JiYuWon Cultural Space

Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea | 2022
[ SPACE magazine ]

Even as Korea’s diverse landscapes offer a rich cultural and historical context, critical explorations of the intersection between architecture and topography remain relatively rare. Located at a watershed where two branches of the Hanggang River meet the Gyeong-an Stream, this cultural building for art and music transforms a steep slope between mountain and water into a sequence of spatial and ecological flows. With an allowable footprint limited to 200 m² due to adjacent nature reserves, the building employs half-levels aligned with the existing terrain to expand the visitor experience while minimizing site disturbance. Exterior paths enter the building at one level and exit at another, unfolding views toward the surrounding waterways and mountain ranges. Referencing the site’s original survey lines, the stone cladding is articulated with thin corners, while a stepped, multi-level roof functions as both cultural landscape and gathering space. A central sunken courtyard distills the sectional complexity into a sequence of Piranesian steps and bridges.

Named JiYuWon, meaning “the flow of ground,” the project responds to the ecological importance of the surrounding waterways within the greater Hanggang system. Its topographic strategy critiques nearby development that fails to protect these sensitive flows. Landscape buffer zones filter polluted runoff from an adjacent highway, while the minimal footprint and stepped form capture rainwater and release it gradually into absorptive gardens rather than directly into the streams.