Seoul Art Complex
1861-MBO-SEL.KR-2017
Architect: BDGS
Client: Seoul Metropolitan Government
Status: Competition (2017)
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Coordinates: 37.607677, 126.969745
Climate: Continental, Temperate
Materials: Glass, Metal
Environments: Mountain, Urban
Visualizer: Studio
Budget: 13.390.100 €
Scale: 5.101 ㎡ Medium
Ratio: 2.625,00 €/㎡
Types: Cultural, Cultural center

The four distinct sites of unequal dimensions and qualities come as a contradiction with the unique program the Seoul government is aiming to develop. Pyeongchang-dong is already renowned for its scattered museums, galleries and cultural highlights and is missing a central point, where all inspiration and enthusiasm can converge. By focusing the entire build area on one site, the art complex gain its identity while utilizing the unbuilt sites to create a dynamic connection to the natural environment. Our proposal offer unique internal functions, supported by the three open sites that are fully dedicated to the public space of the city.

Flexible space ≠ White box

The traditional museum with its succession of rooms and corridors is guiding the visitor through a perfectly static scenography. In contrast, the contemporary museum, or the white box, erase the lines and offer an absolute neutral space. The three-dimensional grid of the art complex blurs the definition of an open space and a room. The absence of circulation will allow an unlimited reconfiguration of the building, where the open space became the room and vice versa.

Geometry

The building sits on the most prominent location of the 4 sites and exposes its main facade to the Pyeongchangmunhwa-ro. The inclined roof and the reduced third level minimize the impact on the northern site and maintain a pedestrian-friendly scale with its northern facade. An inset from the East road creates a protected and inviting plaza facing the entrance of the Art Complex.

Specifics

Each program sets a central point from where it can grow in any direction. The Open-Archive connects the ground floor to the rooftop with succession of unique spaces: a double height reading lounge, a sketching courtyard, small meeting rooms, exhibition galleries and archival steps. The visitor can be surrounded by exhibited materials while reading a book, sketching or building a new creation. The Community Learning Space is nested under an atrium with the Stepping Workshop, where each step give an intimacy each creator needs in order to be able to freely experiment while he is still in constant contact with the work of others. The multiple connections between the programs create the unpredictability that inspires creativity. The visitors are visually in contact with everything: the art pieces, the archives, and the different zones of activities. We propose an art complex that ultimately became the laboratory that the museum cannot be.

Ecology / economy

By focusing the build area on a single site, we reduce the footprint of the building, limit the amount of facade, and simplify the construction process; therefore, minimising environmental impacts and controlling the budgets.
The soil extracted from the main site will be used for all landscaping intervention on the other sites.

Competition: Seoul Art Complex | Team: Peeraya Suphasidh, Matthieu Boustany, Benoist Desfonds, Gilles Guyot | Post date: 01/04/2017 | Views: 8.849