UK designers seek to transform Gongju
By Ines Min, J.R. Breen
Staff reporters
While Seoul gears up to be the next World Design Capital, Gongju is looking to keep in step. The South Chungcheong Province city has transformed the old town hall into a design cafe, with the help of four renowned British designers.
"Happiness for Daily Life," a community gathering place for creative minds, is a 6-month project that opened last week to combine the aesthetics of traditional Korea with contemporary Britain, in hopes of bringing an inspirational ambiance to the small city in a cultural exchange.
Sponsored by Gongju City, the British Council and the Korean National University of Cultural Heritage, the renovation of the Japanese colonial-era (1910-45) building was completed by Michael Marriott, Anthony Burrill, Linda Brothwell, Fabien Cappello and Korean architect Kim Paik-sun.
A major focus of the undertaking is an emphasis on eco-friendliness, compatibility with the surroundings and overall efficiency.
Marriott, a products designer and teacher at the Royal College of Art in London, said he left the red-brick
May 26, 2010