Seoul's Autumn neuro-architectour (beginning part)

Lamps attached to Arario's exterior wall in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

"An architect can only advise his clients to plant vines," said Frank Lloyd Wright, when comparing with "a doctor buries his mistakes," as per his famous quote. In my personal view, planting vines on ivy-clad brick Arario Museum's façade, former Space architectural studio hub in central Seoul is not because he made mistakes over his design like what Wright said, I believed. I even admired the delicate view from an elegant blend of simple design and touch of living rust-colored leaves and considered it as a good therapy session in the Autumn.

One of Arario's façade side in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Arario's yellow exit door in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

My basic purpose flying to South Korea was mostly to feel engaged and comfortable with Seoul's beautiful autumnal surrounding. In particular, to savor the charming view of beautiful architecture in the Autumn season and hopefully grant me good mood. I consider myself a romantic solo traveler. To reach that goal, one of the ways, was by wandering alone appreciating nice façades of contemporary buildings in the capital blanketed by golden, red and caramel leaves.

The elegant Autumn's red maple leave under the sun in Nami Island, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar 

I am neither a fan of any K-pop idols nor K-dramas, let alone claiming myself as a hardcore enthusiast, so listing places I had to visit and food to taste there was a challenge. South Korea is simply one of the countries I can travel alone without worries. Other travelers don't need any reason to travel but I always need a reason. Knowing reason and what to do makes me easier to plan and make good use of my limited time in wherever I spend my holiday. Thanks to architecture, nature and culture that become my trusted guideline whenever I cannot find ideas what to do in a foreign country.

South Korea's ambitious projects, non-ordinary buildings and beautiful city designs drew my attention where unique stories of modernism or art deco picked up my interest to discover. Just bear in mind, I am not an architect neither an architecture scholar who finds the joy of using strange archi words. I simply considered that a broad range of traditional and modern buildings was worth exploring. For the beginning, this non-architect traveler enjoyed Seoul's sole-discovered archi-tour.

The importance of me carefully selected building façades when having my delicate Autumn promenade emphasized not only spotting feel-good aesthetics but also guaranteeing me out of depression and chronic anxiety. I chose Arario Museum as my the first site to start my architecture tour session.

Arario's exterior in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Arario's entrance door to the museum in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

One side of Arario's entrance door to the museum in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

There was this charm that captured my attention from Arario Museum located on 83 Yulgok-ro, Jogno-gu. Just when I arrived at the site after few meters walk from Anguk Station (Line 3) Exit 3, I got this hearty hospitable greeting from Arario Museum façade. The natural vibe wrapping the building in Seoul's metropolis space, calmed my heart that day. It was a very warm welcome I should say.

The remodeled building  initially designed by the celebrated contemporary architect Kim Swoo-geun overlooked Changgyeong Palace. It added a hanok and a five-storey glass annexe as a mean to expand its business value in form of cafés and restaurants.

Additional five-storey glass building at Arario in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Additional hanok at Arario in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Space Group of Korea Building, so it was named before Arario Gallery founder Kim Chang-il bought it for $14.6 million, has been Kim Swoo-Geun's masterpiece epitomizing his philosophy and ideology of architecture. Kim made Korean-style density of spaces, the special organic unity between the whole and its intricate elements, to become important principle in his design methodology.

The first-phase construction of the building was finished in 1971 and the second-phase construction was completed in 1977. The 1970's period was characterized by humanistic design, meticulous attention to human scale, tactility, irregular forms and rhythm of space, kimswoogeun.org website said.

A window at Arario Museum in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

A series of window at Arario Museum in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Actually, Kim developed his own original concept of architecture that synthesized the changing conditions of post-war Korea with the widely forgotten Korean cultural history and primordial spirit. He favored earthy materials, particularly brick, exposing texture of the material in finishing exterior and interior walls. He applied "human scale," which was appropriate for Koreans' body sizes as a metaphor of diverse spaces: small, spacious, high, low, closed and open ones.

Honestly, it was so hard to depart from this soothing scene existed in the heart of the busy town but still I forced myself to check out another site. Art deco exterior of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) successfully secured its place in my heart after Arario Museum. Its location was close-by from Arario Museum, on 30 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu (Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 1). The museum building, Lonely Planet said, combines architectural elements from several centuries of Seoul's history.

Art deco exterior of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Exterior window of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Like an attendee of an open space art gallery and the building became one of the collections presented to admire, I found this surviving art deco form to be interesting. I stood and stared the art collection in front of me: a monolithic appearance of earthy color from brick materials and square windows that were arranged in continuous horizontal bands of glass. This government-building-turned-to-museum was once served as the home for Defense Security Command.

Art deco exterior of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Art deco exterior of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

It was true I slightly felt that the building emitted an assertive vibe. It was such a yes-or-no, black-or-white type with commanding tone, if that building could talk and made a conversation with me. I wonder if it was because it was designed under a military purpose during the Korean war.

The new minimalist building by architect Mihn Hyun Jun stands beside MMCA Seoul in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

This building stands side by side with the minimalist building structure designed by architect Mihn Hyun Jun. The new building had a subtle architecture different with the art deco building. I then realized that it should be better not to see these two buildings as two items but as one item. The key to see these new and old buildings as one integrated art form was to understand how the architect made a great use of the courtyard, the open spaces in between, to knot those separated buildings.

A yellow ginkgo leave lies down on the pathway of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Madang, Korean concept of a courtyard, connected MMCA Seoul's new building and historic building, as if binding past and present harmoniously. It's not merely a simple juxtaposition between the two. "The melding of spacious new gallery buildings with the art-deco buildings of the former Defense Security Command compound is impressive," said Lonely Planet Seoul.

The new minimalist building by architect Mihn Hyun Jun stands beside MMCA Seoul in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The new minimalist building by architect Mihn Hyun Jun stands beside MMCA Seoul in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

I came back to Jakarta and through Blouin Art Info Korea's article I finally found out more about the architect's concern when designing that new building and how he connected it with the art deco beside it. Surprisingly enough, he said that he wanted to place value on the consciousness of the people using that madang instead of seeing it as an architectural form. "There is no set function. Just because an architect says it's an exhibition space it doesn't mean it becomes one," Mihn says in that article.

The interior of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The interior of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

I left MMCA Seoul to continue my tour and find out another nice building façade. I headed to subway station for a subway ride and made a stop at Hangangjin Station (Line 6) Exit 1, then continued to 60-16 Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Hannam-dong. Itaewon's Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art became my third favorite.

Three-integrated building of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Itaewon, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Itaewon's Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The museum was comprised of three buildings integrated into one area site. Each building was uniquely designed by international architects. The brochure that was handed me when I visited the museum said that Swiss architect Mario Botta got his inspiration from traditional Korean porcelains. While the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas built the building in black concrete, claimed by the brochure as the world's very first use of such material, to create a futuristic space seen to be floating in the air. 

Itaewon's Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Itaewon's Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The last building, my favorite one among the three, was designed by Jean Nouvel, the French architect, by using rusted stainless steel and glass. A note from the museum handout said the use of such material is "to express the vanguard quality of contemporary art." I set my liking to this building for a simple main reason, the black colored building façade perfectly accommodate the red Autumn's ivy leaves besides of its interesting modern forms.

Itaewon's Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

Itaewon's Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

In front of the museum, there was this white building accentuated with bullet holes alike that caught my attention. I couldn't explain why I liked that building. While wandering outside the museum, I just thought that the building was nice.

The white building, a restaurant, accentuated with bullet holes in Itaewon South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The white building, a restaurant, accentuated with bullet holes in Itaewon South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

I spent first half of my day with those warm, welcomed, homey, and earthy building façades until close to lunch time. So, I decided to have lunch first and went back to my guesthouse in Itaewon, few meters walk from Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, to rest for a while before continuing my tour.

Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA)in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

After lunch and little rest at my guesthouse, I went to Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) for no particular reason. Well, I actually wanted to check the museum's highlight as pointed out by My Art Guides' website, "the beautiful harmony of past and present by combining the building's classic Renaissance-style façade and the modern building in the back."

Seoul Subway Line 1 or 2 provides the way to reach the museum which is located in Deoksugung Palace. I forgot which Exit I chose at City Hall Station, whether it was 1, 11 or 12. Once I reached that station, I conveniently followed signs the station provided to reach SeMA.

Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA)in South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

I took few snaps out of the façade only and decided not to spend my time appreciating the displayed artworks in the museum inside. Instead, there was a nice green garden area on the site that lured me into sitting on the bench not too far from the museum entrance door and relaxed once again while looking into that classic Renaissance architectural style.

A little rest and off I went to one of the buildings in Seoul architecture news talk about, the New City Hall.

The New City Hall in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The New City Hall in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

I should have checked out the inside of the New City Hall to enjoy it to the fullest as it owns world's largest vertical garden, The Green Wall. Because of my lack of research, again, I could only wander around the building outside which at first I thought it looked like a huge eye of a fish. For that moment I was only a tourist who thought about an optical object rather than considered how Koreans prefer to experience the space more than a seen object only.

I thought this looks definitely like an eye of a fish. The New City Hall in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

It was said that the curves which are almost-entirely-glass-covered are not part of an eye on a cut fish head instead it is a suspended wave figure. It tickled me seeing how that New City Hall building was about to sweep over the old building to say it has overpowered the old City Hall building which was built during the Japanese occupation.

The old and New City Hall in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

The old and New City Hall in Seoul, South Korea (2017), courtesy of Nilufar

"The Seoul New City Hall has to be a future shape architecture which goes with the Korea terrain that adapts to the Seoul citizen's cultural emotion," the architects said on their text description as taken from ArchDaily "The Korean living space has no axis or façade which can be seen from the entry, because it consists of mountains and valleys."

The old City Hall in Seoul, South Korea (2017) now is a library, courtesy of Nilufar

My plan was to save Dongdaemun Design Plaza as my last visit of the day because I heard the site was beautiful at night for its light so after I was done with the New City Hall, I checked out KT&G Sangsang Madang first to kill my time. Sangsang Madang can be reached by taking Seoul Subway Line 2, and get off at Hongdae Station (Hongik University), Exit 5.

KT&G Sangsang Madang, the "Why Butter Building" in Seoul, South Korea (2017) courtesy of Nilufar 

KT&G Sangsang Madang, the "Why Butter Building" in Seoul, South Korea (2017) courtesy of Nilufar

Honestly, at first I was so exited to see what the architect Bae Dae-yong named his glazed façade as "Why Butter Building." As I reached the site, I stood in front of the building with great disappointment. To me, the building was no longer visually striking as huge advertisement banner covered almost the entire façade which was said "to resemble both butterfly wings and butter spread on toast," as explained by lonely planet. Besides, the building now looked dirty and was lack of care. I gave myself few minutes to capture the building façade as best as I could and then left for Namsan Seoul Tower or NSeoul Tower.

It was quite late in the afternoon when ... to be continued to Seoul's Autumn neuro-architectour (ending part)