DDP & Geometry

Sandy

Whenever I think of geometry, I think of angles. I remember my school geometry set which included a right-angle triangle, a half circle protractor and a pointy tipped compass. Geometry class was preceded by an earnest sharpening of pencils and handy placement of white rubber erasers. The lessons themselves were intense sessions of drawing perfectly straight lines and measuring precise angles. As an inherently messy youngster, geometry was a lesson in orderliness.

Although I may think it, geometry is not only about angles. It is the branch of mathematics that deals with the measurement, properties, and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.

One of the most spectacular examples of geometry in modern day architecture is Dongdaemum Design Park (DDP) in Seoul. It was designed by Zaha Hadid and features a neofuturistic design characterized by the “powerful, curving forms of elongated structures”.

The DDP complex an iconic landmark in Seoul, earning the city the designation of World Design Capital in 2010. The building houses diverse public spaces including an exhibition hall, conference hall, design museum, design lab, media center, and design market.  It is a major tourist attraction, located close to a busy shopping hub and textile market.

When I visited DDP in 2016, I spent hours exploring the park and the spaces inside the building. The interior was just as non-linear as the exterior, with curved walls, organic passage ways and stair cases which invited little girls to run up and down.

I don’t believe there was one square corner in all the buildings in Dongdaenum Design Park.

After checking through my photo archives, I take it back. There was this one rectangular block that I did find.

Many thanks to Patti for her thought provoking topic in this week’s Lens Artists Photo Challenge #141: Geometry.

Photos taken in Seoul, South Korea in 2016

23 Comments

  5. Wow, an amazing example of exquisite geometry Sandy. I was so happy to see it was a female architect – I must admit I’d not heard of her. Wonderful choice for the challenge and beautifully shown.

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  7. I had never seen the DDP and didn’t know about this architect. I’m so glad you posted this! Great images, too. Perfect in b & W. Your first image really gives us a sense of the huge scale of the place! Really nice!

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    1. Until I did the research, I didn’t know of her either. She has a very distinctive style and her buildings are phenomenal. They appeal to anyone who loves mathematics, which is why I thought of DDP when I saw your topic 😉

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    1. It was only as I started writing that I remembered those sets … my kids, mine and my uncle’s rusty old tin box stored away in my grandmother’s storeroom.

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