Relatively lacking cultural facilities, the North-eastern part of Seoul required a new cultural space that would provide citizens with equal opportunities to enjoy cultural lives.
Reviving the memories of Nowon which used to be a field of reeds, the design team visualized a cultural hill that would harmonize with the gallery park.
Like a serene white mass integrated into the hill, Buk Seoul Museum of Art revitalizes the region which is mostly composed of monotonous high-rises apartments and provides a nature-friendly cultural space in which the green flow of the park integrates with the art museum to become a single entity.
In particular, diversified circulation patterns create a space of ‘connectivity’ where various elements of people, nature, and art converge to create new possibilities in communication & collaborations.
Besides the exhibition galleries which are located on various floors around a central atrium, the basement floor is planned for educational and multi-purpose facilities which involve active communication and exchange of ideas with local citizens.
On the first floor, library, multimedia facility, exhibition hall for children and teenagers are located for easy access.
On the top floors and the rooftop gardens, an outdoor sculpture park is connected directly to the surrounding landscapes to create an extension of the museum into the park.
The green roofs serve as rainwater filters while insulating the museum and reducing its energy use.
The museum’s volumes are staggered around the green hill, creating areas where the architecture blends with nature.
This connects visitors to the land and culture at the same time. The new museum addition has transformed the area, inviting the community to enjoy culture and nature.
Location: Nowon-gu, Seoul, Korea Architect: Samoo Architects & Engineers Collaboration: ARCH Architects Group Co., Ltd. Structure: RC, SRC Total Floor Area: 17,113 m2 Year: 2013 Photographs: Young Chae Park