AZPML and Yukyung Kim of UKST have won the competition to design the Korean Museum of Urbanism and Architecture (KMUA) in Sejong, South Korea. The competition was organized by the National Agency for Administrative City Construction, and the team’s proposal aims to create an ecological and cultural experience centered on urbanization and architecture’s role in the climate crisis.
As the team states, cities account today for nearly 70% of global carbon emissions and 66% of energy consumption. The team designed the Museum of Architecture and Urbanism to address this problem, aiming to use the construction of the KMUA to exemplify best practices in the industry for ecological and environmental performance and utilize a series of prefabricated elements. KMUA will reuse the steel girders of decommissioned infrastructure to build an oversized scaffolding to hold real fragments of architecture.
Inspired by traditional Hanok roofs, the proposal was also made to tribute to the modern Korean development era. The building becomes a collection of full-scale pieces of architecture and is designed to remain under construction. Taking on a scaffolding-like scheme, the majority of the project sits on a “walled treasure garden” with a canopy over the public below.
Housing both a permanent collection and exhibition spaces, the building also includes educational, multimedia and workshop facilities. In turn, the building enclosure is designed as a high-performance floor-to-ceiling glazed membrane. The building will follow the Design for Disassembly doctrine, which ensures that the building’s material resources remain available at the end of its lifecycle.
AZPML: Alejandro Zaera-Polo, Maider Llaguno Munitxa, Ivaylo Nachev, Carlota Mendez, Claudia Baquedano, Claudia Zucca
UKST: Yukyung Kim
