UnsangDong’s design for a Korean Corporate Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 may not
have won, but it’s schematic design is the basis for this new Korean Museum. By analyzing and critiquing
various aspects of the design, a better understanding can be reached to complete the design to a Design
Development stage with the beginnings of construction documents. The extreme landscapes on the top
and bottom of the design represents the mountainous landscape of Korea, as if a square were pulled
up out of the ground. The location of the entrance underneath the building forces you to be aware of
the architecture before you even enter. The “jungle gym-like” interior creates areas of chaos as well as
more open spaces in the corners as atrium spaces. The exterior rainscreen, consisting of rusticated metal
panels, has many sizes of spacings which allow light in to spaces based on the program that it is needed.
Visitors begin in Hong Kong and enter the museum into a different world of Korea; the journey comes full
circle as they emerge onto the roof looking back onto the Chinese city they came from.