Lounge at the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture

Lounge at the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture | Seoul, South Korea | 2023
[Canon Vision]

Established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2004, the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture is an organization that supports artistic creation and education for its citizens. The foundation’s headquarters, situated along Cheonggyecheon Stream, was built in 1989 and was formerly used by the Seoul Waterworks Authority. Following renovations, the foundation has occupied the building since 2006.

We were asked to transform the ground floor meeting room into a lounge for relaxation, events, and meetings.

The meeting room featured a rectangular floor plan. The northeast window, spanning the entire length of one side, faced a building and thus received limited natural light. The window on the opposite corner was situated right next to an unattended warehouse. The concrete structure on the walls and ceiling was exposed, and the ceiling-mounted cassette air conditioner was outdated, thus requiring a floor-standing unit to be installed.

The foundation requested a compartmentalized meeting space, plaque displays, and a white wall for video projection. We designed and placed the elements to both speak for themselves and interact.

At the center of the space, a large square table accommodates groups of people, fostering collective discussions while allowing for individual conversations. The table can also be divided into smaller units. The stainless steel plates on the table create an unexpected scene, referencing Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, where mirrors provide glimpses into unexpected parts of spaces, and the furniture Caruso St John designed for the same museum.

The carpet pattern on the floor implies the position of the square table. Two curved glass walls are situated in a corner of the lounge, spaced enough for passage. A small table can be arranged beyond glass walls to facilitate meetings.

Additionally, the furnishings – a hexagonal pantry, shelves with a right triangular section for plaque displays, a cabinet containing an air-conditioner, pipes and a concrete column, and a curtain – speak for themselves through forms, materials, and colors. We chose direct lighting, and the gaps between wooden panels on the walls were filled with wooden laths painted in olive green. Text description by the architects.