Terrace Library

Urban Regeneration Through Cultural Infrastructure
​Location: Jongno 4-ga, Seoul
Type: Academic Graduation Project
Year: 2015
Advisors: Prof. Santiago Porras Alvarez, Prof. Kwhan Gik Lee
This project proposes an early step toward regenerating an aging, decaying urban block in Jongno, where historic alleyways and modern developments collide. The Terrace Library acts as a cultural connector, bridging the busy periphery and the declining interior of the block by offering a public library, terraces, and gathering spaces that bring everyday cultural activities into an overlooked area.

Urban Analysis & Site Issues

The site reveals a sharp contrast between old alley fabric and large-scale modern blocks. The colonial-era grid isolated small-scale alleys, causing loss of vitality and sunlight. Most buildings are used for manufacturing and distribution, creating psychological and physical barriers for everyday visitors. The area lacks accessible cultural programs such as reading, gathering, and public leisure

Design Strategy

The design uses a series of terraces as an architectural gesture to draw people into the block. By creating visual openness and layered outdoor/indoor reading spaces, the library redirects circulation flows and opens the hidden central area to the public.

Urban Section

The section reveals how the new library creates a spatial void within the dense urban grain, introducing light, visibility, and programmatic openness into an otherwise compressed environment.

Plans

Elevation (Terraces)