In the quiet alleys of Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, two architects from different centuries meet again.

In 1952, in Venice, a young Korean architect, Kim Chung-up, knocked on the door of Le Corbusier’s atelier in Paris. Seventy years later, their encounter comes alive once more—through photography, space, and design.

As the title suggests,《Dialogue: The Fateful Encounter Between Two Architects》is a conversation across time, with architecture as the medium.

Architecture Speaks, and Time Answers

This exhibition examines how Kim Chung-up’s architectural materiality and Le Corbusier’s philosophy can be reinterpreted through the lens of the present.

Two minds that met at the height of modern architecture in the 1950s find resonance again within today’s Seoul.

Through the intersection of Le Corbusier’s geometric rigor and Kim’s regional sensitivity, the exhibition poses a central question: “What does architecture say when it speaks the language of time?”
 

 
A Reunion Across Time and Space

From Villa Savoye to Chandigarh, Le Corbusier shaped the architectural DNA of the 20th century. His architecture transcended rational form—it became a choreography of light and space.
 
Building upon that discipline, Kim Chung-up infused modernism with Korean aesthetics. His French Embassy in Seoul (1968) stands as the synthesis of that encounter—a dialogue where Western rationality meets the lyrical curve of Korean tradition.
 
Now, that embassy and Kim’s later residence, Yeonhui Jeongeum, are reconnected, forming a living field of dialogue that bridges eras and continents.

Three Perspectives on the Exhibition
 

1. The First Public Reveal of a Masterpiece

For the first time, the Jinhae Naval Residence—completed in 1968 but never before opened to the public due to its military designation—is unveiled through Kim Yong-kwan’s photographs. The building embodies Kim’s language of proportion, material, and curvature, capturing the essence of his modernist experimentation.

 

2. Space as the Artwork Itself

Rather than a conventional white cube, the exhibition unfolds within the very architecture it celebrates. Both the French Embassy and Yeonhui Jeongeum serve as integral parts of the exhibition, inviting visitors not merely to view but to walk, listen, and experience architecture.

3. Two Gazes that Record the Masters

Korean architectural photographer Kim Yong-kwan and French photographer Manuel Bougot, who has documented Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh over decades, offer two distinct yet interwoven visions—each transforming architecture into a language of memory.
 


Between Tradition and Modernity

Kim Chung-up embraced Western modernist principles but never resorted to imitation. He breathed Korean sentiment into concrete, creating what he called the “curvature of Korean time.”

The exhibition revisits this tension—between Le Corbusier’s universality and Kim’s regional identity—revealing how the roots of modern Korean architecture took shape between these two poles.
 


Exhibition Information

Title:《Dialogue: The Fateful Encounter Between Two Architects – Kim Chung-up × Le Corbusier Architectural Photography Exhibition》
Dates: November 7, 2025 – February 2026
Venues: Yeonhui Jeongeum (1–2F, 17-3 Yeonhimat-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul), French Embassy in Seoul
Hours: Tue–Fri 11:00–18:00 / Sat–Sun 11:00–19:00 (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: +82-2-324-5300
Organized by: Embassy of France in Korea, Institut Français, Ann Graphics, COMOR Partners