Gwangju Art Museum
| Gwangju, Korea | 2004
[international competition]

Our proposal for the Gwangju Art Museum attempts a new interpretation of the city's ancient name, which translates literally as 'Village of Light.' We propose a museum design that engages 'light' as a transforming element: during the daytime, the east-west grain of the museum walls allows diffuse southern light to continuously illuminate the galleries. At night, artificial illumination extends the museum's presence as a sculptural public icon where cultural events, outdoor films, and community gatherings take place. 'Light' becomes a continuous, non-hierarchical space bridging between outside and inside, night and day, activity and contemplation.