Kang Hyunseok is the co-founder of the Seoul-based architecture office, SGHS. He completed his undergrad at Sungkyunkwan University and received his M.Arch at Cornell University. Before starting his firm, he practiced in Studio THEM, SO-IL in New York as well as Herzog & de Meuron in Basel, Switzerland. He is a registered member of The Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects(SIA) and is currently a lecturer at Seoul National University Department of Architecture. 

 

I met Hyunseok by chance while visiting other studios. Each class has their own dedicated space, so I began visiting other studios out of curiosity. I wanted to see what the other class years were working on, and overtime I began to build relationships with other students regardless of class and year level. I ran into Hyunseok a couple of times while visiting my friend’s studio. I had already known of him at that point by looking through the SNU faculty page but I was surprised when he acknowledged my presence. One of the most difficult things about being a foreigner in Korea is that most Koreans are aware of you, but rarely will they actually acknowledge you. I finally mustered up the courage to approach him and asked if he would be willing to sit down for an interview. Contrary to his demeanor, Hyunseok is not just friendly but also down-to-earth. In a culture that heavily emphasizes hierarchy especially with titles, he allows students to call him comfortably by his first name. Despite his busy schedule, we were able to find time for a chat, so I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to talk with him.  

 

At the start of the interview I let Hyunseok know that I am currently planning for my studies after graduation. I’m using these interviews to learn more about already established professionals in hopes that their shared experiences and challenges could help me better understand what I want for myself. I was particularly interested in Hyunseok because he had worked on part of a publishing project to create awareness around the pressing dangers climate change has imposed on the small island country of Tuvalu. This project is very similar to a project I am working on that aims to grow islands in the Maldives. With rising sea levels, many islands are at risk of disappearing, so my design lab focuses on finding ways to grow islands to combat the effects of climate change. Most people get confused when I explain the premise of the research we do, they don’t really understand the connection to architecture. If you think about it however, how can we design for the future when the world as we know it might not even exist as we know it? I love to see the intersection between architecture and sustainability since together, it is a better promise for tomorrow. Hyunseok let me know that architecture really is eclectic and exists as an intersection of different fields and studies. 

I asked Hyunseok what architecture meant to him and he explained that first and foremost architecture should be intuitive. His response caught me off guard a bit, but he goes on to explain that once a structure is built, you will not always be there to explain how the structure should be used. People should be able to intuitively understand and interact with the space so that even without you, it functions as it should.

 

One of the most basic things we learn in architecture school is how to represent our design through drawings. We as designers spend a lot of time thinking and developing our ideas that sometimes we forget that others can’t read our minds. While everything about my project is obvious or straightforward to me, it might not be that way for someone who is seeing it for the first time, so we are trained to make our designs digestible for the average viewer. You could have the most intricate and delicately designed project in the class, but if no one understands it, it is essentially meaningless. The most successful projects are not just those with fun or unique ideas, but those that are accurately and clearly explained to its audience. So for Hyunseok, he is essentially saying that our physical designs should manifest themselves in the same way. They should be stand alone projects that outlast you and your presence. 

 

For a project that best defines him, Hyunseok picked one of his most recent projects, the Korean War Memorial Park for Civil Victims, as the project he is currently most proud of. The Dong-gu district in Daejeon hosted an international design competition with the help of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea for a National Memorial. The design challenge was to design a Park and Memorial hall to honor the civil victims of the Korean War. The site sits in a valley where political prisoners were persecuted after the start of the war, so the design should allow visitors to deepen their understanding of the history while also paying respects to the victims.

 

“We hope to create the park of forest for the next generation who have not experienced such tragic incidents and as a place in which to reflect upon the darkest point of history through the provision of specific information as following commemorative route linking spots where the tragedy happened.” – SGHS

 

Hyunseok’s design won first place and it is currently underway to be built. He expressed that this was an incredibly meaningful project to work on and that he was honored to be able to pay respect to the victims of the war. He hoped that it would be a meaningful space and have an impact on the surrounding community. Besides this, he also said that the structure itself is an interesting point as it is essentially a long concrete bar. There is a varied amount of visibility throughout the structure allowing shadows and light to interact with it. There is no insulation and it is essentially open to the environment making it raw in nature. 

 

When I asked about challenges he has faced, he mentioned that he had just resolved some issues regarding this project that had caused a delay in the construction start date. He had been going back and forth with some of the district representatives about some technical issues that had come up. He says that there are a lot of moving parts that need to be taken care of with a project, and because you are working within a city, there are certain rules and regulations that need to be followed, and then of course there are more analytical issues that need to be dealt with such as budget and scheduling. As the architect, he has to make sure that everything is taken care of and settled before the start of the project. (He also jokingly said that he is always excited when this part of the project is over because he is an introvert by nature.)

 

Hyunseok has practiced in America, Switzerland, and Korea but he said that if he could pick another country to practice in, he would pick China. Hyunseok said that he wants to work on a project that exists in a historical context, but since most of contemporary Korea was newly built after the 50’s, it tends to lack the same historical context that exists in other countries, such as China. He also said that if he had to pick another country, he would pick any country in Eastern Europe. The reason being that those countries tend to not have strict insulation regulation. He said that he hates insulation, so he would love to work on a project there. 

 

Since Hyunseok also has a lot of experience practicing in different countries, he also mentioned that the time and design process differs a lot depending on the country. Korea tends to move quickly through the design process, allotting for about 6~8 months just,  while in Switzerland he would spend more than a year just on the design phase. If you know anything about Korea, you might have heard about their 빨리빨리 culture. 빠리 literally translates to speedy but it speaks to how Korean culture puts an emphasis on everything being performed quickly. Whether it means moving between trains, ordering a coffee, or building a building, everything should be done quickly and efficiently. Within the short time I have been here, I have literally seen three different buildings actually be built. I have literally seen renovations or actual demolitions start and finish within a week. Nothing speaks to Korea’s 빨리빨리 culture more than their construction culture. Hyunseok definitely showed preference to longer design time, although being able to quickly move through projects makes for the best efficiency, design also requires a certain amount of time and delicacy in order to reach its fullest potential.

 

I really enjoyed my time talking with Hyunseok, he was very honest and straightforward with his answers without sugarcoating anything. We talked freely about a range of topics, making it feel more like a conversation than an interview. Since he worked on varying projects in different countries, he was able to give me a range of perspectives. Rather than having a favorite, each place has something different to offer!

 

Until next time!