Korea Center / SAMOO

16

Jan 2010

By Karen Cilento — Filed under: Cultural ,News , Korea Center, New York, SAMOO, USA

 

SAMOO Architecture, the New York studio of SAMOO Architects and Engineers based in Seoul, Korea, was awarded first prize in an international competition for the design of The New York Korea Center.  Set to begin construction at the end of this year, the 8 story, 33,000 square foot facility will provide space for exhibitions, performances, lectures, and administration. The design is said to “embody the modern Korean sensibility of innovation in harmony with tradition.”
More images and more about the design after the break.

Housed within the central space, three sculptural figures composed of different materials – polished ceramic for Heaven, rough terracotta for Earth, and milled wood for Humanity – are illuminated by the multi-layered glass façade.

An open frame directly behind the glass will provide a canvas for display panels that convey a changing visual message to the passers-by.

“The transparency of the façade opens the buildings activities to street life and energizes the surrounding area,” said Mr. Soon Woo Kwon Principal at SAMOO Architecture PC.