Herzog & de Meuron's First Korean Project: SongEun Art Space Opens in Seoul

The SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation has inaugurated its new museum in Seoul, designed by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. Commissioned in 2016, the building is a striking triangular tower rising eleven stories above ground with five basement levels, totaling 8,000 square meters. The triangular form was chosen to maximize available surface area while exploiting the sculptural potential of urban regulations. The facade emphasizes continuity, interrupted only by a few vertical openings that create wide windows and unique views of the city skyline; a triangular aperture spans from the third to the eighth floor on the eastern facade, adding dynamism to the concrete uniformity. The foundation was established in 1989 by Sung Yeon Yoo to support young Korean artists through the SongEun ArtCube and the annual SongEun ArtAward (founded in 2001). The original SongEun ArtSpace, located in the Chung Dam district of southern Seoul, hosts exhibitions, seminars, and workshops. Yoo received the Montblanc Award for Arts Philanthropy in 2016 and donated the €15,000 prize to the Delfina Foundation for residencies. The new museum houses the foundation's permanent collection, including a photographic series by Jihyun Jung documenting the construction process. The foundation also promotes international art in Korea by organizing exhibitions of foreign artists who have never shown in the country. All exhibitions and catalogs are free of charge.