Portfolio
Koh Hyeonsu
“The role of the architect is now being challenged to serve greater social and humanitarian needs”
1998.07.28
Jeju Island, South Korea
+82.10.9637.6404
kohhyeonsu7@gmail.com blog.naver.com/kohhyeonsu7
Jeju National University High School
Pukyong
EXPERIENCE
Competition
2021 Modern Urban Architecture Competition
Internship
GAU Architects, Jeju, South Korea
Changjo Architects, Seoul, South Korea
ABROAD
Loughborough, England
- Alejandro Aravena
PROGRAMME SKILLS
Tokyo, Japan Auto
Sketchup
V-Ray
Twinmotion
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
LANGUAGE
Adobe Indesign Japanese
Jeju, South Korea / Graduation Project / Academic
Jeju, South Korea / Academic
Busan, South Korea / Academic
Deajun, South Korea / Competition
Library for Everyone
Jeju, South Korea / Graduation Project / Academic
The value of “fairness” is becoming increasingly important. However, in contrast, the value of “equality” seems to be fading, giving way to a world overflowing with “exclusive leagues” for the privileged few. How can I, through architecture, embody and advocate for the value of equality?
Surprisingly, there aren’t many buildings that are truly accessible to everyone. Facilities designed not only for the so-called “normal” individuals—such as non-disabled people, heterosexuals, and literate individuals—but also for the countless “non-normative” groups are essential for a society that respects diversity in the present and future.
<Overview>
Location: 142, Seogwang-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
Site Area: 13,635㎡
Gross Floor Area: 13,037㎡
Scale: 2 basement levels, 3 above-ground floors
Library for Everyone
A library designed with barrier-free features throughout, allowing people from all walks of life to visit comfortably without obstacles.
A sunken design with entrances on both the north and west sides. The space is immediately visible upon entry. A ramp is installed instead of stairs.
A comfortable space where both caregivers and children can enjoy.
A library for visually impaired individuals located on the 1st and 2nd floors. It is equipped with a braille book collection room, a guide dog rest area, and braille typewriters.
A library for hearing-impaired individuals located on the 1st and 2nd floors. It includes a reading room, braille typewriters, and a digital room.
Children’s Library General Reference Room
Library for the Hearing Impaired Library for the Visually Impaired Central Ramp
A central ramp for vertical movement within the library. Equipped with bookshelves, it serves as an extension of the general library.
Traffic Conditions
1. Jeju Airport: Located 800m from the building.
2. Jeju City Bus Terminal: Within 400m of the building.
Nearby Cultural/Social Events
1. Sports Complex:
A multipurpose stadium used for track and field events as well as soccer matches.
2. Jeonnong-ro Cherry Blossom Festival: Jeju’s representative cherry blossom festival, held annually during the full bloom season.
CONCEPT
Historical Significance of the Location
1. Traces of the 4.3 Incident: The remnants of “the lost villages” destroyed during the 4.3 Incident.
2. Old City Center and Gwandeokjeong: Home to Gwandeokjeong, a symbol of Jeju’s history, and the historic old city center.
“Just as all waters of the world eventually flow to the sea, ‘I’ becomes ‘we,’ and ultimately, we meet as one.”
Our society is full of buildings that only certain groups—those who are healthy and affluent—can access. Shouldn’t there be more buildings where anyone can come comfortably, without money or assistance?
We all live our lives along different streams, but ultimately, we come together as “we,” coexisting as a society.
Like rivers and lakes, all water streams in the world flow naturally from higher to lower ground, eventually converging in the sea.
This is a library open to everyone. Through barrier-free design and diverse programs, it becomes a space where, in the end, we are all connected as “us.”
A polygonal site bordered by dry streams on two sides, with the north side facing a main road and the west side adjacent to a narrow 5-meter road.
To actively embrace the views of the dry stream and overcome the low building coverage ratio limit, the ground floor was designed with a sunken approach.
The triangular mass was shaped by considering natural axes, including the sea, dry streams, and mountains.
On the dry stream side, the third-floor mass is set back relative to the second-floor mass, creating a stepped facade.
A central square atrium was formed in alignment with the axes of the mountains and the sea.
An additional mass connecting the second and third floors was introduced to accommodate the children’s library and rest areas.
Cultural Centre in Jeju
When people think of culture, many envision actors, theater, and film. Most of these are intrinsically connected to certain spaces, which play a crucial role in enhancing cultural immersion. While culture is now more accessible than ever, most cultural centers are located in Seoul, not Jeju. As a result, citizens often don’t consider Jeju an ideal place to experience culture. This project, however, is poised to change that perception. It will shine as an oasis, addressing Jeju’s “cultural drought” and serving as a haven for everyone who visits this building.
<Overview>
Location : Samdo 2-dong 821–858, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
Primary Use : Theater Site Area : 18175.640㎡
Building Area : 9,027.688㎡
Scale: 2 basement levels, 3 above-ground floors
Jeju, South Korea / Academic
A door that opens the heart, Various programs connected to concerts
ConnectionofSorrowandPain:4.3 MemorialHallandJejuMuseum
Alargerectangularmassfeaturinga door-shapedfacade.
Anentrancefaçadeinspiredby traditionalKoreandoors.
Variousbranchingwalking pathsscatteredthroughout.
Voidsandwindowsthatenhanceventilation andmaintainamorecomfortableinterior environment.
ConnectionofCommunicationand Coexistence:ResearchCenterandLibrary
ConnectionofHappiness:Underground ShoppingMallandCafe
Map Analysis
Jeju Old Town Route
Samdo-dong, Gwandeok-ro. A place where the past and present coexist. “The Door of Encounter” – Jeju has many similarities with a door. A door is both a starting point and a finishing point, a transition from one dimension to another. Jeju is a “space of another dimension,” with its unique nature and culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the country. It is also a place where people are constantly coming and going, more so than any other space in a home. Jeju has the highest population mobility in the country. The surrounding area of the site is rich in historically significant spaces. Positioned at a major intersection, the site serves as a physical threshold to these spaces, which is why chose the concept of “門 (Door).”
The site is located in an area that holds historical, social, and geographical significance. Positioned at a major intersection, it serves as a physical gateway to these important spaces. A door not only functions as an entry and exit but also as an essential element for encountering new people and environments in a new space.
The Door of Sorrow: 4.3 Memorial, Jeju History Museum, Exhibition Hall, Memorial Hall
The Door of Joy: Cinema, Theater, Book Cafe, Restaurant
Natural Area Road Status
1. Basic Mass 6. Adding Landscaping to the Interior and Exterior
Horizontal Design Changes
Changing the External Facade for Concept and Vertical Design
Nature-friendly Design: Adding Ceilings for Ventilation
Completion with Glass Windows and Detailed Exterior Design 2. Dividing the Mass 3. Mass Design Changes for Concept Ideas
Addition of a Sunken Area for Expanding Underground Facilities and Activating the Community Plaza
the Masses for Communication and Encounter
The Carousel of Life
Spinning around, and here again
What makes life meaningful? It may be because death is always by our side. In a country like Korea, where burial facilities are considered “unpleasant facilities,” death is a topic often avoided. However, since death is inevitable for everyone, I hoped to change the aversion to death and funerals by establishing a burial facility in Haeundae-gu, one of the most famous areas in Busan. Originally, this site was a garden filled with pine trees, one of Korea’s symbolic trees. For Koreans, pine trees hold the meaning of guardianship, staying by one’s side from birth to death. Additionally, its location right in front of the sea breaks away from the conventional association of cemeteries with expansive green spaces, offering a new perspective by connecting the sea and cemeteries.
<Overview>
Location: 704-12, U-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
Primary Use: Funeral Hall, Cemetery, Funeral
Cemetery Facilities
Busan, South Korea / Academic
The site, located in Haeundae Pine Forest Park, adjacent to the beach, is characterized by its pine tree-filled park. This inspired a focus on “pine trees” and their connection to the concept of death and life.
In Korean tradition, the geumjul (sacred straw rope) hung when a baby is born is adorned with pine. The houses where people live and even the coffins that hold them in death are made from pine. From birth to death, pine trees are deeply intertwined with human life, symbolizing continuity and transcendence.
By establishing a funeral facility in a prominent area, I hoped to create an opportunity to change the societal aversion to death and funerals.
4. Ground Void
Connection
RE:TRO POLIS
A Regenerative City Where the Past and Present Coexist
As a project initiated with the goal of urban regeneration and remodeling, our plan began by reflecting on the history of the Ilsin Textile site and the lives once lived there. People often find themselves belonging to a community, living life with a sense of connection and purpose tied to that belonging. The spaces where they gather and engage naturally become their “second home,” forming an alternate “world.”
For the factory workers, this site was not merely a workplace—it was their life, their world, and a small “city” of its own. From the establishment of the factory to its closure, this site encapsulated their lives. Through this urban regeneration project, we hope to breathe new life into this space, transforming it into a place that carries forward new ways of living while honoring the past.
Deajun, South Korea / Competition
Gwangju-Kia Champions Field
The sports complex includes a multipurpose main stadium, Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium, a general gymnasium, an equestrian arena, an archery range, and tennis courts. A swimming pool was built in 1993 but was demolished in 2008. In 2011, part of the facilities of the main stadium, which is primarily used for soccer, was retained, and a state-of-the-art baseball stadium, Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, was newly constructed.
Ilshin Spinning, located at the intersection of culture, community spaces, nature, and transportation, aims to create spaces for both local residents in the surrounding residential areas and visitors. The goal is to revitalize the historical significance of Jeonbang and Ilshin Spinning while establishing a regenerated space that harmonizes industry, history, research, culture, education, and nature. It seeks to serve as a bridge connecting the past and present, providing a new paradigm for urban redevelopment at Jeonbang and Ilshin Spinning.
River Bridge Road Axis
Gwangcheon 1st Bridge
Entrance/ Exit
Site Boundary Line
Distance Range from Site Central Axis
Located close to Gwangju’s old city center, it offers convenient access. Once the primary railway station in the Honam region, its significance has diminished with the emergence of the Honam High-Speed Line. Given its proximity to the Jeonbang Ilshin site, it is essential to explore and leverage the relationship between Gwangju Station and the site. Revitalizing Gwangju Station while examining the spatial connections with Jeonbang Ilshin is crucial for establishing a mutually complementary relationship.
The site holds value as a modern industrial facility and a historical reminder of both the painful exploitation during Japanese colonial rule and its role as a symbol of industry in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions after liberation. It was a space of life and labor for women workers, featuring existing structures such as factories, dormitories, housing, educational and medical facilities, and churches. Additionally, remnants like railroads, equipment, elevated water tanks, and other historical traces can still be found.
Traces of Women Workers’ Lives
BEFORE
NODE: Green Plaza
LANDMARK
AFTER
1. Square of Beginnings
2. Square of the Future
CONCEPT
3. Water Square
4. Square of ‘us’
Central Cultural Square
Kevin Lynch’s Five Elements of Urban Design
PATH(Road)
1) Bidirectional core
DISTRICT
1. Historical Zone
2. Cultural Zone
3. Corporate and Research zone
3. Path of Thought
4. Path of Culture
PATH: Walking Trail
EDGE: Tree-Lined Path
1. Perimeter Trail
2. Path of Memory
EDGE(Boundaries)
The five elements—PATH (roads), EDGE (boundaries), DISTRICT (areas), NODE (junctions), and LANDMARK (landmarks)**— are applied to the overall programming of the site. Introduced by Kevin Lynch, these concepts encompass “place legibility,” which can be described as the clarity and ease with which a place can be understood. Ultimately, this means enabling people living in the area to easily comprehend and navigate the divisions and organization of the space.
2) Wide pedestrian spaces
3) Connectivity between parking spaces and residential areas
4) All pedestrian paths are connected to the central axis
5) External pathsbicycle lanes
DISTRICT (Areas)
1) Apartments
1) Courtyards
2) Tree-lined Streets
3) Vegetable gardens, flower beds
4) Tennis courts
5) Hills
2) Parking NODE (Junctions)
1) Playgrounds, benches
2) Squares
3) Commercial areas
LANDMARK
1)High-rise building
2)Clock towers
3)Guardhouses
3. Path of Thoughts
4. Path of Culture
PROGRAMME
Themed Trails / Bicycle Paths
Textile Botanical Garden
SecondaryEntrace
