Inspired by traditional Japanese aesthetics, the modern woven bamboo floor lamps are designed by Marei and made by a group of skilled Japanese artisans. The lamps replicate the linear shape of the adjacent antique dwiju grain chest, stripped to expose its natural blond color. Dwiju were constructed with four sturdy posts to support the weight of the contents. Straight-grained wood was used for the posts while panels of beautifully grained woods, such as the zelkova seen here, were employed for the front. A collection of late Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918–1392) celadon liquor bottles is displayed on top.
An antique soban tray table embraces two old lacquered paper craft containers used for holding a literati-scholar’s accouterments. Such containers were crafted in sets ranging from one to six. The starkness of the white canvas-upholstered armchairs is counterbalanced by eye-catching cushions covered in the famed Charles and Ray Eames “Small Dot Pattern.”
With their ovoid bodies and graceful necks, the celadon liquor bottles on top of the dwiju grain chest on page 24 are in the classic shapes of cheongja. Although influenced by Chinese wares such as Ru, Ding, and Yue, the gray-green hue – coveted by the aristocracy and Seon (Zen) Buddhist monks who preferred it to white porcelain – and sanggam inlay are unique to the Korean peninsula.
Framed by a roaring fire, a collection of burial horse clay figurines from an unknown period is a whimsical adornment on the pinewood slab coffee table set with champagne and finger food.
In a corner of the living room, a refined late Joseon-period ginko wood soban table holding a stack of antique dishes and art books, is paired with a large canvas floor cushion on a kilim carpet.
The linen closet in the bathroom, carved with flowing calligraphic works by the owner’s father, is a reproduction of a traditional bookshelf-cum-cupboard. It is a good example of Korean furniture that is highly esteemed by local and international collectors for its simplicity of lines and planes, discreet use of metal hardware, and pragmatic design. Hinged doors not only pull open but also slide in either direction, allowing access to every corner of the cupboard. An early “Building” collage by Ohtake Shinro adorns the wall. Throughout the house, a personal, eclectic mix of objects throws period and contemporary pieces together, such as the stainless steel Alessi canisters, Chinese lacquered letterboxes, and Korean celadon ware seen on the hewn pinewood vanity counter. Unusually, everyday table wine is housed below.
The powder room is an ever-changing gallery for the couple’s extensive collection of miniatures, such as the old Moroccan kohl containers shown here. An old pinewood rice cake board is fitted with a stainless steel basin and fixtures from Vola.
A nineteenth-century zelkova wood yakjang – a medicine chest with a distinctive row of small drawers originally used to store medicinal herbs, and now toiletries – stands in front of a window looking out to a moss garden. A wood Thai Buddha on top is silhouetted against the light. An extraordinary life-sized reproduction of one of the famed Chinese Xian tomb terracotta soldiers and a light-installed Balinese offering house in the background are glimpsed through the window.
lock museum and residence
ARCHITECT SEUNG H-SANG
Daehakno, meaning “University Road,” is an area in Seoul known for its art and youth culture. Often compared to Montmartre in Paris, it was originally the home of Seoul National University, Korea’s most prestigious institution of higher learning. The expanding university has since moved to another location, but the street remains a popular hang-out for people from all walks of life. Many of the old residences have also disappeared due to the rapid commercialization of the area. Now, over forty theaters and concert halls, along with cafés and restaurants serving everything from authentic Korean barbecue to fast food, occupy the area.
The building, constructed without the use of a single bolt, resembles a large rust-red box encased on all sides in uninterrupted sheets of Corten steel. To avoid leaving traces of welding on its surface, an innovative technique of welding the steel on the inner side was employed. A single box window punctuates the monochromatic façade. Perched on top of the monumental steel box is the glass box housing the living quarters. The building plan and its model was the first architectural work to be included in the collection of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea.
Amidst this disjunctive urban landscape of old and new, Choi Hong-kyu chose to build a spectacular home for his family and beloved collection of over 3000 locks from Korea and abroad. Hailed as a modern-day blacksmith and the owner of a wildly successful architectural hardware store called Choigacheolmuljeom, Choi is an avid collector of Korean antiques and an expert on metalwork. He has single-handedly changed the perception of metal and metal-workers in Korea today. Committed to providing a huge selection of architectural hardware, he opened his shop in 1989 with five designers on the staff and a workshop where skilled blacksmiths turn out regular products as well as custom-designed pieces. He also runs a blacksmith school with the hope of reviving the art and craft of traditional metalwork.
A multifunctional building was required to house both the public (commercial and non-profit) and private spaces: a café on the ground floor, an antique shop and gallery on the second floor, the museum’s temporary exhibition room on the third, a permanent collection on the fourth, and a residence on the fifth and sixth floors. “Most people regard metal as being cold and hard, but to me it is a warm and soft material with infinite potential to variegate. I wanted the building to express these qualities of metal.” Deeply impressed by architect Seung H-Sang’s work, especially his design for the headquarters of advertising company Welcomm, Choi commissioned him to design the Lock Museum Building with a vast floor area of 1600 square meters. The architect’s philosophy is to allow the innate qualities of materials to express themselves. His signature material, untreated Corten steel, was employed for this project without the addition of other textures or finishes.
Duality similar to the hard/soft, cold/warm characteristics of metal is manifest in the inner design of the Corten steel enclosure: the paper-swathed glass box residence perched atop and the glass atrium inserted into its central core opening inner spaces to the sky. The architect refers to the atrium, which dissects the upper three floors of the building, as also being a device to orientate visitors within the dark museum. The unadorned architectural material defines the character of the building, allowing time and the elements to produce a protective