Translucent Centre Pompidou Hanwha set to open in Seoul
The Centre Pompidou Hanwha designed by French architecture studio Wilmotte & Associés has been revealed ahead of its opening in Seoul, South Korea, next month.
Set to open in Seoul's financial district on 4 June, the four-storey building contains two large galleries alongside a cafe, shop, restaurant and auditorium. It occupies the former annexe of the 63 Building skyscraper, which was reimagined by Paris-based Wilmotte & Associés.
An inaugural exhibition, named The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision, will mark the museum's opening and feature works from the museum's collection.
"Beginning with this inaugural exhibition, Centre Pompidou Hanwha aims to reinterpret the innovative artistic spirit of Centre Pompidou within Korea's cultural context, establishing itself as a new cultural and artistic landmark in Seoul and an open platform for art," the museum said.
Externally, the structure's upper floors have been clad in bands of translucent panels sat atop an exposed-concrete base.
Chosen to evoke the forms of traditional Korean tiles, these panels draw light into the interior during the day while transforming the venue into a "box of light" at night.
At roof level, an open-air terrace flanks an indoor restaurant overlooking the nearby Han River.
Meanwhile, at ground level, the Centre Pompidou Hanwha opens up to a spacious lobby containing the reception area and shop.
A bronze cubist sculpture created by French sculptor Raymond Duchamp-Villon sits at the centre of the space and is illuminated by a skylight.
The first floor, accessed via escalators, houses an auditorium, studios and flexible space for hosting public programmes, alongside a cafe lined with full-height glazing.
Traversing the second and third floors are a pair of double-height galleries that are each 1,650 square meters, one of which is overlooked by a mezzanine level.
Their stripped back interiors have been fitted with curved walls and raised platforms to display the 112 pieces on show at inaugural exhibition.
In Paris, the high-tech Centre Pompidou is currently undergoing a major overhaul led by Moreau Kusunoki and Frida Escobedo Studio, which is expected to be completed by 2030.
Elsewhere, two other Centre Pompidou outposts are in development. In Brussels, KANAL-Centre Pompidou is expected to reach completion in November, while a partner museum is also being designed in Brazil.
Meanwhile, plans for the OMA-designed Centre Pompidou x Jersey City were recently scrapped after years of negotiations.
The photography is courtesy of Centre Pompidou.
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