The Seoul Biennale of Architecture

I put down my preferences for my architecture studio not knowing which one I would get. I placed the studio which involved travelling to Korea in third place on my preferences list but I should have put it first! In the end, it did not matter because I was put in the studio and within the month I was off to Korea with the rest of my class to participate in the Seoul Biennale of Architecture.

We spent seven days around Seoul with a variety of activities planned by our professor. The major reason for our visit was to explore our allocated site which we were to design a building on. Our class site allocation was the Han River and we spent 2 days exploring the river and its surrounding suburbs to get a feel for the location.

As this was organised through the university, we also visited one of the local universities. We participated in a tutorial class with the local students where we had the opportunity to ask them more personal questions about their experiences, and their likes and dislikes of living in Seoul. Their responses would later help to guide us through the design process for our individual studio designs.

The rest of the days from around 9am-5pm were spent walking around both cultural and architectural landmarks around Seoul guided by our tutor. We also spent a day travelling to the northern border town of Heyri Art Village to see the houses designed by some of Korea’s most influential architects.

After 5pm however, the rest of the night was ours to explore. A large portion of my class stayed in the same hotel in Meong-dong and we spent many nights exploring the markets and food stalls around the area, while also hitting up some karaoke and eating fried chicken and beer (a must in Seoul).

This trip was my first experience in Korea and I can definitely say that I will be coming back! In relation to the studio, I would recommend that each student at UTS participate in a travelling studio at some point in their degree. It is a wonderful way of getting to know another culture on a deeper level than a traditional tourist, as you get to explore the life and habits of the local individual as you design a building for them and within their landscape.

Anna Klein
Master of Architecture
Manufactured Landscapes (the landbridge) in the Republic of Korea
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship