© Philippe Ruault

Seoul National University Museum Of Art

The Seoul National University Museum is defined by its siting on the side of a small hill, close to the entrance of the university. The building's form was conceived as a basic rectangular box, sliced diagonally by the incline of the hill. This form is then raised up on a small central core – the only point of contact with the ground – so the building is nearly all cantilever, extending up and down the hill, following the topography precisely and appearing to hover above it. The museum both defines and defeats the hill, and, by keeping the ground beneath it largely free, becomes an attractive conduit between the university campus and the outside community.