MSA Stage 5 School of Architecture

Ain Youn

Ain Youn is a postgraduate architecture student at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art. After finishing her undergraduate study in MSA, she worked in architecture and interior design firms based in South Korea.

Throughout her professional and educational journey, she has been interested in the contextualisation between city, buildings and people. She strives to achieve social and environmental sustainability by exploring various connections  between the site historicity, human life, and environment for future generations.

Contact
ain.youn01@gmail.com
A.Youn1@student.gsa.ac.uk
Works
Young Marseille Art (YMA)

Young Marseille Art (YMA)

Further expanding my interest in public design and accessibility, I am implementing an architectural practice of introducing and contextualising the building within the established city with specific historicity. Taking its idea from the history and cultural context of Marseille—a city that acted as a port of the French Empire, thus resulting in superior craftsmanship—the project argues for the importance of relocating the Lès Ecole Beaux-Arts de Marseille (hereafter, INSEAMM) to the La Tourette neighbourhood. It is expected that this relocation will benefit the institution and its students for their increased accessibility to a wider public, as well as act as a nexus of local rejuvenation with increased population and art-centric development that will attract more tourists.

The project’s suggestion to relocate the INSEAMM from its current campus to the city centre also stems from concerns regarding infrastructure both for students and also residents. As the college is located on the edge of a forest, 13 km away from Zone 1, the students felt unsafe after sunsets as the surrounding infrastructure is inadequately lighted. The staff expressed their feeling of insecurity as well due to the wild animals living nearby. INSEAMM’s isolated location also causes an issue in that it disconnects the students and their art projects from the outer public, especially for crucial events such as degree shows and art auction programmes.

With the relocation of INSEAMM, the students will not only have far greater accessibility to the wider public, especially for open studio and student auctions, but there also will be opportunities to actively foster collaboration between art students and local galleries and museums. This will provide the tourists not only the experience of seeing historic art but also encountering the most contemporary and avant-garde works by the students. The relocation will also supplement the tourist area with residents, which in turn will rejuvenate smaller local businesses. Through my project, I aim to create an organic synergy between preserving the symbolic-historic-cultural context, the rejuvenation of the neighbourhood, and enhancing the art experience.

 

 

 

THESIS ARGUMENT AND CITY CONTEXT

Traditionally, many other art schools choose to rent separate venues for their degree shows or establish new campuses in urban centres. However, I believe that a contextualised relocation would benefit not only the students but also the larger Le Panier region. The chosen site, La Tourette, is located within Le Panier, a historic neighbourhood that boasts colorful murals, a neo-Byzantine cathedral, and many museums and galleries, notably the MuCEM (Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean). Acting as an entry point to Marseille, the proposed site is located in between Fernand Pouillon’s modern residential housing with commercial spaces and MuCEM, as well as the historical Fort Saint-Jean. 

ART SCHOOL AND THE CITY

EXPLODED AXO / DETAIL SECTION

Stone walls and concrete/steel columns were chosen as the main structural elements and actively incorporated fort walls for structural and design choices, so that my façade will reflect the historicity of the Marseille region as a fort and work as a contemporary parallel to the Fort Saint-Jean and Pouillon’s residential building. In my effort to incorporate the concept of openness and accessibility in my design, the ground floor connects with MuCEM’s bridge, seamlessly directing pedestrians from the MuCEM to the building.

BUILDING VIEW

Upper part / View from MuCEM bridge / Entrance / Old port view from Terrace

INTERIOR VIEW

Technical workshop / Gallery / Studio

KEY FLOOR PLANS

LONG SECTION

Section A-A'

SHORT SECTION

Section B-B'