MUSEUM OF SILK
Jinju, Korea, 2021
Location: Jinju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea
Total Floor Area: 15,160 sqm
Program: Museum, Educational
A GIANT LOOM
Silk-making is a traditional local industry in the Jinju region, and it is a beautiful heritage passed down by the ancestors for a long time. We want to preserve this heritage, pass it on to more people, and build a museum that will be a good symbol and be remembered for a long time.
We propose a giant Loom. The Loom, which drew threads from the cocoon and wove silk fabric, was the driving force behind producing the highest quality silk since the days when there were no machines. The mechanism of the Loom, which weaves fabric by repeating up-and-down and left-and-right movements while hundreds of threads are suspended, is an objet d'art that symbolizes silk culture itself.
The main square guides visitors to the building. Visitors cross under the giant loom and enter the main lobby. The buildings on both sides of the square are sloped and provide stairs facing the court, becoming a rest area where visitors can gather or hold events. The suspender ropes above can be used for large outdoor exhibitions.
1. Create a plaza adjacent to the Silk Road. The ‘plaza’ itself has spatial potential. It can serve as a resting place for the local community and as a background for cultural events.
2. Lift the corners of the ‘plaza’ to create the shape of a building. The slope of the building creates dynamics in the consistent horizontal landscape of the surrounding area and reveals its existence as a symbol.
3. Place the supportive programs at the back. The central corridor between the two buildings penetrates the entire program and provides efficient wayfinding.
4. The suspender ropes above the plaza become an outdoor platform where exhibits can be held.