Near Donhwamun, the former SPACE building differs from a broad, efficient office tower. Small windows, stairs, rooms at changing levels, and passages continue behind dark brick walls, almost as if the alleys of Wonseo-dong had been compressed indoors. The building housed Kim Swoo-geun and SPACE Group, but it was more than a design office: it became a network producing debate across architecture, visual art, traditional performance, and theater.
A constrained plot produced a complex interior
The building responds to a narrow site and the low palace setting by breaking floors into small volumes. Views open and close while stairs reveal courtyards and adjacent rooms. Efficient open-plan office space gives way to an experience of discovering architecture through bodily movement.
A magazine and small theater connected architecture with other arts
The magazine *SPACE* published architecture alongside visual art and performance, while cultural programs including Gonggan Sarang supported experimental work. The building was a celebrated architect's design, but also a workplace made by editors, designers, performers, and technical staff. Focusing only on individual genius hides collective production.
Read preservation together with commercial reuse
After SPACE Group left, ownership and use changed and the building became an exhibition venue. Check the current operator for access and hours. Even when interiors are open, do not stop for photographs on narrow stairs or beside railings, and distinguish original workspaces from later additions.