Seoripul open art storage project is meant to be collective art storage for the museums in South Korea – the Seoul Museum of Art, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, and the Seoul Museum of History (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). Herzog and de Meuron won the competition for this project and proposed a giant white distorted cubical structure around the museum and Seoripul Park (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). It aims to be more than just a storage facility and become a public cultural space, where people could observe the handling of art and its preservation (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023).
Design Philosophy
The mass distribution of the entire structure is very intriguing as well as captivating, at first glance it appears to be a translucent giant rock sitting amidst the greenery. The ground floor comprises a solid block at the four corners, forming the base for the rest of the structure. A semi-open space is created in between each of the blocks, connecting the central space formed with its surroundings as shown in image 2. This articulation of the blocks also results in an illusion of a floating mass, making it appear visually lighter.
Seoripul Open Art Storage project is organised around all the circulation pathways and programmatic spaces. The visual connection between different levels and spaces is given primary priority as a means for visitors to be able to observe all the activities related to art handling. A huge glass atrium is installed to visually connect the above floors from the inside. On the ground floor as well, glass dividers are used to separate public areas from the art management areas like sterilization and delivery of artworks (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). The storage levels are partially accessible for the public to observe the entire process.
Apart from serving as a cultural centre, the project also aims to be carbon neutral. They have incorporated sustainable methods of rainwater harvesting and terraced gardens (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). The roof and facade have been designed innovatively to have PV panels which can produce electricity for the building to consume (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023), without compromising the aesthetics of the project.
Planning
According to the proposed drawings for Seoripul Open Art Storage, all the levels are divided into different zones for working personnel and the public. The ground floor has public spaces such as an auditorium, library, restaurant and exhibition area. The remaining part is raised above where the art pieces are collected/transported and then carried to the above floors. The south side on all the floors is dedicated to service blocks which have washrooms and elevators for both public and art, leaving the rest of the area open for other functions (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023).
Two to five levels are dedicated for storage purposes only. The layout of the storage floors is planned in such a way that the central portion serves as a circulation space making it more accessible. Level 6, has offices and a public cafe, serving as a buffer space between the storage and preservation facility on the 7th level (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023).
The vehicular entry ramps are laid around the building which goes from ground floor level to underground parking lots. Unlike the usual design, where people enter the building’s interior directly from the parking lot, they added a separate set of elevators connecting the parking lot to the entry area, ensuring that visitors experience the grandeur of the entrance.
Design and Strategies
The Exterior of Seoripul Open Art Storage is designed around creating minimalist facades that are translucent making it visually lighter which otherwise would have looked like a very heavy solid mass. To break the monotony of such huge plain facades and slender windows in the storage, the facades are divided into 2 or 3 parts and slightly shifted. These slender windows light up the circulation area.
Above four levels of storage, level 6 has transparent walls throughout, offering a panoramic view of the offices and public cafe (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). This also helps it making it visually lighter and breaking the facade.
The entire project is committed to allowing the visitors to witness the art-handling process. The glass atrium displays items in the atrium, giving the visitors a hint of the storage areas and archives. Further, the atrium extends to level 7 giving a glimpse of preservation activities to cafe visitors (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023).
Materials and Construction
The structural system of Seoripul Open Art Storage is kept minimal to facilitate the program. The ground floor block is a loading-bearing system with thick walls of concrete or quarried stone from the site (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). The rest of the floors follow a structural grid made of square concrete columns to keep an open plan (Herzog & de Meuron, 2023). The facade will have a cladding of quarried stone and will have white laminated glass PV panels to generate solar energy.
Each floor has been articulated in such a way that there is a clear separation for the public and working personnel, without hindering each other’s pathways. This care of the detail of how people move through the building, and what are their views at all times has been taken both inside and outside the building. The ground floor also extends itself into the surrounding landscape creating spaces for people to enjoy the outdoors as well. This project strikes a balance in fulfilling the programmatic and functional requirements as well as providing a variety of experiences for the visitors.
Reference –
Herzog & de Meuron. (2023). 619 Seoripul Open Art Storage – Herzog & de Meuron. [online] Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Herzog & de Meuron. (2023). 619 Seoripul Open Art Storage – Herzog & de Meuron. [online] Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78065/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Herzog & de Meuron. (2023). 619 Seoripul Open Art Storage – Herzog & de Meuron. [online] Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78063/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Herzog & de Meuron. (2023). 619 Seoripul Open Art Storage – Herzog & de Meuron. [online] Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78064/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Image Reference –
Image 1 – Herzog and de Meuron (2023). Bird eye night shot. Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78050/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Image 2 – Herzog & de Meuron (2023). Design Concept. Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78105/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Image 3 – Herzog & de Meuron (2023). Plan L1. Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78079/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Image 4 – Herzog & de Meuron (2023). Design Concept. Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78104/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Image 5 – Herzog & de Meuron (2023). Entrance. Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78052/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
Image 6 – Herzog & de Meuron (2023). Section_E-W. Available at: https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/projects/619-seoripul-open-art-storage/lightbox/78076/ [Accessed 9 Feb. 2025].
