Matter Value

Fall 2024 - Design Studio Arch 701
Donuimun Museum Village, Korea

Critic: Barry Wark
Collaboration with: Hilary Li

This project transforms a dense, irregular area into a cultural landmark—a gallery space—while addressing urban connectivity, sustainable material reuse, and innovative spatial aesthetics. The design centers on the concept of reorganized transparency and flipping space, creating a harmonious dialogue between history and modernity, inviting both locals and visitors to engage with the site anew.

The arrangement of the site is crowded, and in these narrow paths, it is difficult to know where one is, or the function of the buildings around one, with brick walls as far as the eye can see. We introduced two north-south pathways to connect Palace Park to the north with the street to the south. Then add three east-west trails, significantly improving circulation and accessibility across the site. We deconstructed the buildings along the way to create a sense of transparency. After demolishing, we would like to eliminate transportation costs for materials and grounds for the respect history of its site. To achieve one of the key components of the project, sustainability, the design reuses the materials from the demolished bricks. Bricks salvaged from demolished structures are repurposed to construct the northern façade, showcasing the beauty of weathered textures and the passage of time.

Inspired by the traditional gallery space, the modern renovation design cases, and the brick architecture culture in North-East Asia, we flip the convention of pristine white interiors and subdued exteriors tradition. In this approach, the existing historical brick walls itself become a part of the art content in the gallery space. The integration of recycled bricks from demolished structures minimizes environmental impact, consolidating them into our new design. Creating clean white walls serves as a canvas for natural weathering, emphasizing the passage of time in contrast with the existing building structures.