카탈로그

MEMENTO BELLI,

Jeongin Park Hongik University

MEMENTO VIVERE!

Seoul is a massive military fortress hiding in plain sight, containing defense infrastructures like Namsan Tower, underground bunkers, and Yujin Sangga that citizens often ignore or actively forget. The threat of war is not a distant relic but an enduring reality that we must confront directly to prevent it.

DIAGRAM OF PRIMARY MILITARY OPERATION AXIS 126°

129°

128°

127°

130°

GOSONG

CHEORWON

SOKCHO KAESONG

YEONCHEON

38°

PAJU

38°

YANGYANG

DONGDUCHEON YANGJU UIJEONGBU

GANGNEUNG

GOYANG SEOUL

DONGHAE

SAMCHEOK

126°

128°

127°

LOCATION DIAGRAM FOR NJ 52-7 43°

130°

KAESONG-MUNSAN AXIS

132°

128° NK 52-5

NK 52-7

NK 52-8

NK 51-12

NK 52-10

NK 52-11

NJ 51-3

NJ 52-1

NJ 51-6 PYONGYANG

NJ 52-4

NJ 52-5

NJ 51-9

NJ 52-7 SEOUL

NJ 52-8

NJ 51-12

NJ 52-10 DAEJEON

NJ 52-11 ANDONG

NI 52-3

NI 52-1 CHUNGJU

NI 52-2 BUSAN

NI 51-6

NI 52-4 MOKPO

NI 52-5

124°

129°

NK 52-6 G AN ON TI GN -T EU AN N K G- C BA H RR UN IE R

41°

38°

A

N

M TI ET - T RO A P N O K LI BA TA RR N IE R

NK 52-9

Eunpyeong-gu

34° 124°

NI 52-7 JEJU-DO

130°

Yeongdeungpo-gu

Mapo-gu

My research concentrated on the Gongneungcheon defense line, a vast site featuring anti-tank obstacles and trenches. By dividing the site into distinct zones, I documented the surreal ways c iv i l i a n l i fe a n d n a t u r e h ave a b s o r b e d t h e s e m i l i t a r y structures, such as burying them for agriculture or repurposing them as warehouses. This bizarre coexistence serves as a mirror reflecting our society’s deep denial of the reality of a divided nation.

Despite advancements in modern weaponry, conventional defense facilities remain highly effective and necessary for ground warfare, proving that Gongneungcheon is a vital, functioning military asset. Consequently, my architectural attitude demands that the military function of these structures must be maintained, refusing to artificially beautify the uncomfortable reality of the armistice. I aim to preserve the accumulated traces of time, civilian occupation, and natural decay, granting them new relevance in the present era.

The first intervention, “Do Nothing,” applies to the river zone and embraces the continuous accumulation of time. In this restricted area, the river’s current actively erodes the concrete anti-tank obstacles, yet they do not completely wash away; instead, they sink heavily into the riverbed, stubbornly maintaining their original military purpose of deterring enemy tanks. Inspired by this dynamic flow, this approach completely excludes any artificial intervention. It allows the natural elements and the structures to clash, leaving them to naturally build and preserve their own layers of time and history.

The second approach, “Do a Little,” focuses on the land-based obstacles through minimal intervention and excavation. By unearthing buried structures and placing specialized modular units—such as water tanks and battery packs— on top, this strategy controls civilian occupation without hindering military functionality. Constructed from steel-fiber-reinforced concrete, these units act like bulletproof vests that are highly resilient to physical impact but intentionally vulnerable to the passage of time. This deliberate material choice demands constant human maintenance to prevent decay, serving as an intentional ritual that forces us to acknowledge the ongoing reality of the armistice.

The final intervention, “Do Most,” is the most active architectural strategy, applied to the massive defensive walls. Above ground, it utilizes “leanmix concrete bags” that harden with water, mimicking the rough, easily deployable construction methods of actual wartime trenches. To counteract the infertile, alkaline soil produced as the concrete eventually degrades, clay-coated lavender seeds are mixed directly into the concrete bags. While these facilities require continuous upkeep as long as the war persists, the eventual end of the conflict will allow the concrete to crumble, letting resilient lavender bloom from the ruins to transform the harsh military traces into a romantic, purple-covered hill of rubble.

Furthermore, as time passes, the remnants of broken concrete units— referred to as “Rubble”—will heavily accumulate in the space between the Gongneungcheon anti-tank obstacles and the defensive walls, forming a massive mound. These piles will serve as an intuitive device that tangibly proves the invisible weight of time we have endured throughout this unstable, prolonged armistice. Over this tomb-like mound, the lavender will bloom once again, ultimately creating a giant, purple-covered hill. Rather than a relic of the past to be destroyed or artificially beautified, this accumulation transforms the defense line into a living “object of time,” silently recording the sharp reality of division alongside the continuous flow of human life.