condenCITY_60 public discourse

The year (and decade) ended with two public exhibitions of intensions well beyond personal and group recognition. The intense need to bring architecture to the forefront of social/ political awareness and debate was impetus enough for our semester long investigation and final exhibitions. 'Transit_ house', considering the plight of North Korean refugees and the  need for  an accessible housing type, in the very least was an attempt to plant seeds for dialogue and contemplation. Although met with modest reception the ideas will extend beyond studio and gallery. 

Structures of Propaganda

Tis the season for propaganda. 

A large Christmas tree has been fashioned of lights, wrapping a communications tower bordering the DMZ in South Korea. The tower, standing 30 meters high, is supposedly viewable by villagers and military posts on the north side of the DMZ border.  It has been reported the 'tree'  alters perceptions of North Korean residents to recognize fallacies of the North Korean government, who for years have been telling its citizens that they are far better off than the people of South Korea. The bright light display of the tree is meant to challenge this idea amidst long periods of blackout and limited electricity availability in the North...so the story in the media goes or is it a Christian church thing? It certainly wouldn't be the first time for such propaganda.

Transit_ house Seoul

Opening tomorrow, the 20th of December at Prugio Valley gallery in Gangnam ]Seoul[ is an exhibition of ideas for housing Seoul's next wave of refugees from North Korea. This semester our design studio has been researching the plighted situation of North Korean's seeking freedoms here in the south. Our group will be exhibiting ideas for new housing types and strategies, surprisingly a muted topic amongst design professionals in South Korea.

The exhibition will run through the 24th of December.