Il Chi Pavilion
Sokcho, Korea

The Il Chi Pavilion will hold changing exhibits, informal lectures, and performances from local artists. The Il Chi Foundation was established to support the work of painter Kim Chong Hak. Having lived in Sokcho for over thirty years, Kim’s paintings capture the unique mountainous landscape of the Seorak-san region, where anthropomorphic rock formations, temple complexes and the sea all come together. The Artist’s fascination with antique ceramics, furnishings and textiles, of which he’s amassed a vast collection, profoundly informs his work, which speaks not only to the present, but also of an ancient past and a deeply imbedded spirit of place.

Today, the port city of Sokcho is worn and gray, brightened only by vinyl banners. Just west, tour buses fill the lots to the Seorak National Park trailheads, souvenir stalls lining the way. Between the sea and the park, along a wooded river delta, the Pavilion sits beside the Artist’s home and studio. The three buildings have recessed entries, facing east, to greet the approaching visitor. The Pavilion abstractly alludes to the delicate textures of traditional clay pottery, the hovering quality of antique Korean chests, terra cotta and copper temple roofing, and the reflecting pools common in the palace complexes Kim admired. The procession brings one across the reflecting pool, through the copper vestibule and timber door, into the white exhibition space, and up varying stair rhythms to the roof, which reveals views of the courtyard and drive from where one once came - a mimesis of the passage through a mountain temple complex.

So many small arts foundations in Korea have failed due to high operating costs and construction debt. Our response sought out local materials, energy efficiency and the development of modular assemblies. Daylight studies informed the formation of skylights to provide even, indirect illumination, reducing artificial loads. The use of structurally integrated panels (SIPs) grounds a modular system that will allow the building to be pre-assembled in one of the country’s many shipyards, disassembled and brought up to the site by ship, thus increasing quality control while minimizing construction time, waste and the carbon footprint of transport.