KoreaToday Changing Facade of Higher Education
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
University grounds are no longer limited to traditional ivy-covered brick buildings. They are showcasing the latest architectural projects where structures climb high toward the sky and dig low into the hollows of the Earth. Also sprouting up are facilities that cater not only to the needs of students but also family-friendly features that invite the involvement of locals, with many families expanding their list of weekend hangout venues from the usual parks and aquariums to include university campuses.
Star-Studded Architecture
Earlier this month, Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza visited Seoul for the construction of a new building for Yonsei University Business School. The Pritzker Prize (the Nobel Prize of the architecture world) winning designer is known as a poetic modernist belonging to the Porto school of architecture. His works include university facilities at Aveiro and Porto, and the Yonsei buiding, his first endeavor in Asia, will be Asia's largest and most expensive school structure. The seven-story building will have several basement floors and encompasses a total surface area of roughly 22,810 square meters. The 70 billion won project is slated for completion next year.
Universities, which foster future leaders, seek to physically reflect their academic excellence. The new Business School building reflects Yonsei's strive for world-class programs. ``I believe that the building in which people live, work or study are not hardware but software. Spending time in the best building itself can instill in a person great confidence,'' Kim Tae-hyeon, dean of Yonsei Business School, was quoted as saying in a statement. ``Mr. Siza is famous for crafting exquisite interiors. A school building is not simply a space where students study, but a place where they experience a culture. Being in touch with a unique cultural space will encourage creativity, and this makes Mr. Siza perfect for the business building,'' said Kim.
Siza was in Korea earlier this month for the building's groundbreaking event. He also attended the opening of Lonchel Gallery. Run by LG Chem, Lonchel is the country's first exhibition space for architecture and space design. Currently on display through Oct. 11 are pieces of Siza's own furniture as well as design sketches. Located near Ansei Hospital, Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul. Call (02) 2088-7044. Open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
In April, Ewha Womans University announced the grand opening of Ewha Campus Complex (ECC). It is a high tech project by none other than Dominique Perrault, the French celebrity architect known for designing the National Library of France among others.
It is by far South Korea's largest underground campus, measuring 558,069 square meters and making up about 10 percent of Ewha's campus. The six-storey building dips deep into the Earth: the B1 level accommodates an English Lounge, where English-speaking instructors preside. There is a large auditorium and some 40 seminar rooms on the B2 and B3 levels and Cinecube, an independent movie theater chain, on B4. Other public facilities include a Kyobo Bookstore, convenience store, flower shop, Starbucks Coffee, gym and cafes/restaurants.
The striking structure raised some eyebrows for supposedly bringing in a commercial facility into academia, but the grounds are accommodating an increasing number of stroller-pushing parents and friends. Large gardens where children can play and benches top the sloping building. ECC boasts state-of-the-art green technology, and the garden enables the reuse of rainwater. It also employs a ``cooling radiator'' or a maze of air tunnels imbedded between walls that naturally heat or cool the interior.
``I like to come to the garden with my son. It's right near our house and it has all these convenience facilities,'' Kim Young-mee, a 31-year-old housewife, told The Korea Times. But Kim mentioned that the parking was a bit expensive. Parking is 2,000 won for the first 30 minutes and 700 won for each additional 10 minutes, and then 1,400 won for 10 minutes after two hours. Located near Ewha Womans University Station on subway line 2.
Thriving Underground Campus
As ground level space is becoming increasingly limited, other Korean schools are making use of almost limitless underground space. Korea University, whose stone buildings and green grounds made it a popular site for college movies, was the first to introduce ``GOEX'' ― a mixture of Goryeo (Korea University) and Korea's foremost mall COEX. Central Plaza and Hana Square, both 30,000 square-metered buildings stretching four basement levels, accommodate facilities including a gym, auditoriums and cafes. In order to address lighting and ventilation problems, the ceiling of Hana Square's ground level area is completely made of glass.
Kyungwon University is building a large seven-story structure with three underground levels, and other schools like Seoul National University is said to be contemplating the idea of expanding downward.
Family-Friendly Campuses
In addition to attractive architecture and multifunctional facilities, university campuses are attracting visitors with scenic picnicking venues.
In the heart of Dankook University-Jukjeon Campus are lush bodies of water, including a waterfall, pond and stream. A 45-meter high waterfall cascades into a pond, next to which lies a small stage where students often give performances. Between the Law and Engineering buildings is Deulsaemgil, a long staircase through which winds down a curvaceous 365-meter-long stream. Located near Ori Station on the Bundang subway line.
School campuses are also becoming a haven for bicyclists. Seoul City has designated 19 schools as experimental bike-riding venues equipped with exclusive bicycle paths and storage facilities. The roster includes: Duksung Women's University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hanyang University, Hanyang Women's College, Hongik University, Konkuk University, Korea National Sport University, Korea University, Kyunghee University, Methodist Theological University, Myongji College, Myongji University, Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Sahmyook University, Seoul National University of Education, Seoul National University of Technology and Yonsei University.
Yonsei University is also taking the initiative to curb the number of cars on campus for a greener environment. It is constructing an underground passage from the central road leading up from the main gate to central campus. The construction is slated for completion in 2011.