Ep. 23 – Peter Choi on Seoul’s Architecture and Design
Peter Choi is a transplanted architect from New York City and has lived in Korea for 13 years. He is a Design Principal and an adjunct professor of architecture in Seoul. He’s responsible for designing buildings like Mirae Asset Center 1, State Tower Namsan and most recently Lotte L7 Hotel Hongdae and a 26-hundred bed dorm at Ewha Women’s University.
Peter also served for two terms on the Seoul Architecture Design Review board, was a board member for six years at Seoul Foreign School, and even had a program on TBS eFM.
We cover a lot of ground in this interview, talking about the architecture and design of Seoul, how the city has evolved over the years, we talk about the Korean perspectives on the discipline and how architectural sensibilities and education are evolving on the peninsula. You can connect with Peter at peterchoi@dmppartners.com
Show Notes
01:27 on first impressions of Seoul’s architecture / how to describe it
04:30 moving away from functionality / impact of Cheonggyecheon
06:30 north vs south of the river / where to find unique architecture
08:47 what do Koreans look for in architecture / what is the Korean perspective
13:15 trends in Korean architecture / lack of regional diversity / modernism
23:15 why be an architect in Seoul / Peter’s unique design
29:03 working in a Korean environment / what Koreans do really well
32:11 what’s missing from architecture
34:16 thoughts on DDP
36:00 pet peeves in architecture
36:44 favorite spots in Seoul
39:08 what’s missed most about life in the U.S.
40:00 the next frontier for architecture / retraining
42:42 finding success as an architect
People, Places, Things Mentioned in the Show
Cheonggyecheon (청계천)
Dominique Perrault’s Ewha Campus Complex
Hallyu (한류)
Kim Joong-up (김중업)
Kimm Jong Soung (김종송)
Kim Swoo-geun (김수근)
Tongin Market (통인시장)
Zaha Hadid’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) (동대문디자인플라자)