Modern Atlanta

Atlanta played host to pavilion designed by New York-based Manifesto Architecture celebrating contemporary Korean design

Korean Pavilion, Design Is Human Week in Atlanta, Georgia


Korean Pavilion, Design Is Human Week in Atlanta, Georgia

Experts and fans of contemporary design had an unprecedented opportunity to learn first-hand about Korean architecture and design. From June 4-12, during Modern Atlanta’s (“MA”) “Design Is Human” Week in Atlanta, MA featured the first Korean pavilion and exhibition of its kind in the US, recognizing the country of South Korea and its highly regarded status and contributions to international design and contemporary culture.


MA Co-Founder Elayne DeLeo being interviewed by local media. Right, Korean Pavilion

For the first time in its five-year existence, MA presented design excellence from a specific country, Korea, in a dedicated pavilion. The unique Korean Pavilion and Design Exhibition, located in the Two Peachtree Pointe building in Uptown Atlanta, was a major element of MA11, and part of MA’s global strategy to attract a larger international following.


Attendees at Korean Pavilion

Officials from the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea opened the Korean Pavilion on June 6 during a special VIP reception. Entrance to the Korean Pavilion was free and opened to the public.


Hae-jin Chun, Consul General of the Republic of Korea

“Korea is on the forefront of global trends and new developments in contemporary design and architecture,” notes the Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Hae-jin Chun. “We are pleased that this exhibit - as well as other events during the MA11 “Design is Human” Week - introduced some of Korea’s finest architects and designers to a whole new audience in the US, right here in Atlanta.”

New York City-based Manifesto Architecture designed the Korean Pavilion for MA11. Their concept for the Korean Pavilion celebrates the Korean alphabet and is an architectural representation of Korean culture and design.


Jeeyong An and Sang Hwa Lee, principals at New York-based Manifesto Architecture and designer of Korean Pavilion

Manifesto Architecture’s two principals, Jeeyong An and Sang Hwa Lee, first analyzed the science and structural logic of the Korean alphabet. Then, they symbolically translated this into an actual physical structural system where different types of interdependent structural elements manifest themselves into various nuanced functions based on their location and orientation, just like the characters in the Korean alphabet.

LG Hausys
The pavilion is made of materials from the Lucent and Marmo collections of HI-MACS® Acrylic Solid Surface, sponsored by LG Hausys, headquartered in Korea, and part of MA11’s Design Is MATERIAL micro-exhibition especially created for the materials industry.


Michelle Rhee, North America Marketing Manager/ Strategic Marketing Team, LG Hausys, Bernard McCoy, Founding Partner at MA, Pavilion guest. Right, HI-MACS Lucent and Marmo collections

According to MA founding partner, Bernard McCoy, “The Korean Pavilion showcased the diversity and range that best defines Korea’s design industry and strengthens the Made In Korea brand. The exhibition allowed visitors the opportunity to learn about innovation, systems, materials, and practices from a country poised to make its mark in design on the world’s stage.”

The MA Prize
Visitors to the Korean Pavilion also learned about Korea’s design excellence in areas such as architecture, innovative materials, communication art, interior design and visual arts, and here, MA11 also exhibited the winning entries of the ‘MA Prize’, MA’s first international design competition. Appropriately, the theme for this year’s MA Prize was “Architecture By/For/Of Korea”.


Winning entries, The MA Prize - Architecture By/For/Of Korea

The MA Prize entries were carefully selected by a prestigious international jury of practicing architects and scholars, including Kai-Uwe Bergmann (Bjarke Ingels Group, Copenhagen), Sebastien Boissard (Studio Boissard, Paris), Matteo Caimi (C&A Architecture, Milan), Minsuk Cho (Mass Studies, Seoul), Jeeyong An and Sang Hwa Lee (Manifesto Architecture, New York), Sungwan Hong (Forum Design Group, Seoul) and Seung Hyun Woo (Honk Ik University, Seoul).


H Architecture, The MA Prize

“This was an excellent showcase of Korea’s cutting-edge contemporary design,” notes Elayne DeLeo, MA Co-founder, who created Modern Atlanta with Founding Partner Bernard McCoy in 2007. “We’d like to remind MA11 visitors that our “Design is Human” Week speaks to the spirit of courage, outreach and cooperation between individuals, communities, businesses, academia, governments, cities and even countries. Together we can make positive impressions that are felt far beyond Atlanta.”


Material Sponsor Korean Pavilion         Design Architect Korean Pavilion
                                          


Credits
Executive Architect: Anonymous Studio
Fabrication: Jonathan Henry
Fabrication Facility: SMFD (Skylar Morgan Furniture + Design)
Logistical Support and Volunteers: School of Architecture at Southern Polytechnic State University and Lightroom