The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art at Cheongju, or MMCA Cheongju has now opened. Following those located in Gwacheon, Deoksugung, and Seoul, this fourth branch of the museum is a renovated old tobacco processing plant, receiving attention for its singular programs such as an open storage facility and a visible conservation science room. The opening of this branch is clearly notable in that it not only strengthens the public facing ambitions of art museums but also serves a case in which a national cultural facility – which is usually built in the metropolitan area – is expanded to a non-capital region. However, if one was to look back on the project’s progress since 2012 and the results now before us, one cannot but feel dismayed. In this special issue, we will look at the paradigm shift existing between art museums in relation to the establishment of MMCA Cheongju, and reflect on the realisation of contemporary architecture and the situation promoted by it.

The houses of Jeong Jaeheon (professor, Kyung Hee University) appear as though they have always been part of the landscape. They don’t look artificial but entirely natural. When one looks carefully inside, however, one can observe how meticulous the architect’s working process has been: His attention to detail in his newly-produced materials, his provision of stable measurements, and his adjustment in the types and the amount of light is nothing short of extraordinary. Opening up a space outside the wall for the neighbour, in order to create a leisurely external feel while also creating a depth of experience within, by means of this accurate realisation of thought – this is an architecture of dignity.

A work that connects materials with their essential dimensions becomes involved in the process of completing a building. Systems drawn from various fields, such as structure, machinery, electricity, civil engineering, become involved in the process, and the architect mediates between them and attributes a sense of order to space. In the belief that the essential role of architecture is to be found in this shifting space, su:mvie architects strives to understand the method and principle of materials and creates space based on precise technological systems. The balance between light and darkness created by an orderly interior, as it reveals its principle of construction, offers a pleasant experience to the user.