On the west side of the city of Seoul there are five oil tanks abandoned by the Ministry of Defense from the mid 90. These empty tanks are potential hosts of activity and therefore this project proposed to use the existing tanks for library, various performance activities, permanent exhibition and temporary exhibition programs. In addition to these programs it is proposed to locate the information, ticketing office and general office of the new park in the lower level of the site, next to the future parking areas.
The approach to architectural design and particularly to the architecture to be built inside the existing tanks is of a maximum respect to the existing condition. We believe there is a certain beauty and soul in the existing decadent tanks and therefore this characteristic should not be lost by the new architectural intervention.
In order to minimize changes on the existing tank configuration, three basic design principles are proposed: creation of a new interior skin, creation of a new structure to support the new skin, and finally, access to the tank below the existing retaining walls.
