중랑망우공간

_hyogeun_

"Reflection and Remembrance" - Jungnang Mangwoo Space - Memorial spaces serve as devices of remembrance, prompting recollections of events and figures through tombstones, graves, and urns. Such memories naturally overlap with one’s self, prompting introspection. As vital as religious spaces in allowing for reflection, memorial spaces should become important facilities in the city. Yet, a negative view towards death has caused these spaces to drift away from our lives. - With the housing crisis in Seoul worsening, communal cemeteries on the outskirts were relocated to Mangwoo. This process interred figures from Korean history at this site, marking Mangwoo Communal Cemetery as a place of significance. Despite being considered a loathsome facility at the time, there was no other place to relocate, starting an awkward encounter with the city. Through parkification, the cemetery and the city were merged, and renaming it to a historical cultural park shed its negative image. Thanks to this, the cemeteries visible along the walking path became a rare and valuable sight, selected as part of Seoul's future heritage in 2013. - Situated at the heart of Mangwoo Historical Cultural Park, ‘Jungnang Mangwoo Space’ appears more open than enclosed. The building’s form is indistinct, making the landscape viewed from inside seem unobstructed, with columns rising between open spaces, breaking the silence with rhythm. Long horizontal slabs supported by pillars emphasize horizontality, with the pillars arranged in a row to appear unobtrusive. Walking through the corridor formed by these pillars, one encounters water spaces, reflecting the sky and pine trees, inviting contemplation. - It is said that graves hold nothing. The body decays and vanishes, and the soul departs to paradise or heaven at the moment of death, leaving behind only the memories of those who remain. Thus, memorial spaces are for the living, to remember the deceased, to reflect upon themselves as seen within. In our urbanized, artificially materialistic world, spaces like these become essential. - Therefore, the walking paths that naturally connect people, allowing seamless coexistence between the city and ‘Mangwoo Historical Cultural Park’ and ‘Jungnang Mangwoo Space’, are valuable. - Architecture: Jeong Jae-heon (@mono.um07 ) Photos, Text: Shin Hyo-geun (@_hyogeun_ )