Tadao Ando  / Japan

Art museum embraced by nature

Sitting atop a mountain, Museum SAN has a long and narrow layout. When Tadao Ando first visited the site before constructing the museum, he was attracted by the area’s charm of being surrounded by nature and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. He thought maybe he would be able to create a whole new world here. Ando’s first impression of the spot is reflected in the museum’s design. You can feel his design concept of “Disconnect to Connect” as you walk along the 700m-long pathway and tour the exhibition halls.

Ando’s architectural style of highlighting “dramatic sequence and contrasts” can also be found at Museum SAN, leaving a great impression on visitors. The Welcome Center has a rather dark and reclusive ambiance inside. However, once you exit the building, you will see the large Flower Garden, the first contrast on the way to the museum. From the Flower Garden covered with rainbow pinks, a long pathway leads you through a birch forest, and finally to the quiet Water Garden, where the beautiful sky can be seen reflected on it. You will feel connected and interacting with nature.

The museum at the end of the pathway is designed in a “box within a box” concept, whereby an unrefined stone “box” made with Pajuseok stones (coarse stones produced in the Paju region of Korea) houses exhibition “boxes” with exposed concrete exteriors. Light shining through the ceilings of the hallways surrounding the exposed concrete “boxes,” create a mysterious effect. Along the hallways you will witness the well-sequenced contrasts between opening and closing, connection and disconnection, inside and outside, as well as art and nature. You will find yourself immersed in this unique and mystical architectural space.

Once you exit the museum, a vast open space called the Stone Garden awaits you. This outdoor space consists of nine stone mounds inspired by ancient tombs from the Silla Kingdom (57BCE–935CE). As you walk across the garden surrounded by the peaceful atmosphere created by the sky, land, wind, and sunlight, you will be reminded again of the connection and interaction with nature.

TIP : You can take the Wonju City Tour Bus (Circulating) at the Wonju Intercity Bus Terminal and visit major tourist attractions in Wonju including Museum SAN.

• 9 buses/day     tourism.wonju.go.kr