodate various activities. Because the two yards of different levels have their own distinct personalities, the inner space facing those yards also possesses a unique spatiality. The living room has access to a panoramic landscape while the dining hall is connected to the backyard to…

A Very Subtle Boundary Kang Woohyun, Kang Youngjin co-principals, Archihood W×Y  Doo Jip is a house for two branches of one family, and there crossing and separation take place at the same time. The design of this house is inspired from the relationship between the two parties. The parents and their son’s family decided to live together after 10 years of separation. The impression gained from the site at the first visit before proceeding design work was about ‘height’. The site was sitting on a hillside of Inwangsan mountain, so it had a high altitude and a steep slope. And there was a 5m-high embankment at the entry to the site. The town was densely packed, and thus the work environment was not favorable for construction. Even land records didn’t…

‘Compulsion to Repeat’, ‘Are You Depressed?’, ‘Mindfulness’, and ‘SOUNDMUSEUM’: these are the titles of exhibitions held in the first half of 2020, under the cloud of our present Coronavirus Disease-19 situation. Today, as uncertainty and anxiety increases, the themes guiding art exhibitions have expanded to feature reflections and interpretations of individuals and groups, and the psychologies of individuals, groups, and communities. At the same time, multifaceted experiments that weigh up how best to explore and experience these issues have also become something of a trend. If this phenomenon is interpreted in reverse, it could be understood as a widespread desire for emotional empathy and social engagement at the point at which he needs of artists and visitors meet. Our epoch characterised by isolation, in which we can no longer imagine…