SEULMUNDAE HALMANG MUSEUM BY SAMOO

Planned as the 2nd phase of Jeju StonePark, Samoo's Seulmundae Halmang Museum is designed to incorporate the various history, culture, and myth of Jeju Island.

The myth of Jeju Island involves a large deity, Seulmundae Halmang, a tall woman who is said to have created Mount Halla with her bare hands. The story tells how Seulmundae Halmang was making soup for her 500 children when she fell into the pot and died.

This soup was then eaten by her sons who, on discovering that their mistake, turned into 500 stones. A major stone-wall that forms the axis for the museum is placed along the linear site to provide an entrance to the journey of Jeju's mythology.

The wall provides not only various sceneries through openings but also functions as the main exhibition path that links the various programs such as permanent/planned exhibitions, multi-purpose rooms and support facilities. Also, various outdoor spaces such as the Sky-Pond and Mother's Garden have been placed along the wall in harmony with the surrounding nature.

The outdoor spaces have been designed with motifs from the history and myth of Jeju island. Through the usage of water, stone-wall, greenery and others, a total of 8 theme-designed spaces have been composed so that visitors can study and experience the mythical formation of the Jeju Island.

Because of the natural surroundings of the site, special consideration has been given towards creating a sustainable building. Solar path & wind path CFD simulations have been conducted to minimise changes to the current environment.

Natural ventilation has been planned to reduce energy usages while many of the roofs have been planned as green-roofs to reduce heat gains and to enable rainwater collection for future usages.

Location: Gyorae-ri, Korea
Architect: Samoo Architects & Engineers
Area: 34,042
Floors: 1 Stories and 2 Basements
Year: 2013

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SEJONG BY SAMOO ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

The branch library of the National Library of Korea and the first of its regional library will be built in the Sejong City. The ‘E-BRARY’, a compound word of Emotion and Library, implies a library that accommodates digital in the analog form while reflecting the human touches.

Grounded on three strategy concepts of the ‘emotional shape, emotional space and emotional experience’, the National Library of Sejong City aims to be not only a research-oriented library but also an open library to the inhabitants.

Off to the north of the land connected from the central office building to the central park lies the main entrance and exit for the pedestrian access. The central square and the pedestrian plaza in the west forms an open space centered on pedestrians in connection with the cultural facilities in the surroundings.

The water park in the east and the neighborhood park in the south are connected with a circulation type green area. In the outside space stands the book theme park and the sculpture park in consideration of the wedge type green axis directed to the city from the central park.

Its shape sitting softly on the pine tree hills and a pond if the first page is being turned exudes the sensitivity feel. Such design has stemmed from the image that the information is being transferred to become the icon that signifies the dynamic city.

 

Location: Sejong City, Korea 
Architects: SAMOO Architects & Engineers 
Collaboration: Keun Jeong Architects & Engineers Inc. 
Floors: 4 Stories and 2 Basements 
Area: 21,077 m2 
Year: 2013 
Awards: Winner Design Competition 2009

ECORIUM BY SAMOO ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

"Located in Seocheon, Republic of Korea, the Ecoplex ecological park is a government led initiative to preserve the natural environment of the region and to create a national hub to gather various ecological valuables for advanced research and exhibition in Korea.

The site was originally allocated to be developed as an industrial zone but due to its environmental values, the Korean government changed the plan and commissioned a design competition for the Ecoplex and its various facilities which was won by SAMOO Architects & Engineers. Within the Ecoplex lies the Ecorium, a landmark facility and a purpose-built exhibition facility.

Designed by SAMOO Architects and Engineers in collaboration with Grimshaw Architects, the Ecorium is composed of various greenhouses and controlled environments in order to reproduce the global ecosystem of five different climatic zones ranging from the tropical to the polar regions. Designed with the concept of ‘Nature’s Odyssey’, the individual climate zones are grouped by a linear podium which also functions as the main exhibition circulation path providing various experiences to visitors.

Arriving inside the Ecorium, visitors will be greeted by a grand lobby that provides a glimpse of the various climate zones and provide convenient access routes to various facilities including permanent exhibitions, theaters, cafeterias and gift shops. The tropical zone will be the first climate zone being presented to visitors. Designed as the largest greenhouse, the zone provides sufficient room for various plants and trees to grow in the future. The greenhouse provides a realistic environment where visitors could actually see, hear, feel, and touch as if inside a tropical rain forest.

The arrangement of trees, plants and aquarium have been carefully set with waterfall features to provide visitors with a comprehensive experience. And to provide a more realistic sense of the environment, an observatory deck has been installed commanding a panoramic view of the whole tropical zone. Next to the tropical zone lies the second greenhouse reproducing the sub-tropical zone with its harsh environment of the deserts and perhaps a glimpse of the future if global warming continues.

The third greenhouse is the Mediterranean zone filled with abundance of greenies and providing a contrasting experience. The fourth greenhouse would be the Temperate zone which is actually the climate zone of Korea. Due to this advantage, the zone provides a variety of experiences with some programs that is linked to the outdoor zones with miniature mountains and valleys with water flows. The last climate zone would be the Polar zone with its sub-zero temperature environment.

This zone will provide exhibitions of the polar environment with displays of actual living penguins. It will also provide a realistic environment that promotes the education on global warming and its destructive effects on polar regions. For structural rigidity of the large greenhouses, each of the greenhouses is supported by a mega-structure main arch which provides stability to the whole structure. With the main arch providing support, it is equipped with horizontal band-truss which provides lateral stabilities and integrity to the whole structure.

Slopped vertical trusses connected to the main arch support the curtain wall as well as resistance to wind loads. Planned as an eco-friendly building, the Ecorium is strategically designed to become a leading facility in regards to sustainability. The idea of creating a sustainable facility was at the heart of the project and this was realized through multiple simulations that were engineered to reduce energy consumptions and carbon footprints.

For example, the alignment and the orientation of the various greenhouses were simulated to create an ideal environment depending on the climate zone the greenhouse would represent. Also, air-flow simulations were carried out so that natural ventilation effects could be maintained throughout the 4-seasons for necessary facilities. The sloped curtain-wall of each climate zones would gather rain-water for cooling & watering plants.

With these various efforts, the whole facility was able reduce total energy consumption by approximately 10%. With a grand vision of becoming the hub for education and research on ecology, the Ecorium within the Ecoplex will play an important role in providing an opportunity for visitors to have a hands-on experience of the various ecological environments around the world and teach us the importance of our natural environments." Description from the architects.

Location: Seocheon-gun, Korea

Architects: SAMOO Architects and Engineers

Collaboration: Grimshaw Architects, Top Architects & Associates, 2HM Architects & Associates

Total Floor Area: 33,090 m2

Floors: 2 Stories and 1 Basement

Year: 2012

Photo: Young Chae Park

BUK SEOUL MUSEUM OF ART BY SAMOO

Relatively lacking cultural facilities, the North-eastern part of Seoul required a new cultural space that would provide citizens with equal opportunities to enjoy cultural lives.

Reviving the memories of Nowon which used to be a field of reeds, the design team visualized a cultural hill that would harmonize with the gallery park.

Like a serene white mass integrated into the hill, Buk Seoul Museum of Art revitalizes the region which is mostly composed of monotonous high-rises apartments and provides a nature-friendly cultural space in which the green flow of the park integrates with the art museum to become a single entity.

In particular, diversified circulation patterns create a space of ‘connectivity’ where various elements of people, nature, and art converge to create new possibilities in communication & collaborations.

Besides the exhibition galleries which are located on various floors around a central atrium, the basement floor is planned for educational and multi-purpose facilities which involve active communication and exchange of ideas with local citizens.

On the first floor, library, multimedia facility, exhibition hall for children and teenagers are located for easy access.

On the top floors and the rooftop gardens, an outdoor sculpture park is connected directly to the surrounding landscapes to create an extension of the museum into the park.

The green roofs serve as rainwater filters while insulating the museum and reducing its energy use.

The museum’s volumes are staggered around the green hill, creating areas where the architecture blends with nature.

This connects visitors to the land and culture at the same time. The new museum addition has transformed the area, inviting the community to enjoy culture and nature.

Location: Nowon-gu, Seoul, Korea
Architect: Samoo Architects & Engineers
Collaboration: ARCH Architects Group Co., Ltd.

Structure: RC, SRC

Total Floor Area: 17,113 m2

Year: 2013

Photographs: Young Chae Park

GYEONGJU ARTS CENTER BY SAMOO ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

The design intent for this Performing Arts Center is to provide a dynamic new icon to symbolize the ancient city of Gyeongju, which used to be the capital of ancient Kingdom of Shilla.

To accomplish this goal the design team capitalized on simple traditional beauty while still implying a new future vision.

The curved mass in the front, which contains an exhibition space, is a modern reinterpretation of the smooth and elegant roofline in traditional architecture.

Also, this reminds the gentle curve of royal tombs of Shilla dynasty. The exhibition mass is covered with white porcelain tiles and gives strong contrast to the transparent glass wall that surrounds it.

The tiles are designed to express the intentional hair cracks on the surface of earthen wares that is commonly found in the beautiful Korean ceramics of the previous dynasties.

The lower portion of the building contains an exhibition/performance space while the upper portions contain uses for education/experience and welfare.

This clear zoning allows independent circulation system and management of the facilities.An open and pleasant ambience is achieved by the combination of natural light through the skylight and ample ceiling heights.

Visitors can enjoy the panoramic view of Gyeongju City on the top floor observatory.

For greatest flexibility and acoustical quality of the performance hall, it is equipped with state-of-the art variable acoustic systems-architectural acoustics diffusion system and stage equipment to maximize the quality of performances.

Major facilities include a grand performance hall, small performance hall, exhibition chamber, outdoor performance stage, conference room, seminar room, and toy library where a wide range of educational and participatory programs are held.

Location: Gyeongju, Korea

Architects: Samoo Architects & Engineers

Area Site: 27,925 sqm

Area: 21,232 sqm

Year: 2010

Photographs: Young Chae Park, Young Chul Shin