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Haeahn Architecture

Haeahn Architecture

Seoul, KR

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International Pavilion at EXPO 2012 Yeosu

The subject of Yeosu Expo is the Ocean.  Built right by the beautiful archipelago of Korea’s southern coast, the Yeosu World Expo is where millions of people all over the globe gather to experience the ocean, for its reality and fantasy, and for its local flavors and global ideologies. The international pavilion is a temporary presence.  In place of separate pavilions of each participating nation, this wide-spread structure accommodates and exhibits all nations under its expanse.  Broken down to four major blocks, the building is an architectural complex, and further, can be viewed as a small city.  Within the pavilion lies a network of major roads and small alleys, along with Main Streets like in any established city.  Also, as any city, over time, faces the challenge of preservation, demolition and adaptive reuse of its parts, the pavilion structure after the Expo will certainly experience scrutiny in the same regard. The undulating roof of the pavilion resembles the archipelago of Yeosu.  It takes after the ocean waves and the islets.  The waves are rolling with skylights and green roofs, connecting the ocean and the foreshore.  The ground is the foreshore, the roof is tides rolling over the shore, and people overlook islets from above.  Deep inside the pavilion, people walk around as they travel under the ocean.  They cruise under the rolling roof that diffuses and plays with the flood of sunlight in mid-summer on the outside. The architecture depicting metaphorical archipelago enables visitors to experience the wonders of walking under the ocean.  Celebrate the spatial fantasy of living organisms rolling under the radiant sunlight and green algae of healthy coastlines.
 

 
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Status: Built
Location: Yeosu, Korea
Additional Credits: H Architecture, Danu Architects & Engineers
Park Youngchae [phohographer]