Wheelthrown Gallery in Seo-chon
Artist Residency Cooperative Organization
Yonsei University Architecture Deisgn Studio 3
Instructor : Jooeun Sung , RIBA
2017 Spring
Site : 35-17, Jahamun-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Individual Work
Critic : Soo-in Yang, AIA (Life Things)
Typology : Gallery
Site Area : 1178.1m2
FAR : 200%
Building Coverage : 60%
“For a cultural building to really contribute to a city, it must be connected into a pre-existing cultural vibrancy, supported by decent infrastructure and a community that actually lives there.” This quote about gentrification describes how I thought this gallery should function as.
From Analyzing gentrification in Seo-chon, I proposed artist residency cooperative organization. To create a place “like a bowl” that can embrace various people into courtyard around existing tree, the mass was pushed to the side. It is a invisible space that doesn’t count into FAR, but function as a center of this gallery.
Wheelthrowing technique of ceramics was adopted as a method to create a space inside, by deciding axis at the end of the site and revolving it. Original tensions from inside and outside was understood as tension between program, and developed into creating this gallery. To emphasize on drastic curvature surface, thickness became a factor for hierarchy of the interior space, placing circulation and core space between doubly curved walls.
Seochon, Accumulated layers of History in small scale
Historical assets exist adjacent to modern residential Hanok. Typicial sites in this town are divided into small pieces and long narrow streets are hidden like a maze.
There has been an effort to protect this village from reckless commercialization over few years by community and government. Seoul District Unit Determination was annected. It bans franchise business in inner streets to protect small business and prohibit reconstruction of buildins. Residents gatherd to make civic groups to revitalize the old market in area and protect old church from reconstruction.
Why propose ‘Seochon Artist cooperation’ ?
Gentrification is this area can not be blamed for pure gentrifiers, as there are subtly different gruops and people between gentrifier and social preservanists. People in Seochon could be grouped into 4 according to <Seoul, Gentrification>. At first it was artists and urban pioneers, then it was active residents who wanted the town to keep cultural vibrancy. Then, creative individual propertier came to run cafe and exotic restourants that made this town slowly crowded.
In past few years ,Seochon showed highest rate of increse in rental fee in Seoul. That meant people who were originally living there would not be able to afford the rent fee and would eventually have to leave this town. Then, business that can afford this high rent fees slowly take up and the cultural vibrancy There has been an effort to protect this village from reckless commercialization over few years by civic groups and government.
HBC community creative hub zone
Seochon artist cooperation is proposed at this point. To bring back the artists who left this town, there should be a artist resiency, for cultural vibrancy that makes Seochon like Seochon. So that this gallery can provide close experience with art to not only visitors but also residents around. In this effort, courtyard arond the existing tree is provided to public as ‘Place like a bowl‘ that can embrace various programs of 1st floor when it is expanded into courtyard. Therefore, the courtyard of this gallery, which is invisible in mass becomes the physical center and functional core of this gallery.
Wheelthrowing Methodoogy from Site Condition
Wheelthrowing technique was exploited as design method. Basic steps of wheelthrowing was reinterpreted as a method of creating a space. First, for an axis of revolve, lines were chosen from the maximum massing box of the given site. Second, initial space created to cover program masses by revolving around the axis. Then, as tension created by power of hands from inside and outside of the ceramics decide the shape based on the contents, curved surfaces were changed according to the tensions between the surfaces. That is how I ended up with 3 masses, eventhough there were excatly 4 axis at the begining.
Rules of Addition and Subtraction
Purpose was imposed on parts, created as a result of wheelthrowing. Main parts from each revolving axis were added as interior space. Intersecting parts between axis were subtracted as openings or to bring light into the space.
Wheelthrown Gallery
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