"We use too much energy creating beautiful shapes" says Byoung Soo Cho

South Korean architect Byoung Soo Cho has completed his first project in Europe – a simple red gravel floor. In this interview, he says more architecture should be understated and "primitive".

BCHO Architects founder Soo Cho participated in Milan design week with the temporary installation Nobody Owns the Land, created in the 17th-century courtyard of Palazzo Litta as part of the MoscaPartners Variations exhibition.

Visitors were invited to remove their shoes and walk, sit or lie down on a raised platform of red "earth" – a more humble experience than is typical during the world's biggest design event.

In a time of global conflicts and climate challenges, Cho believes architecture should be more modest.

"Many architects work with beautiful undulating shapes and surfaces, but they are not very sustainable," the architect told Dezeen.

"We use too much energy creating beautiful shapes. I am more interested in making things very simple," he said. "I want to bring back humans' primitive senses."

Cho, 59, founded Seoul-based BCHO Architects in 1994. This installation is one of few projects he has built outside his native country in the past 31 years.

The architect said he prefers working closer to home as it allows him to create designs that speak directly to the Korean landscape, history and culture.

With the rapid globalisation of South Korea, he recognises that the country's heritage is at risk of being forgotten.

"Korea has become a little bit too international in the last 10 or 20 years," Cho said.

"Young architects want to create beautiful forms and shapes. But we want to do something more unique, something that comes from what we know very well."

He references his childhood in a rural village in Gyeongsang, living in a traditional Korean "hanok" house and experiencing the sights and smells of the mountain landscape.

"When I talk to young people now, I realise that they never experienced that," he said.

The landscape is a strong presence in many of Cho's buildings.

The most notable is Earth House (2009), a completely underground courtyard home, while others include the partially submerged Concrete Box House (2007), Tilt Roof House (2014) and Jipyoung Guesthouse (2018).

As curator of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2023, he chose the theme Land Architecture, Land Urbanism, setting out his vision for architecture to be more in tune with nature.

"I have always had a personal interest in land and earth," Cho said.

"I think the experience of being underground is much more powerful than going up in the sky in a beautiful object."

The architect aimed to communicate this power with Earth Pavilion, installed in Songhyeon Green Plaza for the Seoul Biennale and set to remain in place until at least 2026.

It consists of several manmade hills, forming an undulating topography that surrounds a shallow water pool.

Nobody Owns the Land has a more personal edge. As a child, Cho attended the funeral of a friend's parent, where he was one of the coffin bearers. He recalls being struck by the red tone of the clay soil in the grave.

"I thought it was so beautiful; I never forgot it," he said.

When invited to design an intervention for Palazzo Litta, he wanted to recreate this experience. He hoped visitors would feel the contrast between the red soil and the blue sky overhead.

The palazzo has previously hosted structures by the likes of Diébédo Francis Kéré, Asif Khan and Selgascano.

Cho's installation served as a stage for dance performances throughout the design week.

"I didn't want to make the place too casual, with people sitting down eating sandwiches; I wanted it to feel more ceremonial," Cho said.

The underlying message, he said, was to promote peace and harmony with the natural world.

"We have conflicts around the world. Instead of fighting or struggling, I'm trying to give a subtle message to live together peacefully on the ground," he said.

"The ground is so beautiful. When you sit down on the ground, you see the beautiful sky and breathe the fresh air. It's a message for peace."

Nobody Owns the Land was on show at Palazzo Litta from 7 to 13 April 2025 for Milan design week. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design exhibitions and events around the world.

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