Haeseon Hwang Korean Traditional Architecture Program, Class of 2023, Instructor : Nam, Soohyun

As globalization progresses, we are living in an era where uniqueness becomes ambiguous, and at the same time, openness is increasing further, so what should we do as Korean architects at this point
I thought that we should redefine and develop our identity, that is, Koreanness, so as not to lose uniqueness, while at the same time promoting the unique culture of Korean architecture.

This project started with a concern about what kind of use, form, and role a medium for transmitting this uniqueness, that is, a building that visualizes Koreanness, should have. Since the Korean Embassy has a high quality ripple effect, I thought it was suitable to propose it as a prototype that reinterpreted its identity. The site selected the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Washington, D.C. It was analyzed that cultural exchanges are also likely to take place actively because this is a diplomatic street full of embassies, and the cultural center and the Confucian academy are also close.

The project attempted to find a prototype from a more fundamental perspective, not just a description or transformation of traditional architecture. Therefore, the universal value of traditional architecture was sought, and as a result, three original forms of Korean architecture (column, wall, and roof) were established, focusing on the large framework that forms the whole, not the elements. And I captured these three identities in the Korean embassy. I hope this project will serve as a building where I can feel the identity of Korea