Architectural Cases

Artist Kimsooja from South Korea challenges our usual understanding of reality, illuminating and bringing a sense of hope to existing locations instead of creating new ones. Her artistic practice, which spans more than thirty years, combines performance and installations tailored to specific sites. Throughout these varied formats, she maintains a consistent method: she modifies how current surroundings are perceived by incorporating stillness and illumination.

Her site-specific projects have been showcased in diverse settings, from the famous Venice Biennale to the Bourse de Commerce, extending into underground spaces and expansive deserts. Her contributions have fostered a distinct perspective on space, viewing it as something that can be re-evaluated and adjusted rather than completely redesigned.

A notable aspect of her work is the ongoing series, 'A Needle Woman,' which began in the late 1990s. In major cities like Tokyo, Mexico City, Delhi, and Shanghai, Kimsooja stands immobile with her back to the camera while pedestrians move around her. This simple act dramatically alters the perception of the space. The bustling nature of the street becomes more evident, and movement patterns are highlighted against her static form. She likens herself to a needle weaving through fabric, with the city representing a dynamic canvas of motion. This metaphor grounds the work in physical experience, demonstrating how a small shift in behavior can redefine how a city is understood for both observers and passersby.

Kimsooja extends this concept to architectural spaces with her 'To Breathe' series, transforming interiors using diffraction film and natural light. Windows and surfaces are covered with translucent materials that refract light into shifting colors, subtly altering the environment as visitors move through it. This precise and understated intervention breathes life into the unchanged architecture, creating an atmosphere that responds to movement and time. The work suggests that environments can be recalibrated to foster awareness and shared experiences through minimal means.

Her exhibition, 'Weaving the Light,' at Cisternerne in Copenhagen, a former underground reservoir, further exemplifies her approach. By introducing transparent panels coated with diffraction film, Kimsooja allows light to penetrate and disperse, creating shifting reflections across the water and walls. The structure of the reservoir remains untouched, yet the perception and habitation of the space are profoundly altered. This installation underscores how a fixed environment can be transformed by engaging with light and time.

In 'To Breathe — Coachella Valley' for Desert X 2025, Kimsooja applies her methodology to a vast landscape. A spiraling glass structure wrapped in diffraction film is placed within the desert, refracting sunlight into iridescent colors that tint the surrounding terrain and alter the horizon. This installation does not reshape the desert but instead creates a lightweight system that responds to the sun's movement and the viewer's position, demonstrating that the same principles can operate at a territorial scale.

Across all her projects, Kimsooja maintains a consistent artistic philosophy despite varying contexts. Urban streets, interior rooms, subterranean reservoirs, and open desert landscapes are all treated as sites for subtle modification rather than outright reconstruction. This continuity is fundamental to her conception of utopia as a method, not as a singular ideal but as an adaptable approach that can be applied universally, allowing change to emerge through repetition, variation, and a keen attention to existing conditions.

In a compelling demonstration of Shenzhen's evolving urban landscape, the Róng Museum of Art, conceived by the visionary architects at Büro Ole Scheeren, is taking its definitive form within the Nanshan District. This cultural beacon is poised to redefine the intersection of technology and artistic expression, signaling a profound shift in the city's developmental trajectory where rapid technological advancements are now catalyzing the creation of significant cultural landmarks. The museum, a key component of a broader urban campus, promises to be a dynamic hub for visual culture, with exhibitions spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, encompassing a diverse array of disciplines including art, architectural design, and cinematic arts.

A Landmark in Urban Design: The Róng Museum of Art

The Róng Museum of Art, a creation of Büro Ole Scheeren, is a testament to innovative architectural thought, situated in Shenzhen, China. Expected to open its doors in 2027, the museum is being developed for Tenova, with detailed visualizations provided by Büro Ole Scheeren, TMRW, Atchain, Frontop, and Bezier. The architectural marvel comprises five distinct, sculptural buildings that gracefully ascend from narrow foundations, expanding outwards as they reach skyward. These elevated structures ingeniously house the primary exhibition spaces, simultaneously carving out a vast, shaded public square beneath. This innovative design offers an immediate and striking visual impact, presenting the edifice as if it floats above an unbroken urban surface, inviting public engagement.

The ground level of the museum functions as an expansive, naturally ventilated public forum, offering refuge from the sun and rain while remaining fully accessible to all. A prominent skylight bathes this space in natural daylight, creating an inviting atmosphere for visitors to traverse, congregate, or simply pause, without the necessity of entering the upper galleries. This design philosophy extends the museum's role beyond a contained artistic institution, integrating it seamlessly into the public realm.

The museum's exterior is characterized by horizontal layers that recede progressively, sculpting each volume into a distinctive tapered form. Encasing this structure is a secondary skin composed of suspended glass tubes, which together create a facade of remarkable texture. These glass elements are meticulously engineered using parametric design to achieve varying densities and depths, allowing the surface to interact dynamically with its environment.

Light permeates the interior through this sophisticated layered system, resulting in a diffused and gentle illumination. During daylight hours, the glass tubes efficiently moderate sunlight, curtailing heat gain while ensuring a serene, bright indoor ambiance. As evening descends, the facade transforms, emitting a consistent, soft radiance, with individual tubes capable of sequential illumination, thereby establishing a captivating and recognizable presence against the city's skyline. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, these glass tubes serve a multifaceted purpose. Their calculated spacing facilitates natural airflow, while their density provides crucial shading, significantly enhancing the building's energy efficiency. Furthermore, the design incorporates sustainable practices, collecting rainwater from the upper surfaces and channeling it to ground-level retention areas for reuse.

The visitor's journey through the Róng Museum of Art is conceived as a gradual ascent. A thoughtfully designed staircase traces the building's exterior, guiding patrons from the vibrant plaza below to the expansive galleries and culminating at a serene rooftop garden. This path, running adjacent to the facade, continuously offers evolving panoramic views of the surrounding district and the distant waterfront. Inside, the volumes are flexibly combined to support diverse exhibition layouts. A double-height space accommodates large-scale installations, while adjacent areas cater to displays of varying scales. This adaptable organization facilitates a spectrum of viewing experiences, from intimate and focused encounters to more open and circulatory explorations of art.

The Róng Museum of Art stands as a visionary project, exemplifying how architectural ingenuity can integrate cultural institutions into the fabric of a rapidly advancing urban environment. It reflects Shenzhen's commitment to fostering a rich cultural landscape alongside its technological prowess, creating a space where art and community converge harmoniously.