Cultural Expression; A Korean Embassy in the US

Abstract

Our culture is our identity. It is the complex summation of our history and future. It is who we are and who we will be as individuals and as nations. As our world becomes more and more globalized our cultures are merging. Many seek to preserve their identity. The embassy becomes the architectural frontier for this immersion and interactions with other cultures. It is tasked with being the face, or rather facade of the country. It is tasked with being a secure yet welcoming place for its own nationals and guests. In being the cultural face of a nation, an embassy takes on a public, educational role within the community. This thesis explores how culture, traditional and current, can be showcased in the design of a functional, educational space of a Korean embassy in Washington, D.C. What is transported and what is translated? How does this effect our experience and understanding of it?