This new 35,000 SF art gallery is located on a small site across from the old Imperial Palace in Seoul.
Its function is to exhibit the work of emerging talent. Zoning regulations in the historic palace district posed considerable constraints. In order to fit the program within the 14 meter height, three of the seven levels of the building are underground, including parking, which is accessed through an opening in the street elevation. The design respects both the imperial palace and its modern neighbors.
The gallery exterior consisting of stone work and a dark band of windows for the administrative offices across the top is modeled after the old palace wall, which it faces.