EXPO 2010-Republic of Korea Pavilion

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Project Name: EXPO 2010-Republic of Korea Pavilion
Construction year: 2010
Website: en.expo2010.cn/c/en_qy_tpl_45.htm
Address: Expo Site , EXPO 2010-SHANGHAI - China

Architect(s) : Mass Studies (www.massstudies.com)
Project Category: Cultural | Pavilions

Latitude: 31.1915
Longitude: 121.493

Korean pavilion

The Korean pavilion was designed by architectural firm Mass Studies. Using ‘convergence’ as the main theme, the korean pavilion is an amalgamation of ‘sign’ (symbol) and ‘space’: signs become spaces, and simultaneously, spaces become signs.

Han-geul, the korean alphabet, is the prime element of ‘signs’ within the pavilion. The overall volume, lifted 7.2m above ground level, is created by converging these han-geul letters, allowing signs to create the exhibition space, and so that the visitors can experience their geometry through horizontal, vertical and diagonal movements. The primary geometries that compose the han-geul letters are universal to other cultures, thus acting as a sort of ‘open’ set of signs that is engaging to everyone.

Most of the non-peripheral surfaces are composed of art pixels, which are 45cm x 45cm aluminum panels created by a korean artist, ik-joong kang, who is renowned for creating massive art walls out of small hand-painted tiles, either self-produced or by gathering from around the world (thus being another type of convergence).

The exterior surfaces of the korean pavilion are clad in 2 types of pixels: han-geul pixels and art pixels. Han-geul pixels are white panels with a relief of letters in four different sizes whose combination forms the majority of the exterior, mainly the peripheral surfaces.

Sequential lighting is installed behind the hangeul pixels to highlight the individual letters on the exterior façade at night, further animating the pavilion as a sign (like a text message) on a larger scale.

Contributed by ArchiTeam