Kyu Sung Woo
| Kyu Sung Woo | |
| Hangul | 우규승 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 禹圭昇 |
| Revised Romanization | U Gyuseung |
| McCune–Reischauer | U Kyusŭng |
Kyu Sung Woo (우규승; born 1941) is a South Korean architect and principal of the architectural design firm, Kyu Sung Wu Architects, Inc. The firm’s projects include many built and proposed works in the United States and South Korea.
Kyu Sung Woo was born in Seoul, South Korea. After receiving a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Architectural Engineering at Seoul National University, he went to the United States in 1967. He then studied at Columbia University, where he received a Master of Architecture (1968) and Harvard University, where he received a Master of Architecture in Urban Design (1970). He founded Kyu Sung Woo Architects, Inc. in 1990 after working in various design and consulting positions around the US. In 2008, Woo received the South Korea's Ho-Am Prize in the Arts. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
The frequent use of simplified rectilinear forms and volumes in Woo’s works tie him to the modernist movement. Additionally, several aspects of his style are often drawn from his cultural experience living in both South Korea and The United States. Hong-bin Kang, a fellow South Korean architect, remarked that, "It is meaningless to ask if Woo is a 'Korean' architect or an 'American' architect: for he is neither, and at the same time, both… He does not try to sell 'oriental' qualities to the American architectural community, nor does he attempt to introduce the latest in Western architecture to Koreans." Evidence of these two cultural influences can be seen in Woo’s Putnam Mountain House, which features pitched New England-style roofs along with large sliding glass doors, similar to the screen doors that would lead to outdoor courtyards in traditional Korean homes.
Furthermore, Woo often articulates his design philosophy in terms of how the necessities of a building’s site should shape its appearance and organization. In discussing the Whanki Museum, Woo stated, “… I tried to consider how to conform the museum’s existence as a public building to the scale of its neighborhood, its topography, and its natural environment.”
Woo's works include varying scales of buildings, from small homes to mass residential complexes and institutional buildings.
While working at Woo & Williams (later to become Kyu Sung Woo Architects, Inc.), Woo entered an international competition in 1985 to design a housing village for the athletes and reporters of the 24th Olympic Games in Seoul. Woo’s design was selected and completed in 1988.
The complex, which is located south of the city, includes 5,540 housing units and supporting facilities. It is arranged in a fan shape, with residential units radiating from a U-shaped galleria and public plaza. The buildings conform to a bowl-shaped landscape, with the residential towers increasing in height as they move outwards from the central plaza. Throughout the course of the Games, 13,000 athletes and 7,000 journalists were housed in the complex.
Following the Olympic Games, the complex was repurposed into a permanent urban community. This community includes a subway station, three schools, and religious, cultural, recreational, and retail facilities.
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