Table of contents for August 2017 in Space

The development of Yongsan Park is a matter of grave concern. A prohibited territory that has long served as the military base for the Japanese and US armed forces in Korea will finally be returned to the people after over one hundred years. Yet, development has been all but easy, with a myriad of problems, ranging from environmental pollution due to oil leaks, the reversal of development projects, as well as conflicts between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG). To such ends, the Yongsan Park Planning Office of the MOLIT hosted the Yongsan Park Roundtable to explore a more multifaceted approach. On June 23, the roundtable discussion was held under the theme ‘An Inquiry into Art in the Park’. As the third event…

As much as North Korea is a country in which a freedom of ideology and expression are suppressed, and as much as it is conservative and isolated from any kind of international exchange, ‘North Korean art’ is a field that is even more unfamiliar to South Korean. As such, it provokes a great deal of curiosity with regards to ‘whether art exists in North Korea?’ or ‘whether all North Korean art is propaganda?’ One researcher calls this unknown territory ‘the Galapagos of the international art scene’. He is no other than BG Muhn (professor, Georgetown University). On July 12, BG Muhn presented his findings taken from interviews with North Korean artists during nine visits to Pyeongyang over the past six years, in a lecture titled ‘Why North Korean Art?’ at…

The UIA 2017 Seoul World Architects Congress (Seoul Congress) is planning to introduce its research findings on future mobility from the perspective of the smart city through the academic programmes on offer. Under the theme ‘Smart Move & Work’, Chun Euiyoung (professor, Kyonggi University) will present on the theme of ‘Smart Work’ and Hyundai Motors will deliver a paper on the theme of ‘Smart Move’ after the Seoul Congress opens on Sep. 6. Chun Euiyoung will present on ‘the future of work and space’ in the field of ‘Smart Work’. He predicts developments in the integrated technologies of the internet of things, artificial intelligence and the Cyber Physical System will all introduce revolutionary changes to our lives, along with progress in nano-technologies and bio-technologies. It is predicted that the spaces…

 There is an artist-architect who has deconstructed or articulated 2,317m2 of anonymous space into an overwhelming spectacle, drawing on the scientific or sensual characteristics of contemporary art. The artist transformed a roughly empty space, devoid of any characteristics, into a large zone that enters the vast universe floating nine huge spheres emitting white or yellow light, as stars in galaxies seen in our eyes. The space also became a microworld where a female spider, who sensitively reacts to the slight wobbles of particles of dust, spins thread and casts a spider web. ‘She’ will spin a web corresponding to the stimulus of a machine that converts the spectator’s unconscious movement into sound in real-time throughout the exhibition period. It is a spectacle of great momentum and domination that…

The Ananti Penthouse Haeundae and Hilton Busan (also known as The Ananti Cove) opened last July after more than six years of planning and construction. The Ananti Cove, which is on a site of around 730,000m2 and 200,000m2 of Gross floor space, has received significant attention as the country’s largest vacation spot. More meaningful thing than these numbers, however, is that the Ananti Cove suggests a new spatial concept in our understanding of the ‘resort.’ The architectural design has been led by 30 member architectural firm. SKM Architects have long kept in step with Emerson Pacific in projects in Namhae, Keumgang Mt. and Gapyeong, drawing a sensed space connecting humans with nature here Busan. In the Ananti Cove, Ken Min Sungjin (principal, SKM Architects) reached perfection by drawing on the…

 Busan’s geographical conditions, with excellent accessibility from other areas, was taken into consideration during the design process for the Hilton Busan, combining various functions instead of giving the site a specific identity like a business hotel or tourist resorts. Most of all we endeavored to create an architectural work that would be in harmony with the ever-changing cycles of nature. While we pursue a sense of belonging and unity, in order to reveal that architecture exists as part of nature, we place an emphasis on the mutually complementary relationship in which buildings naturally accept natural energy and also emit energy through nature. A group of retail shops, known as the Ananti Town and located on the lower floors facing the sea, is comprised of…

 Architect: Soltozibin Architects (Cho Namho) Design team: Lim Kiung Location: Dongho-ro 17gil 230-12, Chung-gu, Seoul, Korea Programme: residence, office Site area: 554.20m2 Building area: 196.63m2 Gross floor area: 1240.23m2 Building scope: B2, 5F Parking: 7 Building to land ratio: 35.48% Floor area ratio: 136.7% Structure: RC, timber Exterior finishing: granite Interior finishing: paint Structural engineer: Sejin SCM Mechanical and electric engineer: Kodam Construction: CNO Design period: Jan. 2014 — Aug. Construction period: Oct. 2014 — Jan. 2016 Client: Seo Jeonggi, Shin Mihyun Between House and Gallery Yoon Seunghyun (principal, Interkerd Architects) ‘A container of human life’: although now something of a cliché, this is the definition of architecture that the general public find easiest to grasp. It explains the function and role of architecture via…

The avenue in front of Jeonju Station has been transformed into a pedestrian street. The project was a collaboration between the Jeonju (mayor Kim Seungsoo) and the architect Yoo Hyunjoon (principal, Yoo Hyunjoon Architects). Although at present it is only trees lining a sidewalk, the Jeonju now dreams of the local regeneration that could emerge here. But can it be successful? Jeonju began attracting visitors from within and outside Korea with its traditional Hanok Village. Tens of millions of tourists flock to Jeonju every year. Typically, these tourists get off at the Jeonju Station and make their way immediately towards the Hanok Village via bus or taxi. This is because most of the attractions and well-known restaurants are in the vicinity of the Hanok Village and the south market. As…

The first Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (The Seoul Biennale) is scheduled to open on Sep. 1 with various on-going pre-events in the weeks before. Free public lectures have been held since April, and workshops on Seoul Libre Maps were held in June and July. Nine lectures are given in each of two sections. Open talks will provide an opportunity to be introduced to urban architecture, a concept that is often considered unfamiliar to the public. As Park Seongtae (director, Junglim Foundation) explained ‘I hope this lecture will help people understand why they should lead this event and what they need to do to do so.’ Besides, the topics of the Seoul Biennale will be introduced at the lecture. On May 24 Song Bongkyu (founder, BKID) introduced the procedures…

The ‘Minimal House’ exhibition recently celebrated its seventh edition. The ‘Minimal House’ exhibition, which began in 2003 and was planned by Chung Younghan (principal, Younghan Chung Architects) was conducted with the voluntary participation of architects. This year, the exhibition included the work of Jung Sujin (principal, SIE Architecture), Yun Taekwon (principal, Engineforce Architects) and designband YOAP, along with the article ‘The Gaze of Others 2’by Hanm Donkyoon, which gives viewers an insight into the concept of the minimal. The curator Chung Younghan explained that ‘before, participating architects mostly aimed to define minimalism in the context of size. However, this year, a variety of definitions were produced other than simply capacity’. Minimalism in the ‘Minimal House’ takes on two meanings. The first is a variety of interpretations of minimalism. The architects…

 Viva Arte Viva is the motto of the 57th Venice Biennale, which will be open until November 26. The director, Christine Macel defines the motto as a passionate declaration for the role of art and artists. It is also under this motto that the Venice Biennale presents their works in a time of unstable globalisation. There is no strong directorial voice, who commonly gathers artists and their works under a theme with a specific intention. The absence of a unifying theme makes this year different from previous years. Without being limited to a theme, like a book, the main exhibition ambitiously attempts to deploy the multifarious aspects of art by engaging with the broad problems facing humanity. The focus is both on art itself, which is an ambivalent activity that…

Park Sungjin (Park): To describe the architectural impression and atmosphere of the Ananti Cove, one might say it is deep, long, and intensive. The narrative and sequence of the space penetrates deep and far, from the ground to underground, and its approach makes the visitor confront the seascape. It is a spatial drama that reaches right to the front desk of the hotel on the 10th floor. Most importantly, the scenery is hidden at its introduction and is subsequently dragged into the furthest depths, right at the heart of building. A horizontal close-range view of Penthouse and a vertical distant view of hotel theatrically welcome the visitor. In this relaxed space-time, what do you expect of one’s personal experience? Ken Min Sungjin (Ken Min): In more generic hotels, there is…

 From the architectural discipline, the plan rationalises space. Like a reference text, it dutifully carries with it the legacy of proven historical typologies, documenting ancient and modern courtyards, controlling light and air, highlighting the proportions of basilicas serving kings then gods, streamlining the efficiency of the double-loaded corridors, precisely connecting real-estate demands with capital. However, the section clearly materialises the plan, exchanging rationality for philosophical, aesthetic, and performative effects. For instance, the generic courtyard is transformed into the sublime central hall of Louis Kahn’s Exeter Library. The easily recognisable basilica plan in Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia is merely a starting point for complex soaring sectional hyperboloids. Even the stubbornly normative double-loaded corridor is turned into an interlocking matrix of residences in Le Corbusier’s Unité d’habitation. To use the latter architect’s career…

Architect: Seoro Architects(Kim Jeongim) Design team: Jang Hanjin, Jung Bokju, Kim Kyungsun Location: 469, 472-5, Geumseong-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, Korea Programme: neighbourhood facility, multiple dwellings House Site area: 1,107m2 Building area: 418.96m2 Gross floor area: 521.37m2 Building scope: 2F Height: 7.5m Parking: 5 Building to land ratio: 37.85% Floor area ratio: 47.1% Structure: RC Exterior finishing: Monobrick, antique brick, ipe Interior finishing: paint on gtpsum board, wooden flooring Interior design: Design Seoda(Hong Heesoo) Structural engineer: THEKUJO Mechanical engineer: JU-SUNG MEC Electrical engineer: HANGIL Engineering Construction: MAROO Construction, co. ltd Landscape design: The Garden (Kim Bongchan) Design period: Aug. - Dec. 2015 Construction period: Mar. 2016 - Mar. 2017 Budget: 1.3 Billion KRW A House with Land, Scenary and Wind Kim Taeil (professor, Jeju National University) Introduction Jeju has undergone a…

When searching ‘small library’ on an online map, you will find a dozen in an area at a guess. To recall these libraries around my space, however, made me realise I hardly noticed any of them. The number of small libraries across the country exceeds 6,300 as of July 2017. In a quantitative respect, it is true that small libraries have created a fine network, but there are so many problems to solve on their spatial conditions and roles. What are the limits and architectural possibilities of a small library based on its quantitative growth? However, we are somewhat unfamiliar with the super high-rise building, and discussion surrounding it. 33m Public Library When did small libraries emerge? It is often thought to be after 2012 when the Promotion of Small…

People who struggle everyday, unable to settle down in the city, cannot leave the city as it is where opportunities exist for work and to become successful. The city is attractive and open to everyone, but at the same time it is also cruel and cold-hearted towards many. Krzysztof Wodiczko’s pilgrimage to empower the marginalized in cities, which for too long have concealed the weak and unfavourable, and to pursue equality and freedom, continues in Seoul. ‘Krzysztof Wodiczko: Instruments, Monuments, Projections’ is currently on at National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). His first exhibition in Korea displays roughly eighty examples of his work. Krzysztof Wodiczko’s ‘Instruments’, made in the years since 1968, are all addressed to the socially marginalized to include immigrants, atom bomb victims, female victims…

 The Young Architects Programme (YAP), hosted by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Hyundai Card, and the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is now in its fourth year. I admit saying to myself, ‘how restore the site?’, while observing past prize-winning structures. The architects themselves must have felt frustrated due to the sheer amount of waste, and the arch-stones would have needed to be replaced for a certain number of projects that required a redone ground floor. Not a single element can be overlooked in this project, running on a tight schedule with little financial support. This year’s award-winning piece, Centreefugal Park, is succinct and to the point. The moment I thought ‘It would okay to remove this and place it in a…

 The 1km beautiful rocky shoreline and coastline that extends along the front of the site, the smooth ridge of mountain that rises behind it, and stretch of clear open sea all advance the unique power of the site. In a modest manner that respects the natural language of this place, we designed the buildings to be both low and wide. As the Ananti Penthouse Haeundae is run through a membership system, unlike the Hilton Busan, the importance of securing privacy was a task set for its overall design. At the same time, a spatial device was required to help guests interact with nature in various ways. We adopted a design method that would combine the mountain, sea and architecture based on a series of specific…

Architect: Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP Design partners: Richard Meier, Reynolds Logan Project architects: Thibaut Degryse, Ananth R. Sampathkumar Design team: Gil Even-Tsur, John Jourden Project management: Waxman Govrin Executive architect: BLK Architects and Town Planners Location: Rothschild Boulevard 36, Tel Aviv, Israel Site area: 3,582m2 Building area: 2,470m2 Gross floor area: 750m2 (typical residential floor) Height: 154m2 (top of mechanical enclosure) / 148m2 (height of highest occupied floor) Interior: Tammy Yaniv Architecture, Neuman Hayner Architects Lighting: Michal Kantor, Lighting Design Facade: Landmann Aluminum LTD Structural engineer: David Engineers LTD Structural Design & Consulting Mechanical engineer: D. Hahn Consulting Engineers LTD Electrical engineer: R. Cohen & Associates Landscape design: Zur Wolf Landscape Architects Design period: 2006 – 2010 Construction period: 2011 – 2016 Clients: Berggruen Residential ltd Spatio-temporal…

 Architect: Oh Sang Hoon (Dankook University) Design team: Jung Haejun, Jo Hyunjun, Yoon Jangyeon, Jeong Jihoon (CTR Form Architects) Location: Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea Programme: mix-use, housing Site area: 290.5m2 Building area: 157.79m2 Gross floor area: 518.29m2 Building scope: B1, 4F Height: 14.14m Parking: 5 Building to land ratio: 54.31% Floor area ratio: 136.74% Structure: reinforced concrete Exterior finishing: fiber cement panel, color steel panel Interior finishing: paint on gypsum board, tile Structural engineer: Power structure Construction: Co-Workers Mechanical and electrical engineer: Yousung total engineering Design period: June 2015 – Jan. 2016 Construction period: Apr. 2016 – May 2017 Diagram Nonhyun-dong Multi-storey House - Air Multi-storey Kim Jaekyung (professor, Hanyang University) Multi-storey Multi-storey houses are rarely stars of the architectural scene. Architects and even the general public can…

The architect and designer Il Hoon Roh’s first exhibition ‘Material Architectonics’ opened on 12 July at the Platform-L Contemporary Art Center. Il Hoon Roh, who graduated from the AA School and worked at Foster + Partners, founded his own design studio in 2010 and has since showcased the artistic forms of his various interior and installment projects. As implied by the title ‘Material Architectonics’, Il Hoon Roh maintains architectural concepts in his work and insists on architectural expressions of a larger scope. Here, we take a closer look at what informs Roh’s unique architectural expression. ‘Material Architectonics’ is the first design exhibition held at the Platform-L Contemporary Art Center, which until now has focused on contemporary art. The fact that the Art Center has opened its gates to a new…