UNStudio and DA group to form art museum in south korea as a cultural and sustainable hub

UNStudio and DA group were selected as the winners of the competition for the chungnam art museum in south korea. the project breaks away from the traditional art museums while serving as a fully captivating hub for arts and culture. it intends to become a place that continuously grows and develops, a station of inspiration and participation, as well as one of the first zero-energy museums in korea.all images courtesy of bloomimages

apart from UNStudio and DA group, the winning consortium also includes squint/opera (digital content and exhibition design), loos van vliet (landscape design), and UNsense (community content). the project will invite people to communicate, providing them with vibrant spaces where art and technology harmoniously coexist, maximizing visitors’ interactions. the architects sought to generate a vibrant performing center that opens up a new vision for the future of the community.

the architects have included two defining landmarks in the design: a plateaued central courtyard and the cultural boulevard. both parts are vital for generating communication spaces, serving as locating points, enabling people to immerse in a continuous experience from multiple routes and angles. the cultural boulevard serves as a wayfinding element while offering links throughout the site; it joins the cultural areas and marks the central routes through the building and into the courtyard. the smooth connection among the cultural boulevard, arts center, and library also animates the public functions. meanwhile, the whole structure maintains a visual balance with the surrounding scenery and the mountains behind. 

project info:

architects: UNStudio in collaboration with DA group

design team: ben van berkel, astrid piber with sontaya bluangtook, marc salemink and heeyoun kim, hyoseon park, alba pelaez, andrii kniaz

digital content and exhibition design: squint/opera

landscape design: loos van vliet

community content: UNsense

visualisations: bloomimages

animations: morean