Canadian Embassy in Seoul is located in Jeong-dong, along with Ewha Girls’ High School, Jeong-dong Theater, Deoksugung, and Seoul Museum of Art. It was designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects ( http://www.zeidlerpartnership.com/ ), and the local architect was AIL(Art International Ltd. Architects & Engineers http://www.artintltd.com/) also known as Shinye Architects in Korean.

It’s interesting to see the play between soft and rigid in this building. On site, they have a tree which is more than 500 years old, so the architect worked around the tree to create the curvy entrance with a plaza in front. Wood on lower level walls is used for marking the public space around the old tree as a softer gesture, whereas upper levels are built with rigid and cold materials such as aluminum panels and glass. Similar play is happening for the form of the building as well. The lower levels  are undulating to mimic the curvature of Deoksugung walls, whereas the upper levels are rigid and formed mainly of two large masses.

Site Area : 1,401sqm  |  Building Area : 836sqm  |  Total Floor Area : 8,462sqm

10 floors above ground, 3 floors below ground