Standing in the epicenter of art and culture in Korea

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Tell me. How would you build a structure that embodies and empowers all forms of arts, including music, dance, photography, painting and design? When Seoul Arts Center was being planned for construction all of these elements had to be considered along with the most important factor as well, traditional Korean architectural beauty.

The result of this painstakingly slow construction is what is now known as Seoul Arts Center, opened in 1988, the same years as the Seoul Olympics. The site contains a total of 11 buildings, foremost among them the Music Hall, Opera House and Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum.

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The design elements of the buildings deserve mentioning as each of the building is constructed based on geometrical shapes such as circles, fan shapes, triangles and rectangles but also incorporate traditional Korean costume items such as a gat – a Korean traditional hat made of bamboo and horsehair – and a Korean fan.

If you ever get a chance to visit, you might also notice how the structure is aligned with the mountains in the back and a road in the front, which also stems from the Korean design tradition of placing important structures between a mountain and a stream.

The inside of the building is a place of interaction among visitors. It can be turned into a park, outdoor concert hall, market or even a garden depending on how it is configured. It also has an outdoor fountain square where you can watch brilliantly choreographed fountains dance and swirl to the popular classical music.

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The Seoul Arts Center is now considered the primary spot in Korea to take in world-class art and cultural events. Each year it hosts around 1,000 concerts and performances as well as more than 100 exhibitions.

Now, if you have the chance to visit the Seoul Arts Center, you can appreciate the architectural design as well as the art and performances taking place inside.