Here stands a Catholic institution with roots stretching back over a century Dongsung Middle & High School. In 1907 it began as Soeui School. The school relocated to Hyehwa-dong in 1929. It has been influential ever since.
Dongsung Middle & High School resembles a Korean university campus. Seven buildings stand close together on a slope. They are a step away from Daehak-ro. Venus Hall is on the deepest part of the campus. It is on a narrow strip between the high school’s main building and the schoolyard.
Originally, the site housed an extra-curricular activities hall. It had clubrooms and study rooms. The concrete building had tawdry white paint. It stood apart from its red brick neighbors. It seemed like a hastily built storage facility. It was a heavy wall with a dark 4-meter-wide alley. This separated it from the high school’s main building. Students facing the building stared at the white wall all day. They had to walk around it to reach the schoolyard.
The principal wanted to demolish the ugly building. He wanted to build a new one in the same spot. It would better serve the clubrooms and classrooms. It would secure more space and improve the school’s aesthetics. He passionately sought a space for rest. Students could escape the classroom’s stuffy atmosphere. It would be an open space for free leisure activities.
In autumn 2019, the scenery behind the schoolyard was striking. The dense Hyehwa-dong residential area had spacious gardens. The Sungshin campus of the Catholic University of Korea created a cozy impression. Red-tinged trees completed the scene. The most closed concrete mass faced this beautiful scenery. This was a problem to be resolved. The main objective was to create a leisure space. It would have a greater volume and an open view. It would also improve circulation from the main building to the schoolyard. The new project would not become another obstacle.
Korean school architecture often uses standard drawings from the 1960s and 1970s. Single lots have uniform plans. Classrooms and lined corridors are stacked in closed plans. There are no voids. The schoolyard is the only place to see the sky and breathe fresh air. Students spend all day in these spaces. The attempt to create a freer space began by emptying out the mass. Dimensional circulation connects the high school’s second and third floors to Venus Hall. It also connects Venus Hall to the schoolyard. A horizontal void was created by emptying the space where circulation flows. The emptied space connects to each part of Venus Hall. It forms the path to the schoolyard. Venus Hall became a medium of communication. Students naturally pass by and loiter. The main building’s uniform circulation system expands into Venus Hall.
The emptied space enables easier flow. It is also an open space for unspecified acts. The terrace is a resting place. Students loiter during lunchtime. After school they watch football games. It is an observation deck to view the scenery. Between the first and second floors is a multi-function lounge. It is wrapped in a light glass curtain wall. This space hosts cultural events like concerts or lectures. The stair-shaped space extends outward. It connects the first floor to the second-floor terrace. It is open to the schoolyard. The multi-function lounge was not in the original project scope. It became the most important cultural space by sacrificing clubrooms.
The Daehak-ro district plans require red brick façades. This creates continuity in the scenery. All other buildings on the Dongsung Middle & High School campus are red brick. There was no hesitation in choosing the façade material. The front of the building appears as a heavy box. It is split horizontally. The split crevices expose students passing through. This creates dramatic scenery. The project needed to appear heavy and simple. This emphasizes the emptied cracks. Most Korean schools have long horizontal windows with ledges for safety and ventilation. Venus Hall has vertical long windows. They emphasize the weighty brick mass. The windows are arranged with repeating patterns. The 2.6-meter-high windows add to the sense of openness. The walls between the windows can be used in diverse ways. The back of Venus Hall is 4 meters from the main building. This crevice space opens to the schoolyard. A glimpse of the main building reflects on the curtain wall. This creates the illusion of expanded space. The red brick façades of the two buildings allude to the historical layers of Dongsung High School. The buildings are over 50 years apart.
Dongsung Middle & High School has offered education based on truth and love for over 100 years. It provides Christian human formation and a loving community. It builds capacity to adapt to today’s ever-changing world.