MACHINE THAT PERCIEVES ART AND CITY
Small can be not only beautiful but also can have a great energy. The context is also very important in its situation in Seoul, and SONGEUN has a very high concentration and density of energy within a small space. We hope this will be a building that will stand for many generations. In our experience working on museum projects over recent years, many curators and directors like to work with what we call ‘found spaces’. The Tate Modern is an obvious example, as it was an existing power station with its Turbine Hall. We came to understand that these ‘found spaces’ can be very interesting for exhibiting and perceiving contemporary art. Here, in SONGEUN, our ‘found space’ is Tate Modern with the Turbine Hall becomes almost part of the urban landscape. Although much smaller, SONGEUN also offers a new type of urban space for the neighborhood. One approaches the building through a little garden, which links to the neighborhood behind, and I hope this place will attract people in the future. So the building is not just a building, but despite the limited area on the ground it offers a public space, which also gives access to art. Another consequence of the small footprint was the need to arrange the art spaces on top of each other on 4 different levels. Therefore, it was crucial to think about how to connect those 4 levels in the vertical dimension from the beginning, with the aim to create one coherent experience across the various levels.
