Dialogue in the Dark Bukchon / Wise Architecture

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: Wise Architecture
Area: 390 m²
Year: 2015
Photographs:Yongkwan Kim

Text description provided by the architects. Dialogue in the Dark Bukchon is designed for a worldwide exhibition, Dialogue in the Dark. The exhibition in which a visitor experiences everyday life in the complete darkness is an unusual experience. However, as it turns off sense of sight, it turns on other senses. When it ends, each visitor recalls different spaces through its own experiences and memories.

Site is located in traditional Hanok village Bukchon and faced Bukchon-ro which used to be a waterway/stream. Although the exhibition needs a large dark room, it is unease to place it underground due to the 16m level difference and the rock bed. Naturally it is placed over ground.

he exterior stairway (alongside the floating dark room) along the south boundary of the site floats over a vertical garden. The garden resembles old topography consisting of dry valley and tiny mountain linking old waterway/stream to the east and stone retaining wall to the west. The stair gets wider as coming down while it gets narrower as going up. Similarly, it gets tougher as close to nature while it gets smoother as close to city. It is intended that architecture enables visitors to expand sensual experience that is once opened up through the exhibition.

Korean traditional screen, ‘Bal’ is a medium between traditional Hanok village Bukchon and Dialogue in the dark. Bamboo-sampled each slot of Bal is waterjet-cut and weaved with acetyl beads one after another. Each floor alternatively receives 9units thus 27 units throughout three floors. Bal as a screen admitting light and a blind controlling visual connection symbolize the identity of the exhibition as the handcrafting of the screen reflects the slow communication of the exhibition.