Location: Seoul, South Korea
Founded: 2001
The architect Moon Hoon has been drawing the world around him for as long as he can remember. As a child he drew pictures of his neighbourhood and to this day he continuously scribbles in his ever-present companion, his notebook, drafting out imaginary add-ons to his built projects and alternative options or fantasies which might turn into architectural forms at a later point. He uses his notebook as a visual diary for his surroundings – “Sometimes I even draw my lunch in detail” – but also as “a test bed for expanding architectural possibilities to their outer limits without actually building them”. In fact Hoon goes so far as to consider his paper architecture to be as important, or valid, as his built projects.
Previous page: Moon Hoon's working sketchbook. This page: Bundang from 2014 Venice Biennale (Image courtesy Moon Hoon)
Moon Hoon spent his childhood in the mining town of Sangdong-eup, in Korea, and his adolescence on the island of Tasmania, Australia. He founded his Seoul-based practice Moonbalsso in 2001. Recent works include Wind House, Two Moon House, K-Pop Curve, Starwars House and Rock It Suda, a weekend retreat for a Korean rock band. Since his website does not appear to function at present, we suggest taking a look at his work here:
dodooba.com
Hoon recalls being “showered” with the illustrious draughtsmanship influences of Libeskind, Tschumi, Hadid, Gehry and Eisenman while studying architecture at Cambridge University. Indeed there are references to their styles in his work if you look closely (Lebbeus Woods and Alexander Brodsky also come to mind), yet he mixes it all up with traditional Asian styles of painting, as well as classic comics, sci-fi movies and even elements from Manga and Anime art.
Hoon’s drawings were exhibited at the Korean pavilion of the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale and, more recently, at Chicago’s first Architecture Biennale in 2015. Anyone interested in seeing more of his drawings should beg, borrow or steal to get a rare copy of his book Doodle My Way to the Moon (2014) – which unfortunately exists only as artist’s catalogue in a strictly limited edition. I (fh)
Temple of Wind. (Image courtesy Moon Hoon)
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