Thursday, October 9, 2025
  • About C3
  • Advertising
C3GLOBE
  • Latest

    Moken Resort

    Yasukawa Hair Salon

    The Suffolk Coastal Housestead

    Bangjja Yugi Museum

    WON International Retreat Center

    Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Hosts Performance Exhibition, ‘Lost Limits’

    House BV

    Yeonil

    Sijing Town Sports Center

  • Architecture
    • All
    • Asia
    • China
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • World

    Moken Resort

    Yasukawa Hair Salon

    The Suffolk Coastal Housestead

    Bangjja Yugi Museum

    WON International Retreat Center

    Fluctuart Urban Art Center

    House BV

    Yeonil

    Sijing Town Sports Center

  • Competitions
    • All
    • Call for Entries
    • Results

    EUmies Awards Young Talent 2025

    BIG Wins International Competition for Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen

    Six finalists for Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion

    Montjuïc Exhibition Center Remodeling – Barcelona Expo 100th Anniversary Competition Result

    Five designs selected for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design competition

    Mextrópoli 2025 Pavilion

    RSHP and TJAD Unveil Plans for Phase 2 of Zhongyuan Convention Center

    2024 Skyscraper Competition winners announced

    ‘SIAPLAN + 3XN + MDA’ Consortium wins Chungnam Arts Center International Design Competition

  • News

    Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Hosts Performance Exhibition, ‘Lost Limits’

    Adrián Villar Rojas: first solo exhibition in Korea ‘The Language of the Enemy’

    ‘Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now’ opens at Leeum Museum of Art

    2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘National Pavilions’

    2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘Thematic Exhibition as a Living Laboratory’

    2025 Venice Biennale, the 19th International Architecture Exhibition Opens ‘Architecture as Adaptive Intelligence’

    2025 Serpentine Pavilion ‘A Capsule in Time’ Unveiled

    Exhibition ‘Capital Reform’ Showcases Young Madrid Architects’ architectural experiments and potential

    Danish Architecture Center Hosts the ‘Recycle!’ Exhibition

  • :
  • C3Magazine
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest

    Moken Resort

    Yasukawa Hair Salon

    The Suffolk Coastal Housestead

    Bangjja Yugi Museum

    WON International Retreat Center

    Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Hosts Performance Exhibition, ‘Lost Limits’

    House BV

    Yeonil

    Sijing Town Sports Center

  • Architecture
    • All
    • Asia
    • China
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • World

    Moken Resort

    Yasukawa Hair Salon

    The Suffolk Coastal Housestead

    Bangjja Yugi Museum

    WON International Retreat Center

    Fluctuart Urban Art Center

    House BV

    Yeonil

    Sijing Town Sports Center

  • Competitions
    • All
    • Call for Entries
    • Results

    EUmies Awards Young Talent 2025

    BIG Wins International Competition for Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen

    Six finalists for Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Expansion

    Montjuïc Exhibition Center Remodeling – Barcelona Expo 100th Anniversary Competition Result

    Five designs selected for Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design competition

    Mextrópoli 2025 Pavilion

    RSHP and TJAD Unveil Plans for Phase 2 of Zhongyuan Convention Center

    2024 Skyscraper Competition winners announced

    ‘SIAPLAN + 3XN + MDA’ Consortium wins Chungnam Arts Center International Design Competition

  • News

    Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Hosts Performance Exhibition, ‘Lost Limits’

    Adrián Villar Rojas: first solo exhibition in Korea ‘The Language of the Enemy’

    ‘Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now’ opens at Leeum Museum of Art

    2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘National Pavilions’

    2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘Thematic Exhibition as a Living Laboratory’

    2025 Venice Biennale, the 19th International Architecture Exhibition Opens ‘Architecture as Adaptive Intelligence’

    2025 Serpentine Pavilion ‘A Capsule in Time’ Unveiled

    Exhibition ‘Capital Reform’ Showcases Young Madrid Architects’ architectural experiments and potential

    Danish Architecture Center Hosts the ‘Recycle!’ Exhibition

  • :
  • C3Magazine
No Result
View All Result
C3GLOBE
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Madang allegory in global vocabulary

2024 Serpentine Pavilion, Minsuk Cho’s Archipelagic Void Unveiled

Architect Minsuk Cho and his firm Mass Studies unveiled this year’s Serpentine Pavilion on June 5th in London’s Kensington Gardens. Titled “Archipelagic Void,” the pavilion draws inspiration from the madang, a traditional Korean courtyard, and features a star-shaped arrangement around a central circular void. Unlike previous pavilions, typically characterized by singular structures, this year’s pavilion comprises five distinct ‘islands’ of varying in size, form, name, and purpose.

Cho said, “We considered what could be uncovered and added to the Serpentine site, which has a rich history of contributions from renowned architects and artists. Instead of viewing it as a carte blanche, we embraced the challenge of integrating existing elements while exploring the center as a void. This shift in focus from the built center of the past opens up new possibilities and narratives.”

Built using natural timber sourced from Surrey, the five structures are supported by extended concrete plinths that provide integrated seating. These structures are interconnected at the roof by a circular steel ring, echoing the shape of the courtyard below. The undulating roof, made from sustainable timber and steel, mimics willow branches, creating a fluid and lightweight appearance. Translucent panels allow natural light to filter into the interior, casting dynamic patterns of light and shadow throughout the day. Advanced digital fabrication techniques ensured precision and reduced construction time by assembling prefabricated components on-site.

The pavilion’s design integrates seamlessly with the surrounding park and pavilion activities, creating a flexible space highlighted by varying natural light conditions. These adaptable spaces will host visitors and live programs from June to October.

The Gallery serves as a welcoming main entrance that extends Serpentine South’s curatorial activities to the outside world. It will host musician and composer Jang Young-Gyu’s six-channel sound installation The Willow Is in the summer and Moonlight in the fall. Inspired by the surrounding environment, this installation incorporates sounds from nature and human activities recorded in Kensington Gardens, blending traditional Korean vocal music and instruments. The Auditorium, the largest structure designed for public gatherings, performances, and lectures, features an angled roof and translucent pink polycarbonate openings. Located on the north side of the pavilion, the Library offers a space for pause and reflection. This small structure houses The Library of Unread Books by artist Heman Chong and archivist Renée Staal, presenting a ‘living’ reference library concept where donated books form a collective knowledge pool. Commemorating the historical role of the Serpentine South building before it became an art gallery in the 1970s, the Tea House offers a serene space reminiscent of its original function as a tea pavilion. The most open space, the Play Tower, is a pyramidal timber structure fitted with orange netting, providing an open area for play and interaction.

Minsuk Cho’s Archipelagic Void demonstrates the coexistence of modern technology and sustainability, architecture and nature, while serving as a dynamic platform for public participation and interaction. As the architectural community continues to pursue sustainable and culturally resonant designs, this project resonates with Serpentine’s mission to bridge people, art, and audiences, effectively incorporating the allegory of the traditional Korean courtyard into a global architectural vocabulary. Text by YuMi Hyun / photographs by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Serpentine

Minsuk Cho, Mass Studies (Photo: Mok Jungwook)
Tags: Mass StudiesMinsuk ChoSerpentine Pavilion


Related Posts

Latest

Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Hosts Performance Exhibition, ‘Lost Limits’

At the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, a collaborative exhibition by visual artist...

byc3editor
2025-09-30
Latest

Adrián Villar Rojas: first solo exhibition in Korea ‘The Language of the Enemy’

Argentine-Peruvian artist Adrián Villar Rojas presents his first solo exhibition in Korea, The Language of...

byc3editor
2025-09-25
Latest

‘Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now’ opens at Leeum Museum of Art

Photo: Jeon Byung-cheol Architectural Thinking, Utopian Dreams, and the Failures of Technology The Leeum Museum...

byc3editor
2025-09-15
Latest

2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘National Pavilions’

As climate change intensifies and societal transformation accelerates, architecture can no longer be confined to...

byc3editor
2025-08-07
News

2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, ‘Thematic Exhibition as a Living Laboratory’

As the world faces accelerating climate change, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the restructuring...

byc3editor
2025-06-16
News

2025 Venice Biennale, the 19th International Architecture Exhibition Opens ‘Architecture as Adaptive Intelligence’

The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale opened on May 10, 2025, embarking...

byc3editor
2025-06-12
Next Post

Stefano Boeri Architetti wins Urban Oasis Design Competition in Bratislava

  • About C3
  • Advertising
C3GLOBE

© All rights reserved. K-ARCHITECTURE | 18 GongHangDaeRo 2Gil GangSeo-gu Seoul 07622 Korea | Tel_+82 2 2661 1513 | Email_editorial@c3globe.com

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest
  • Architecture
    • Asia
    • China
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • World
  • Competitions
    • Call for Entries
    • Results
  • News
  • —
  • About C3
  • Advertising

© All rights reserved. K-ARCHITECTURE | 18 GongHangDaeRo 2Gil GangSeo-gu Seoul 07622 Korea | Tel_+82 2 2661 1513 | Email_editorial@c3globe.com