‘Cross Critique’ was conceived to examine two projects under a related theme. It aims to serve as a space for critical dialogue between architects, where discussions can reveal the pressing issues and key topics in contemporary architectural practice.
Although multistorey car parks are often thought of as ‘cheap, easy-to-build’ buildings, the many considerations architects must keep in mind are anything but simple. They range from minimum dimensions and separated circulation for vehicles and pedestrians, to measures for climate change and exposure to outdoor air, to proactive responses to potential complaints, and, in the case of private facilities, even the need to ensure commercial viability. Architects are forced into a precarious balancing act between the possibilities and the weight of responsibility. In this Cross Critique, SPACE opens up these issues by observing two parking facilities built in sharply contrasting urban contexts – Jinju and Hanam – with Lee Jeonghoon (principal, JOHO Architecture), joining us to spark discussion.
The staircase of Jungan Public Parking Lot (2025) by CoRe Architects
Jungan Public Parking Lot
Bang Yukyung (Bang): Over two days we visited Jinju and Hanam, looking at two contrasting types of parking structures. It would be good to begin the conversation by thinking about the strengths, potential, or questions prompted by each site. First, how did you view the Jungan Public Parking Lot (hereinafter Jinju Parking Lot) in Jinju?
Lee Jeonghoon (Lee): Walking through the Jinju Parking Lot, I was struck by the sense that is an experimental work. Perhaps this was possible because Jinju’s chief public architect and experts such as the design competition jurors, were involved, allowing for a more daring proposal to be realised. In particular, the pedestrian walkway built like a terrace behind the rear parking bays was striking, adopting a new approach I hadn’t seen before. In terms of urban design, too, it serves as a buffer zone, which f...
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U Zongxoo and Kim Vin
U Zongxoo and Kim Vin are co-principals of CoRe Architects. CoRe Architects is a group of architects who come together to share knowledge and contemplate architecture, and in which individual personalities are respected. They seek to build a better environment based on the power of collectivity and create a new way forward as a sustainable architectural group. They are interested in discovering new architectural types in response to construction methods, programme composition, experimentation with materials, and changing social structures. They are involved in large and small-scale projects in various fields that make up cities, ranging from architecture and cities to interior and infrastructure.
Yim Jinsoo
Yim Jinsoo earned his degree in architectural engineering from Kyonggi University and obtained the DEA degree from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Since founding archromaky in 2012, he has pursued both public and private projects that explore and realise the distinctive qualities architecture can bring to the urban landscape. In addition to his practice, he serves as an adjunct professor in the school of architecture at Hanyang University.
Lee Jeonghoon
Lee Jeonghoon majored in architecture and philosophy and earned a master’s degree in architectural materials from the Nancy School of Architecture and a DPLG degree from Paris La Villette School of Architecture. He worked at Shigeru Ban Architects and Zaha Hadid Architects, before founding JOHO Architecture in Seoul in 2009. He has received a number of awards including 2010 Korea Young Architect Award, the Design Vanguard Award, the Fritz Höger Award, the International Architecture Award by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum, the ICONIC Award, the Korean Institute of Architects Award, the Korean Architecture Award, and the Kim Jong Seong Architecture Award. He served as a Seoul public architect and a Chungcheongnam-do chief public architect.
