Kim Swoo-geun's Brick Seoul
One architect, from an ivy-covered office to a red-brick art street
≈1.6 km · ≈25 min walking · Easy · Jongno-gu · Start: Anguk station · End: Hyehwa station
Kim Swoo-geun shaped modern Korean architecture with small, dark brick spaces. See his own studio, pass a 1908 hospital on the way, then reach the brick art center he gave Daehangno.
Stops
- Arario Museum in Space (아라리오뮤지엄 인 스페이스)
The former Space Group building (1971–77), a key work of Korean modern architecture. Its dark brick rooms and half-level floors now hold a private art collection. - Daehan Hospital (서울 대한의원)
The Korean Empire's state hospital, completed in 1908, with a clock tower in the grounds of Seoul National University Hospital. It now houses a medical history museum. - ARKO Art Center (아르코미술관)
Kim Swoo-geun's red-brick gallery (1979) on Marronnier Park. The ARKO Arts Theater beside it is also his, and set the brick look for the whole street.
Best time: Afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday. Daehangno's small theatres are busiest in the evening.
Tips
- Look for the brick patterns on both ARKO buildings: Kim varied the bond to make the walls look woven.
Access
Streets are level, but inside Arario Museum in Space (the old Space Group building) there are steep, narrow stairs and split levels with no lift to every floor.