For the design of the newly completed Sorol Art Museum in Gangneung, South Korea, Meier Partners drew from Korean Confucianism to achieve a simplicity of form, material, and composition and a harmonious relationship with nature. The museum is scheduled to open on February 14. It is the firm’s first completed project since restructuring as Meier Partners.
Owned by Gyo-Dong Park Holdings, the 34,678-sf museum is located on a public park’s hilltop in the city center, with a sea and mountain backdrop. The park and its pedestrian paths connect with the art center, and the building’s ground floor is situated on a high plateau with panoramic views. While the galleries provide controlled natural light, visitors can enjoy views of the park throughout the building’s circulation spaces.
The three-floor museum is configured around a central courtyard, a feature inspired by traditional Korean architecture. The building is organized into three main sections: the north wing, which is a large, cantilevered pavilion; a cube containing the gallery and offices; and a transparent pavilion housing the main entrance, lobby, and café. Circulation follows a T-shape that provides opportunities for interaction with the outdoor exhibits, gardens, and reflecting pool.
![Photo: Yongbaek Le, courtesy Meier Partners](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Preliminary%20Photos_sorol-museum-meier-partners_Yongbaek%20Lee_4.jpg)
“The concept behind the Sorol Museum was to create a serene and simple yet memorable space that presents a harmonious blend of art, architecture, and nature,” Sharon Oh, project architect and manager, said in a statement.
The exhibition spaces are contained in a tall structure topped with a skylight that has opaque-translucent glass for diffused lighting. Modestly sized windows have been strategically placed to provide controlled natural light and offer views of the park while still maximizing wall space for exhibits. In each gallery, curators can control the amount of natural and artificial light to meet the requirements of the art.
The building’s main materials comprise white exposed concrete, aluminum curtain wall, aluminum composite panel, glass, and stone. The construction manager was Asia General Construction.
![Sorol Art Museum in Gangneung, South Korea, Meier Partners](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Preliminary%20Photos_sorol-museum-meier-partners_Yongbaek%20Lee_1.jpg)
![Photo: Yongbaek Le, courtesy Meier Partners](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Preliminary%20Photos_sorol-museum-meier-partners_Yongbaek%20Lee_3.jpg)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/01_Site%20Plan.jpg)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/02_Ground%20Floor%20Plan.jpg)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/03_Second%20Floor%20Plan.jpg)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/04_South%20Elevation.jpg)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/05_East%20Elevation.jpg)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/06_Longitudinal%20Section.jpg)
Related Stories
| Aug 29, 2014
Phifer and Partners to design 'transparent' Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
The design includes a stage that opens onto the city's Parade Square, so anyone passing by will be able to see performances.
| Aug 25, 2014
Ranked: Top cultural facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Arup, Gensler, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 14, 2014
Museum of Mayan Culture draws inspiration from temple design [slideshow]
The Museo Maya de América in Guatemala City will be the world’s largest museum of Mayan history and culture, at 60,000 sf.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 23, 2014
Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June
AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.
| Jul 21, 2014
Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]
According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.
| Jul 18, 2014
Contractors warm up to new technologies, invent new management schemes [2014 Giants 300 Report]
“UAV.” “LATISTA.” “CMST.” If BD+C Giants 300 contractors have anything to say about it, these new terms may someday be as well known as “BIM” or “LEED.” Here’s a sampling of what Giant GCs and CMs are doing by way of technological and managerial innovation.