Seth McDowell Architect, pllc

The Community Art Platform for Pyeongchang-dong creates a flexible, informal space that allows for the archiving, displaying and creation of art and cultural artifacts.  It works as a creative knowledge think-lab— a shared space for all to be artists, poets, musicians and philosophers.  The design is organized by a vertical public stair that runs from the corner of Pyeongchangmunhwa-ro and Pyeongchang-dong to the top of the building— connecting to a parking garage located on an adjacent lot.  This flexible, creative space connects the valley to the hilltop and as visitors move up or down the building they experience various creative activities. 

The building is framed by a timber diagrid structure, made from engineered, glulam members that serves as a storage and display mechanism for the art platform. The timber diagrid runs parallel to the public stair and connects ground to sky—or Corner Pedestrian Entrance to Parking Entrance.  The stair works to catalyze a conversation between the historical archive of works and new work supported by the cultural complex.   This allows the open-archive platform to run, vertically thru the entire building, with spaces dedicated to flexible creative activities on each floor. 

The building works as a vertical bridge – connecting the upper sites with the lower sites found on Pyeongchangmunhwa-ro. This allows for two circulation flows.  One, starting at the lower elevation, which immediately connects citizens to the art. The galleries are located on this lower level as well as an orientation desk.  Upon entering visitors encounter a creation zone— a large table sits in the triple height open-archive platform—allowing visitors to collide with the creative, collaborative energy of the space.  This table, along with the many, large tables that can be found on each floor work as a shared territory for experimentation. 

The other direction of circulation flow comes from the top.  The fourth level entrance connects to the parking garage across the street.  From this entrance visitors are introduced to the community activities: the comfort area flanking the entrance and the community learning space and multipurpose hall on the levels below. A wood, amphitheater seating cuts a void in the upper two levels and creates a public forum for conversation and viewing the activities of the building.

The major support areas for the building are located in a subterranean lower level.  Storage, archive preparation, and mechanical/electrical spaces are in this basement level, however natural light and air is directed to this level through an exterior courtyard provided on the south-east. 

The natural materiality of wood is continued to the exterior building skin for the Pyeongchang-dong Art and Culture Complex.  The entire building envelope is clad with a timber rain-screen that is charred to increase durability and fire resistance.  This timber rainscreen is made from two layers of wood that alternate directionality and produce a moiré pattern with this directionality. 

The Northern side of the building is landscaped with a terrace. This terrace steps down the hill in a similar method as the internal public archive stair. This outdoor space allows the building to navigate the steep topography of the site and creates a theatrical public space for more creative work and performances.  At the lower level of the terrace is a plaza that allows the office space to spill outdoors for meetings and conversations.

On the southern-most site an open-air cultural market is proposed. This will allow for local artists and craftspeople to informally sale and exhibit their work. The flexible market space is structured by a grid of timber framing that provides shading elements. Three trees will be planted on this site and grow thru the timber framework. 

The main concept for this design proposal for the Pyeongchang-dong Art Complex is to use the building to connect the complex terrain of the site and to use it to connect multiple creative and cultural identities. This concept allows for maximum infiltration by the public, while creating quiet, well-lit study and research areas that look out, onto the open archive.  This proposal creates a shared territory for all citizens to learn about, be inspired and make art.