In her editorial in INTERNI&Decor, the author says that public space design is a discipline that can also “take care” of us humans. Not surprisingly, in China the character Gonggong (公共), public, means “a group of people who unite to work together.” The real value of this type of design, according to the South Korean publication, lies not in the physical space or in the environment itself, but in the fact that in the public sphere all human beings are equal, on the same level.

A number of awards were made last year, valorising the architecture of public buildings designed to improve citizens’ quality of life. These include the Korea Public Architecture Award, the Seoul City Architecture Award and Young Architect Award. What we often fail to realise is that public spaces are points of reference in cities, places where the local identity makes itself felt, where a connection with nature and a feeling of belonging to a community are made. In these pandemic-ridden times, we have a powerful need to reappropriate these spaces and to take care of them.

Credits

Original Text: Shin Eunji, Kim Soyeon

Photo: Courtesy of Interni&Decor magazine

Magazine: Interni&Decor, South Korea

Publisher: Min Byung-cheol

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