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Herzog & de Meuron designs wedge-shaped Seoul art institute

An art centre designed by Swiss architect Herzog & de Meuron has been completed in Seoul, is will open to the public in September.

The gallery, for ST international and the Songeun Art & Culture Foundation, pays homage to architectural motifs while retaining a connection to its local culture and environment.

The concrete façade is textured with rotated wooden boards – a reference to "SongEun", which means "hidden pine tree".

The 8,000 sq m development has 11 floors above ground and five beneath, with the upper floors containing office space joined by a long window.

The gallery will hold two exhibitions this year. The first, curated by Herzog & de Meuron itself, will open on 28 September, and will be followed by the 21st edition of the SongEun ArtAward on 10 December.

Herzog & de Meuron commented: "Our experience designing contemporary art museums has increasingly focused on how we can bring art and people together. How can we make a space that works for the art and the artist, for the collector and the public? Many different needs have to be factored in to make a whole that works for everyone. Only then can such a place become a new attractor for urban life in a city."

Images courtesy of Jihyun Jung/Herzog & de Meuron

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