Atelier of spatial matters was among five finalists in an international competition to design a national museum of urbanism and architecture in Korea.

Architecture exhibitions often make full use of found spaces of unique characteristics in creative ways. They take place all over the world in a variety of venues: oddly shaped rooms, abandoned warehouses, convention halls, and art galleries. A convenient proposal of white rectilinear galleries, while typical for museums, would inevitably be sterile.

The atelier’s proposal draws attention to its own idiosyncrasies—an architecture museum that is itself an exhibit of architecture. A careful composition of these architectonic elements simultaneously forms a cohesive whole (as a singular work of architecture) and melds into the exhibits (as discrete sculptural objects,) seemingly straddling the contradictions of its inherent oxymoron. These elements shape a catalog of spatial conditions—not only in service of the building itself but also of the architectural exhibit—by functioning as viewing platforms, framing tools and interactive instruments. Stair landings double as lookout points, escalator as scenic ride, corridors as linear galleries, and skylights as periscopes, while trusses appear as sculptures within the rooftop garden.