Seoul Unfolded Architecture Design Exhibition :

We assisted the Korean Cultural Centre with this compelling design exhibition. This was the first exhibit following the UK national lockdown. It presents the works of architectural students and faculty in the Department of Architecture of K-ARTS from 2015 to 2019. In addition, it examines concerns about how to live together in the context of the city, where extreme conditions affect one’s choice of architectural design.

The exhibition design is based on key features in a spatial arrangement. This methodology unfolds the gallery walls from both sides and lays them flat on one plane (like breaking down and flattening a cardboard box). In this way, the walls and floors had a continuous modular grid system that proved the positioning of each 2D and 3D item within the exhibition galleries.

One key feature of the exhibition was the use of drop-down floating graphic banners to create modular graphics instead of panels. This provided a floating and translucent effect to these particular displays. The Korean Cultural Centre’s exhibition curator was also looking for a different lighting style than that previously used in earlier exhibitions. With this in mind, we proposed using wall-wash lighting for the main gallery walls to give the hanging graphic banners an even fresh and cool appearance. Everything else would be illuminated using museum-quality CRI 95 spotlighting of various intensities and beam angles. Furthermore, the curator was keen to explore and fully understand how this might look, and the final effect was delivered.

Consequently, we created a mock-up area using the lighting arrangement of 6000K cool white LED battens for the wall wash lighting and 4000K LED spotlighting. Although these spotlights were still technically cool sources of light, they gave the difference in light precisely rendering that the exhibition required and the curator loved.

Any art gallery or exhibition space that holds temporary exhibitions needs this type of lighting flexibility to display its exhibit perfectly. Fortunately, since our involvement and guidance at the Korean Cultural Centre, continual investments in new lighting equipment have been made. This dramatically improved every art exhibition held in their galleries.

As independent lighting designers, we appreciate that great lighting transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary!

Due to current restrictions, this architecture and design exhibition will be by appointment only or via YouTube and Instagram.