Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Moon Hoon + Mooyuki have architecturally personified the “concept of movement” with 1,597 rotating cubes for their 6143 m² Korean Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai located in the Expo’s Mobility District.
The spinning cubes arising from the vision become an expression of Korean mobility and the energy of its people.
There are 1,597 cubes representing abstract patterns of mobility themes and words of important messages.
The spin cube has one digital and three analog color faces.
It aspires to be both digital and analog (digi_logue), in an attempt to bring some freshness to saturated and fatigued contemporary digital media.
The spin cube façade is attempting to be a digi_logue installation, which can be experienced within and without the building.
The spinning cube façade is the exhibit.
Like ziggurat and galaxy spirals, the 4 ramps weave in and out of the building.
They ascend and descend with fluctuating gradients, as though logic has been hit with an accidental and irrational spur.
The boundary of the Korean pavilion is blurred or broken by the in and out of the ramps. Interior and the exterior spatial experience become continuous.
The winding and weaving ramps provide many viewing points at different levels and positions, allowing for almost a fly-through experience of the whole structure.
On top of this, Augmented Reality content is provided to visitors, who are able to superimpose digital images onto the existing reality.
The notion of Desert Mirage and Miracles are subtly implied through these interventions.
Traditional Korean houses have “Madang,” which is usually an open empty space where many activities and events take place.
The architects’ design for this pavilion allows or performances, spontaneous events, and festivals to take place.
The large opening at the east is a gesture of blurred boundary where, passer-byes can enjoy the show, even without entering the pavilion.
All in all, Madang is an open-air stadium with great flexibility and potentials.
A new horizontal division of area was created on this basis. It determines the position of new trees, the location of furniture, and above all it horizontally rhythms new wide walkways.
Bicycle stands and waste bins are in accordance with the design of the new Prague furniture from the Olgoj Chorchoj Studio, however, the bins are modified to a version with an underground container with a capacity of 600l.
Benches are made of simple blocks of artificial stone.
With the progress of reconstruction, stands and other ill-conceived above-ground buildings are being relocated. Only the ventilation devices from the metro and underground collectors remained, which the new material solution of the cladding unifies.
The walkways are paved with dark grey limestone mosaics.
There is large granite paving on the drivable areas and the central promenade.
The ground plan of the square is based on the medieval module of the street network foundation in a grid of multiples of the so-called “landseil” (almost 31 m).
A new horizontal division of area was created on this basis. It determines the position of new trees, the location of furniture, and above all it horizontally rhythms new wide walkways.
The Wenceslas Square and Museum tram line projects are currently being processed.
The Prague Public Transport Company is preparing these two projects with the aim to connect today’s line in Jindřišská and Vodičkova Streets with the line in Vinohradská Street via the upper part of Wenceslas Square and the space between the buildings of the National Museum.
The entire square should be completed by 2025.
Project: Korean Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
Architects: Moon Hoon + Mooyuki
Design Team: Moon Hoon, Seongbong Yun, Dongkyu Kim, Sanghyeok Park, Kibum Park, Minsung Kim, Jiwon Park
General Contractor: Ssangyong
Client: Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency KOTRA
Photographers: Kim Changmook
