What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?
What if we design a place for human confluence, rather than a ‘park’?
What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?
What if we aspire for a ‘timeless’ memorial? What would be the impact of such a new civic space on the city and its inhabitants?
What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?

We imagine the memorial as a gateway; as a place of transition that opens up a new linkage between Jeongsang-dang to the west, Narigol village to the North and the Samcheok port. In this way, we propose a ‘living’ memorial that can revitalise the abandoned port area. By catalysing public participation in city life, it can serve as a dynamic way of commemorating Yisabu’s civic contributions to the Korean Peninsula. Due to its location so close to the sea, the site is a kind of culmination point to the urban formations in the city. Highlighting this, our intervention demarcates a boundary that ‘holds’ Mt. Yukhyang’s visual dialogue with the mountains that surround it. The compactness of the intervention defines an edge to the site and helps to channel movement across it.

What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?

Like traditional settlements in Korea, which are often self-enclosed and comfortably nestled in their landscape; our intervention, with its low-lying horizontality, is also subdued and emphasises the presence of Mt. Yukhyang as the prominent visual element, instead. An undulating landscaped forecourt is held in place between the museum and Mt Yukhyang, creating a void space from where one can contemplate the hill. A green boundary preserves the sacredness of this precinct, intensifying our experience of this place as an ‘oasis’ in the urban situation. The residential cluster on the west is also left intact – repurposed to accommodate Artists’ Residences and Workshops – which helps define that boundary as well.

What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?

We observed a watchtower – remnants of a defensive wall – on the north-eastern part of the site. We believe its position was determined by its role as a linkage between Mt. Yukyang, Narigol village and the seafront. Hence, we have reinterpreted this as a new gateway to the project. Here, an entrance court is defined by two independent volumes. Accessible by various possible routes – made possible by the museum’s open arrangement – the court acts as a symbolic connector. From here, the exhibition halls are experienced as a series of unfolding rooms, both large as well as intimately scaled to facilitate flexible events. From vantage points within these, visitors can enjoy views of Mt. Yukhyang.

What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?

The scale of the linear volumes resonates with the character of buildings in the port area, evoking a feeling of familiarity. They adapt a traditional measuring system of Ken. The traditional ‘patio typology’ is also reflected across multiple scales, from the landscaped forecourt to the intimate patio within the Memorial Hall. The plinth of the ensemble is made of cut-basalt from Dokdo, and the proposal explores the use of wood through charred pine wood finish of the façade and subtle interior finishes in natural pinewood. In this way, the design blends the traditional as well as contemporary aesthetics of the Korean peninsula.

What if we question the idea of a ‘symbolic’ memorial?

We feel that a memorial must evoke memory of ‘place’ through lived experiences, rather than symbolism. And that as a ‘living’ public place, the proposal may outlast its purpose as a memorial alone, by opening up new linkages in the city.