Located in the historic city of Gyeongju, South Korea, 'Siseonjae' is a spatial installation designed to bridge the gap between disappearing traditions and modern sensibilities of healing.
The project breathes new life into a forgotten sense of place by reinterpreting the traditional well—once the vibrant heart of local communities and daily life—as a contemporary meditative space. Serving as a multi-sensory threshold, the installation intertwines the ephemeral qualities of light, water, and sound with experimental materials to induce deep immersion.
Upon stepping inside the 'well,' visitors encounter a carefully orchestrated sensory experience. The subtle ripples created by falling water droplets expand across the space, their resonance gently reflecting off the ceiling to transform into a visual spectacle. Concurrently, the echoing sound of water calms the visitor’s breathing and sharpens their senses. Rather than being a mere theatrical staging, this atmospheric device is intentionally designed to allow visitors to pause, introspect, and restore their mental balance.
At the core of Siseonjae lies the concept of 'material circularity.' Driven by an attitude of discovering beauty in overlooked elements, the project utilizes innovative material experimentation. The walls are finished with a porous, breathing texture created by mixing cement with discarded sawdust sourced from local sawmills. Additionally, the entrance threshold is clad in recycled bark salvaged from industrial timber, welcoming visitors with a raw, primal tactile sensation as they cross the boundary into the inner sanctum.
By actively embracing imperfection and the traces of time, Siseonjae transcends conventional sculptural beauty. At the intersection of past memories and contemporary materiality, the space unfolds as a narrative that proposes both environmental sustainability and a profound potential for contemplation.
