Myung Films Paju Building
In the early 20th century, modern architects said that the basic elements of the city were residential, work, leisure, and transportation. Myung Films requested the same elements for their building. Therefore, from the beginning, it had the character of a city. To overcome the limitations of the car-centered road system, the internal pedestrian system outlined in the Paju Bookcity guidelines was actively adopted. The entire mass was divided into two parts and a wide road penetrated through the center, creating a plaza in this small building-city. A bridge and a deck connect the divided masses, making it possible to observe and respond to the events of the plaza and road. The main glass elevation towards the plaza allows the activities inside to be exposed to the exterior. The interior is more urban, with roads and small parks weaving through the various multi-purpose spaces. The building’s concrete is both structure and finish. The entire process of building in concrete—the concrete workers’ skill and sincerity, their acceptance and adaptation to natural conditions, and the waiting of the outcome—is like a religious ritual. Concrete is a material of high integrity, one that completely embodies the passing of time. If desired, it can be made imperishable. Myung Films is a permanent building, but its architecture is always changing. André Bazin (1918-1958) stated that the making of a movie is a process of completing the objectivity of a moment captured in time. Myung Films exists as an ever-changing landscape. It stands firmly on the ground as an infrastructure of life. A building is not made by the architect; the residents complete it. Perhaps, much like a movie filmed by a third-party camera unintended by the director, an objective portrayal of reality created a real film and a true building. In that sense, this building is itself a city and a movie.
