CL3 imagines modern furniture for an emperor in korean palace exhibition

in celebration of its 50th anniversary, the national museum of modern and contemporary art in seoul (mmca) presents the outdoor exhibition ‘unearthing future’, bridges the outdoor spaces of the mmca deoksugung and seoul, within their urban contexts. this exhibition aims to vitalize the exchange of different architectural languages used by artists based in neighboring countries. CL3 architects limited’s founder, william lim added his own furniture collection to the group exhibition. the collection contrasts the traditional and modern, incorporating contemporary pieces such as desks and storage into the typical pushcart form.

image © MMCA

with the mmca seoul’s cultural heritage and history as its base, the project presents outdoor installation works by korean and other asian architects that interpret the different issues in today’s urban environments. housed in seoul, inside the historic deoksugung palace, the exhibition takes place from september 2019 to april 2020.

image © MMCA

the history of the eoksugung palace revealed a series of overlap and transition. it hosted housing from king to emperor; from serving to ruling; from temporary residence to palace; from a ceremonial hall to a bed chamber; from inward thinking to exposure to the west. william lim, founder and chief architect of CL3 architects limited, started to imagine the life within the palace for his furniture collection. 

image © MMCA

the designer became interested in the palace’s courtyard and the transitional spaces from one building to another. this overlap and transitions became the theme of his collection. the courtyard in front of one of the palace’s halls complements the building and merges the ceremonial and the quotidian; the royalty and the workers. 

image © CL3 architects limited

an ongoing theme in lim’s explorations, the pushcart is the main form of the installation, as this is a dominant component of asian cities. the mobility of the pushcarts serves multiple purposes and gives a secondary layer of life to asian cities. with the impact of climate change and the world’s shifting economy, open air activities and outdoor living is becoming more treasured. for the exhibition housed in the palace, william aims to design a series of mobile furniture for an emperor in transition. 

image © CL3 architects limited

the furniture pieces are designed to include wheels, exploring the notion of mobility, displacement, and migration as well as the overlap of the service and the served. the series of furniture is thought around four different aspects: the ceremonial, the social, the functional, and the playful. inspired by the imperial carriages (palanquin) and traditional korean furniture, the furniture is laid out in a ceremonial order in front of the palace, like attendants ready to serve the emperor. 

image © CL3 architects limited

the mobile furniture takes on an asian aesthetics and exaggerates a horizontal datum while relating to physical ergonomics. incorporating contemporary pieces such as desks and storage implies a modern lifestyle that references tradition. the playful aspect of some pieces contrasts the somber history of the palace. the pieces include formal seating with a canopy, inspired by the imperial throne, chaise lounge borrowing its profile from le corbusier’s furniture, a garden storage unit, bed, and a see-saw piece for recreation.

image © CL3 architects limited

image © MMCA

image © CL3 architects limited

image © CL3 architects limited

image © CL3 architects limited

image © CL3 architects limited

project info:

architects: CL3 architects limited

location: seoul, korea

dates: september 5, 2019 – april 5, 2020

curator: lee jihoi 

participating artists: cl3, bureau spectacular, obba, obra architects, space popular 

photo credits: cl3 architects limited

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom