FROM A COVERT SPACE TO A VIEWING PLATFORM: INWANGSAN GUARDPOST-BOOKCAFE
In 2020, two guard posts, which stood at the foot of Inwangsan mountain for half a century, were reopened as public buildings: Inwang Guard Post Forest Retreat (refer to pp. 84 – 87) and Inwangsan Guardpost-Bookcafe. The latter, designed by Lee Chungkee (professor, Universuty of Seoul) and GONGMYUNG ARCHITECTURAL & URBAN DESIGN OFFICE (principal, Kim Jinsook), underwent renovation and extension, using remnants from the old guard post to devise a contrast to the contemporary structure with a novel sense of transparency and openness.
Let’s see how a closed security facility became an open space embracing its surroundings.
Choi Eunwha (Choi): As we can see from its name, the Inwangsan Guardpost-Bookcafe is a bookstore in a former guard post. Why was the existing building built and for what reasons?
Lee Chungkee (Lee): Several events occurred in 1968 that threatened national security. These include the 1.21 Incident, where a North Korean armed military group attempted to storm the presidential Blue House, and the Pueblo Incident, where an intelligence vessel operated by U.S. marines was taken hostage in the East Sea. The President at the time,
Park Chunghee, was worried about such threats to security and the urban structure of Seoul underwent major changes with
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days