User:Skim131/sandbox

Overview
Ryu, Choon Soo is a prominent Korean architect, educator, and artist. He worked under Kim Swoo-Geun who was the pioneer of Korean modern architecture. He is recognized as one of the leading architect. He designed many projects both in Korea and abroad, including Seoul World Cup Stadium and 868 Towers Apartments in Haikou, Hainan, China. Currently, he is CEO at Beyond Space architect associates. http://beyondspace.kr.

Biography
Ryu, Choon Soo was born in November 18, 1946 in Bonghwa, Kyungbuk province of South Korea. He graduated Daegu High School in 1964 and majored in architecture in Hanyang University in 1970. After he graduated, he worked at General Architect Associates and Chonghap Architect Associates until 1974, and worked as director at Space Group of Korea which was established by Kim Swoo-Geun. While working and learning under Kim Swoo-Geun, he also worked as lecturer in Architecture department at Hanyang University. Until 1986, he studied landscape architecture for master's degree at graduate school of Environmental studies of Seoul National University. In 1986, he was one of the member who established Beyond Space Group in which currently he is CEO. In 1990, he was appointed as board member of Korean Institute of Architects, and in 1994, he was appointed as National Plan-check Committee Member in Ministry of Construction of South Korea. In 2005, he became expert advisor of Cultural Properties Committee, and from 2008 to 2010, he served as member of Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy under Regime of the President Lee Myung-bak who was the 10th president of South Korea.

Philosophy and style
Ryu, Choon Soo is known as world class architect with oriental sensitivity and western rationality. His working style is somewhat unique. Young architects concentrate in analytical criteria, whereas he approaches in intuitive and integrated way of design. His design approach of integrating rational thinking and formative solution is often referred as oriental approach. He does every work from initial sketch to final design. As a result, he's architectural insights and scopes are very wide, that his projects include small residential buildings, subway station, major sports facilities, and skyscrapers. In his works, both orientalism and modernism coexists. The only reason, that both tradition and high-tech exist in his works, is mutual function of two factors through integration. His balance of oriental sensitivity and western rationality is well shown in 868 Towers in China and Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Oriental sensitivity
Ryu, Choon Soo is often evaluated as the most very "Korean" architect. There are several reasons of this evaluation, that he is devout Buddhist, and he uses indigenous materials, space organization and beauty of form. but the most important reason is his indigenous sensitivity which is originated from his childhood background of which he lived in countryside. Moreover, the fact that his teacher, Kim Swoo-Geun, pursued In hiof Korean tradition, inspired him a lot in his oriental sensitivity. Unlike most of his peer architects who were locked in only western architectural beauty and modernism, and neglected Korean traditional style, he integrated traditional and modern beauty.

Western rationality
Not only he emphasized oriental and Korean beauty but also he aimed modern and western rationality backed by his belief of modern technologies. To him, artisan spirit of architects means spatial and formative problem solving skills and technical problem solving skills. His works are based on solution of rationality which is required for architectural functions and techniques.

Han-Gae-Ryung service area building, 1982
This service area is located within one of the most famous national park in South Korea, Seoraksan National Park. This work shows more active approach of integration of tradition and modern through use of wooden material and traditional architectural factors. This work was awarded Korean Institute of Architects award of BEST-7 in 1983.

Olympic Gymnastic Stadium, 1986
Olympic Gymnastic Stadium was built for gymnastic games of 1988 Seoul Olympics. Ryu, Choon Soo used cable tension structure for the roof structure of the stadium for the very first time in the world with Dr. Owen Geiger who was the expert of membrane structure. After they applied cable tension structure technique in this project, a lot of projects around the world started to implement this technique.

868 Towers, 1992
868 Towers is located in Hainan, China. This structure is consists of two towers which have different height and functions. He tried to express the harmony of negative and positive which is oriental idea. A tower with 86 stories is for hotel and office, and expresses lightness and simplicity. Another one with 68 stories is residential tower, and expresses roughness and movement. Additionally, two towers are connected with the bridge. 868 Towers is significant because Ryu, Choon Soo intended to offer oriental paradigm, alternative to western concept of skyscrapers. 

Seoul World Cup Stadium, 1997
Seoul World Cup Stadium is the great example of Ryu, Choon Soo's work which realizes Korean beauty, modernism and rationality. Some formative concepts which were reflected in this stadium were octagonal base which represents richness and roof's membrane structure which was abstracted by Korean traditional Bangpae Kite. the stadium expresses regionality and symbolism as main stadium during 2002 World Cup and gives structural efficiency and functional rationality which is required for major sports stadium

Other works

 * 1) Wonju Chi-Ak gym, Wonju, South Korea, 1979
 * 2) Busan Sajik baseball stadium, Busan, South Korea, 1980
 * 3) Sarawak Stadium, Kuching, Malaysia, 1986
 * 4) Sam-Ha-Ri residential houses, 1986
 * 5) Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Seoul, South Korea, 1989
 * 6) 868 Towers, Hainan, China, 1992
 * 7) National Busan traditional music hall, Busan, South Korea, 2003
 * 8) Departement of art and culture building of Kunkook University, Seoul, South Korea, 2004
 * 9) Hainan 2020 Town, Hainan, China, 2006
 * 10) Tongyeong maritime sports center, Tongyeong, South Korea, 2009

Awards

 * 1) Gold Medal "Quaternario 88" International Award / 88 Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Stadium, 1988
 * 2) '95 Korean Architecture Awards / The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Seoul, 1995
 * 3) The Duke Edinburgh Fellowship award, 2000
 * 4) Seoul architect a gold prize / Seoul World Cup Stadium, 2000
 * 5) IOC/IAKS award, 2007
 * 6) Okgwan Order of Culture Merit, 2011