The Nam June Paik Museum Competition Entry
(Kyonggi, 2003)
Dear Nam June Paik, dear Members of the Competition Organisation, and Dear Members of the Jury,
For many years I have been interested in the work of Nam June Paik. It has been for me a source of inspiration and a continuous discovery of many different ways of thinking. I like it and I feel that the art world and the world in general would be boring without his energetic contributions. The announcement of a competition for a Nam June Paik Museum in Korea was a pleasant surprise. It is seldom possible to work on a project dedicated to an artist you admire, independent how many competitions there may be.
Design Criteria
A proposal for a museum for Nam June Paik is something special.
Therefore I made a special proposal.
For me the following criteria are important:
- It should be visible from the moon,
- It should show the many faces of Nam June Paik,
- It should be easy to build and to use.
I choose for a building like a pagoda as this kind of building is very well known in the East. It has suitable spatial arrangements for all the competition requirements. The roof terraces offer interesting possibilities for the presentation of artworks outside. The name ”Prepared Pagoda” is an hommage to John Cage, another important artist, writer, philosopher.
Many videoscreens
I propose to build a ”Prepared Pagoda”, with a grand staircase entrance (with many videoscreens like Gaudi used mosaic tiles). Instead of traditional elevation materials like steel or stone, I decided to cover the whole building on the outside with videoscreens. These screens should be in continuous use. The ”Prepared Pagoda” will thus be a huge videosculpture.
Exposition possibilities
The exposition spaces are high and uninterrupted. The exposition areas are suitable for any kind of work. Theater lightfixtures make perfect light circumstances available for any kind of presentation. Logistics are easy: the routes from truck to exposition floor are short; the elevators are large and easy accessible.
Landmark
The ”Prepared Pagoda” is clearly visible from far away. It offers challenging (video)possibilities and has a lot of space. Artworks can be presented inside in the large exposition space, outside on the many roofterraces or on the area surrounding the museum.
Building layout
The building consists of a number of ”boxes ” on top of each other. The lowest one is meant for storage and equipment, the second one for expositions, the third one for the staff, the fourth one for the artist required space and the rest is empty towerspace. All floors are connected by staircases and elevators.
The Construction
The construction is simple. Four large colums (with staircases and elevators) carry all floors. Outside walls are supportive where needed and carry a.o. all videoscreens outside. The whole construction can be prefabricated. This results in large uninterrupted exhibition spaces, high ceilings and a maximum flexibility with regards to the layout of the building.
Area Tabulation
The required number of sqm’ s is met and shown on the respective A-2 presentation board. Interior walls are not presented here. Considering a high degree of prefab construction methods, many different layouts are possible within the proposed construction concept. Layout changes afterwards are therefore possible as well.
Future extensions can take place at the back or as other ”pagoda’s” nearby or even far away. Reallocation of functions is then an option as well.
The pictures
Three basic issues are illustrated here:
- Picture 1 shows the museum seen from far away,
- Picture 2 shows the many faces of Nam June Paik, inside and outside,
- Picture 3 shows the simple building concept.
Conclusion
This proposal meets all requirements set forward in the competitionprogram. It is easy to build and to use. It has easy accessible exhibition spaces inside and outside. Besides that it has a grand staircase entrance with a Gaudi-like video mosaic. And it is completely covered with videoscreens. Therefore it is a very special museum and very suitable for Nam June Paik and his work.