A Strange Gap, A New Breath
“My hometown is a closed port. My hometown is so poor that the only thing it has to offer is the sunset.”
“Majestic and beautiful, beautiful yet sad. If only sadness could be so peaceful, it would no longer be sadness.”
– The Film “Byeonsan”
Julpo is a small port town in Buan, North Jeolla Province. Once a key hub connecting the West Sea’s rich fishing grounds to the granaries of the Honam Plain, it thrived with the movement of ships, goods, and people. But the prosperity faded quickly. As silt built up and the sea route was cut off, the port lost its function. The boats disappeared, and with them, people and signs of everyday life.
Now, in a landscape once said to have nothing but its sunsets, a small shift begins. In that crack, a quiet intervention sets time back in motion. Not with grand redevelopment, but through modest, precise gestures, a sense of place begins to return.
At the northern edge of the market, a long-neglected cold storage warehouse has been transformed into a public space for the town. Originally constructed as a closed facility focused solely on storage, the building’s exterior walls have been boldly opened to restore its connection with the outside world. Doors that were always closed are fixed open to form a canopy, while a steel bridge runs along the façade, drawing people’s movement and gaze into the site and loosening the rigid spatial order that once defined it.
Inside, a bridge composed of thin steel frames and gratings is suspended from the original structure. Running horizontally through the space, it functions as a gallery that juxtaposes exhibitions of Julpo’s past with views of the present, offering a sensory experience that goes beyond simple circulation.
The rear of the warehouse opens fully toward the courtyard through a glass curtain wall. This transparent surface blurs the boundary between inside and out, allowing the energy of the market to flow naturally into the yard. This open structure forms a flexible base for diverse activities. Exhibitions, meetings, moments of rest, and communal exchanges overlap and unfold within a single space, injecting small but lasting vitality into the village.
Beside the old market office, a small public restroom is added. Clad in emerald-toned metal panels, the compact volume is set at a slight angle, subtly misaligned with the surrounding buildings. Its sculptural form stands apart from the rigidly ordered boxes nearby, catching the eye without asserting itself. Present yet understated, the structure gradually settles into the streetscape as part of the everyday scene.
Project: Julpo Regeneration Series / Location: Julpo-ri, Julpo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, Republic of Korea / Architect: Narrative Architects / Project team: Namin Hwang, Sihong Kim / Use: public restrooms, neighborhood facilities / Bldg. area: public restrooms_134.43m²; neighborhood facilities_109.2m² / Gross floor area: public restrooms_134.43m²; neighborhood facilities_109.2m² / Bldg. scale: two stories above ground / Structure: SC / Exterior finishing: color steel plate, water-based paint / Design: 2022~2023 / Construction: 2023~2024 / Completion: 2024 / Photograph: ©Yongsung Kim (courtesy of the architect)
