Samsung Museum of Art

http://leeum.samsungfoundation.org/eng/architecture/building02.asp

The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is situated on the Namsan Museum. The museum website describes the MUSEUM 2 building, designed by Jean Nouvel, as a building which 'integrates itself into the natural landscape while remaining an autonomous contemporary art object in its own right'. It responds to context without disappearing into the landscape. The colour of the facade subtly picks up the tones of the roof of the older building beyond. It will be interesting to see if the building works as well in reality as it appears to in this photograph.

Korean architecture and its relationship with nature

http://yeinjee.com/2010/namsan-snow-seoul-south-korea/

In the first blog post, I raised the question of why it was significant that the Japanese blocked the view from the Royal palace to the Namsan Mountain. The text below gives a few hints as to why such an undertaking would have been so offensive to the Korean people:

"The natural environment was always regarded as an element of supreme importance in Korean architecture.  Numerous Buddhist temples across the country, for instance, were located in mountains noted for their scenic beauty, and their structures were carefully arranged so as to achieve an ideal harmony with the natural surroundings.

In selecting the site for a building of any function, Koreans tended to attach special meaning to the natural environment.  They did not consider a place good enough for a building unless it commanded an appropriate view of "mountains and water."  This pursuit of a constant contact with nature was not only due to aesthetic reasons, but also because geomagnetic principles dominated the Korean psychology."

For more on this subject: http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/pro-architecture.htm

In order for architecture to be truly representative of Korea's culture, the relationship between nature and buildings must be considered.