Seoul Photographic Arts Museum
Seoul, South Korea
2019
Seoul, South Korea
Competition: 2019
Status: Competition Entry-3rd Place
Gross floor area: 6,000m²
Client: City of Seoul, Korea
Architect: AXIA Design Associates
Project team: Chris Wong, Taymoore Balbaa, Michael Good, Leisdania Reynoso, Justine Houseley
Executive architect: Seoinn Design Group
Visualization: Eric Reid
AXIA’s proposal for a Photographic Arts Museum in Seoul, South Korea, received third place in an international design competition. Recognizing that a key purpose of this competition was to connect the museum’s site — in the Changdong-Sanggye area, located in the northeastern part of Seoul — to the rest of the city, our proposal creates a centre of arts, culture and discovery that can become a destination point for Seoulites, as well as tourists, helped by its close proximity to Changdong station. Complementary cultural facilities, such as the Seoul Arena Theatre, offer the promise of bringing many visitors to the site. Our design for the building promotes fluid pedestrian movement at the ground plane and a smooth transition between the Photographic Arts Museum and its immediate neighbours, creating significant urban amenities in the spaces between. Taking inspiration from the lens of the camera, our proposal uses a series of sweeping curves to frame the views of its surroundings and gently guides its visitors through the building.
The form of the building is derived from a series of elemental moves, beginning with a straight extrusion from the property line up to maximum height. The elliptical form of the neighbouring Robot Science Museum strongly impacts our building’s form, which features a dramatic sweeping curve that responds to this condition. The building mass continues to curve to accommodate street-level public and service entrances. Finally, the path of the sun — as well as key sightlines — result in new apertures that enrich the visitor’s experience and further connect the museum to its surrounding environment.
The museum enjoys functional and flexible spaces for exhibitions, connected by a fluid spine of public circulation. Educational programming is incorporated into the main circulation paths and engagingly invites the public to explore the photographic arts. Young people in particular are a focus of public engagement, with an eye toward fostering young talent in the photographic disciplines. Servicing of these spaces have also been carefully considered from the loading dock to the elevator, with efficiency and simplicity in mind. Circulation, functionality, and sculpted form are choreographed to produce an inspired new cultural facility.
