They Pieced Together the Home of a Lifetime on a Mountain in the Middle of Seoul
Architect Wook Choi and artist Jinnie Seo slowly combined existing structures to create a compound that “brings together everything that defines the city—its mountains, fortress walls, and green spaces.”
Not far from Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, a winding road climbs a forested hillside until it ends in a cul-de-sac at the top. The hum of traffic vanishes on the 10-minute drive, replaced by the songs of birds as we enter the neighborhood of Buam-dong. From here, high on Mount Inwang, you can see the ridges of Mounts Bugak and Bukhan unfold, their slopes dotted with modest houses. "My friends can’t believe it when I say I live in the mountains, right in the middle of the city," says artist Jinnie Seo with a laugh. "When it snows heavily, we’re completely cut off." What others might see as an inconvenient, isolated site feels like the perfect retreat for Jinnie and her husband, architect Wook Choi.
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