SPACE-The Volume Left Unfilled and the Boundaries Left Open: Sungui Church Cultural Space

SPACE September 2026 (No. 706)

The project’s Korean name, ㅅㄱ, derives from Sukkoth, a place referenced in the Old Testament. Sukkoth was where the Israelites pitched their tents for the first time after leaving Egypt. A temporary place for those who had not yet arrived at the Promised Land, it offered them protection and a moment to prepare before they continued their journey. Located in the old town of Sungui-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, the Sungui Church Cultural Space brings this ancient significance to the contemporary city.

Its neighbourhood is comprised of a mixture of residential buildings, food distribution shops, antique stores, and a small shopping area. Amid this landscape, where diverse urban contexts are contiguous, the building adopts a quiet but open attitude, refraining from overtly expressing itself. On the exterior, there are no crosses or other signs to indicate that it is a church. Only ‘ㅅㄱ’ is discreetly visible on the wooden wall at the front, as a subtle marker. Passers-by naturally assume the building’s usage from the occasional gatherings and worship services that take place inside.

Situated in a general commercial area, the site allows for a maximum floor area ratio of 1,000%, meaning a gross floor area ten times the size of the site could be built. However, the mere fact that it was possible to build a large building was not reason enough to do so. The actual gross floor area is only around 5.5% of the maximum permitted. The design sought to create a small, welcoming ...

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Architect

Lim Seungmo+Jeong Jaeheon (Kyung Hee University)

Design team

SML (Lim Seungmo)

Location

Sungui-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, Korea

Programme

neighbourhood living facility (church)

Site area

171.9m²

Building area

84.81m²

Gross floor area

94.22m²

Building scope

Height

5.4m

Building to land ratio

49.34%

Floor area ratio

54.81%

Structure

Exterior finishing

exposed concrete, cement brick

Interior finishing

exposed concrete, chipped concrete, birch plywood

Structural engineer

TODAAM

Mechanical and electrical engineer

IXPLANET

Design period

Mar.–Sep. 2022

Construction period

Nov. 2022–Dec. 2025

Lim Seungmo

Lim Seungmo studied architectural engineering at Kyung Hee University and received his master’s degree from Yonsei University’s Graduate School of Engineering. After gaining professional experience at Chang-jo Architects and Mass Studies, he founded SML in 2017. Under the motto ‘Form Follows Possibility’, he works across a wide range of fields and scales, including architecture, interior design, environmental structures, furniture, and installations. He currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Architecture at Kyung Hee University. He has received numerous domestic and international design and architecture awards, as well as the 2022 Korean Architecture Award for Excellence in the New Architect category.

Jeong Jaeheon

Jeong Jaeheon graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a bachelor’s degree in science in architectural engineering. He subsequently moved to France and was taught by Henri Ciriani at École Nationale d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. After working at Michel Kagan’s office, he returned to Korea and opened an atelier in 1998. He is presently a professor at the department of architecture, Kyung Hee University. He is devoted to fostering architects who will lead the next generation, in tandem with working passionately at MONO architects as an architect capable of enriching people’s lives.

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The Volume Left Unfilled and the Boundaries Left Open: Sungui Church Cultural Space

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