These are some of the areas I hope to research further in Seoul, and throughout the year. Potentially I will investigate just one area in greater detail, but at the moment this is a reflection of my preoccupations and interests:
Cultures of Collectivity
Seoul is big, and it is incredibly densely populated. How is this vastness present in the structure, and architecture of the city? What kind of institutions and organisations inhabit this macro structure, and what are their architectures? Conversely is there a sense of collectivity at the local, grass roots level - is community an important part of Korean culture, and what does it mean to be a citizen?
Neighborhood and Territories
What is the underlying structure of the urban grain? How much does this reflect the way that traditional neighborhoods were organised, and older habits of the migrant population? Are there strong distinctions between areas, and the communities that live within them? What kind of structures of association does the urban layout reflect - the individual, the home or the corporation?
Domesticating the city
What is the relationship between the apatu and the rest of the city? Have the shortcomings of the domestic environment necessitated the city to meet an extended set of needs? Inadvertently has this lead to the stimulation of a vital public realm? What kind of hybrid spaces and architectures are created as a result?
Life cycle of the apatu
Does the story of the apt indicate more about the way architects and urbanists think about cities, or about economic and political realities? What do the more recent planned cities in Incheon and Seoul highlight about how we plan for existing and future populations?
