Gangnam 1970

Welcome to the epicenter of modern South Korean affluence, the district known universally as Gangnam. As we stand amidst this dazzling array of towering glass facades and high-end luxury boutiques, it is intellectually imperative…

Our first analytical station places us at an intersection currently dominated by a massive, multi-level retail complex and a seamlessly integrated subway station. However, to truly understand the spatial history of 'Gangnam…

Moving southward along the main arterial boulevard, we arrive at a location that currently houses a sleek, international corporate headquarters. In the conceptual map of the 1970s, however, this exact coordinate was the site of a…

Our journey leads us to a densely populated residential block, currently defined by highly manicured apartment complexes and exclusive private academies. We must mentally excavate this site to reveal its state in the mid-1970s: a…

We conclude our historical excavation at the expansive, concrete-lined banks of the Han River, the massive geographic feature that physically and psychologically divides the city of Seoul. Today, the riverside parks are carefully…

As we conclude our intensive socio-political architectural tour of Gangnam, we are left to reconcile the profound cognitive dissonance between the pristine, hyper-modern reality of the present and the brutal, violent history of…