Jungjae Park and Jingyi Hu · CLIENT: Jungjae Park and Jingyi Hu
Temporal Graft is a multifunctional ramp gallery that connects the Seoul City Wall with the alleyway neighborhoods beside it. The lightweight timber structure follows the steep terrain with a continuous accessible ramp, free of stairs. Wider terraced platforms serve as places to rest, gather and host public exhibitions. The permeable facade acts as a buffer between visitors and residents. Precision-milled engineered timber refers to traditional Korean building methods and lowers embodied carbon. The design treats heritage preservation and daily local life as compatible.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- "Temporal Graft" is a timber armature mediating the threshold between the Seoul City Wall and the vulnerable alleyway residential fabric. Unlike traditional preservation that displaces communities, this surgical intervention recycles the vernacular urban edge. It provides an ADA-compliant ramp for universal access while acting as a permeable buffer, shielding dwellers from tourist influx and fostering a symbiotic coexistence of the city's historic past and authentic present.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The linear prosthetic maintains a highly efficient baseline width of 6 meters, reflecting the intimate scale of Seoul’s historic alleyways. At strategic nodes, this dimension expands dynamically into terraced platforms akin to traditional courtyards to host public exhibitions. The interior features a continuous sequence of ADA-compliant ramps, meticulously negotiating the severe topographical drop and spatial constraints along the historic preservation boundary.
- Tags
- Timber Structure, Heritage Preservation, Vernacular Architecture, Urban Intervention, Seoul City Fortress Wall, Universal Access, Public Space, UNESCO Heritage
- Production Technology
- The design utilizes computational parametric modeling to calibrate the facade for optimized environmental performance. The lightweight framework uses precision-milled engineered timber, a deliberate homage to the wooden structural logic of Korea's traditional vernacular architecture. This material choice contextualizes the modern intervention while prioritizing decarbonization, reducing embodied carbon as the warm skeleton steps lightly down the complex topography.
- Design Challenge
- The key challenge was balancing heritage preservation with everyday community life. Conventional approaches enforce separation, often displacing residents. This project reframes preservation as coexistence—maintaining the Seoul City Wall while supporting local living patterns. Social tensions between residents and tourists were addressed through layered, semi-open boundaries. Strict regulations required a lightweight, reversible structure, while the steep site demanded an ADA-compliant ramp. These constraints became opportunities for a more inclusive, balanced design.
- Project Duration
- Project Duration: Started in October 2025, ongoing.
Project Location: Seoul, South Korea - Operation Flow
- The Multifunctional Ramp Gallery is designed as a simple, intuitive path connecting existing alleyways to the Seoul City Wall. A gentle, stair-free slope ensures accessibility for all users. Along the way, small platforms provide spaces to rest, gather, and enjoy changing views. While the structure remains fixed, the experience evolves through movement, with shifting light, shadow, and perspectives creating a dynamic and engaging journey.
- Research
- Type of Research: Combines spatial analysis, ethnographic observation, accessibility studies, and environmental simulation.
Objectives: Address tensions between heritage preservation, tourism, and daily life while improving access.
Methodology: Field mapping, interviews, precedent study, and parametric modeling for daylight and comfort.
Results and Impact: Rigid setbacks fragment communities; layered, permeable boundaries and accessible paths better support coexistence, inclusivity, and resilient urban life. - Inspiration
- The project addresses the spatial violence of top-down heritage preservation. Elevating the fortress wall imposed a rigid setback, threatening old downtown Seoul’s marginalized vernacular neighborhoods with displacement. Inspired by the spatial logic of traditional Korean architecture and urban recycling, the design challenges this tabula rasa approach. It explores how architectural prosthetics can resolve friction between monumental conservation and the authentic daily lives of local dwellers.
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