MoA (Museum of Art, Seoul National University

ARCHITECTURE

MoA(Museum of Art , Seoul National University), located beside the university’s main gate, serves as a contact point for the university and the local community. With U-glass exteriors and steel-framed trusses, the architecture of the MoA features a unique design that resembles a gigantic sculptural work floating in the air.
The interior of the MoA, with the floor area of 4,486.47 m2, consists of three stories and three underground levels. The dynamic spiral passage in the center connects the wings on two sides making the museum an open cultural space. The Museum’s entire structural design, the likes of which are rarely seen in Korea, organically connects exhibition spaces, educational spaces, and various other amenities like an archive room and a lounge.

â–ª Building Area: 2,775.56 m2
â–ª Gross Floor Area: 4,486.47 m2
â–ª Height: 17.575 m
â–ª Structure: Steel-framed trusses, ferroconcrete
â–ª Exterior finishing: U-Glass System
â–ª Designer: Rem Koolhaas
â–ª Supervisor: Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Samoo Architects & Engineers, Co., Ltd.
â–ª Builder: Architecture Division, Samsung Corporation

Rem Koolhaas & OMA : .
Creators of a new paradigm in urban structural design and architecture

Rem Koolhaas, the designer of the MoA, is an internationally renowned and influential architect not only in the field of modern architectural design but also in architectural theory. He took up architecture at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and worked for the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York. In addition, he wrote several seminal books on architectural theory, including Delirious New York (1978), which is considered a classic volume on modern and contemporary architecture and society. He was the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2000, often called the “Nobel Prize in Architecture.” The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), which he established in London in 1975, has its offices in Rotterdam, New York, and Beijing and is expanding its business not only in Europe but also in USA and Asia.
Some of his major designs include buildings such as the Netherlands Dance Theatre in the Hague, Kunsthal in Rotterdam, Los Angeles Museum, and Educatorium in Utrecht, as well as housing designs like the Nexus Housing in Fukuoka, Japan, Maison à Bordeaux in France, and The Dutch House in the Netherlands. His recent works are the Netherlands Embassy in Berlin and the Seattle Central Library in the USA. He also took charge of the expansion and the interior design for Prada stores in Manhattan, New York, and Los Angeles. He also participated in the design of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art.
Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Rem Koolhaas has been researching various issues that influence urban environments. His architectural design neither depends on any one trend nor advocates an identical style. In every design, his use of space is notably free, variable, and divided into various pieces depending on functions.

Text from  http://www.snumoa.org/