Young Architects Program International

MMCA, Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, joined the Young Architects Program in 2014. This year it presents the installation Roof Sentiment, by Society of Architecture.

The roof is the outstanding feature in traditional Korean architecture, as seen in the Gyeongbokgung Palace, which faces the MMCA. The pitched shape refers to the surrounding mountainous landscape. The traditional Korean architecture style is called han-ok, and a han-ok roof is characterized by its great height and size. A han-ok roof is exposed underneath, allowing one to experience fresh air and shade.

Roof Sentiment, composed of one large flexible reed blind, has a serpentine shape and is held up by tall pillars at the highest points, so that parts of the roof dangle and move freely in the wind. Beneath the roof are grass mounds to explore and reed chairs to lounge in. Circular cutouts in the roof reveal views of the local environment, and these scenes shift as a breeze causes the droops in the roof to sway. Some of the portals tend to line up with others, offering a layered perspective. Roof Sentiment awakens people to the summertime and their surroundings.