Global Trends
Renewed Legacy - Transformation of
Past Landmarks into Contemporary
Cultural Places
Gaetan Siew
Jong Ruhl Hahn
UIA - Mauritius
UIA – Republic of Korea
Arch. Gaetan Siew served as President of the
Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA) from 2005 to
2008. Since 1981, he is Director/Partner of Lampotang
& Siew Architects Ltd. in Mauritius with Airport, Hotel,
Commercial & Leisure, Urban Planning and Heritage
project involvements located internationally (Mauritius,
France, India, Madagascar, Mayotte, Seychelles,
Swaziland, and Tunisia). Having extensively traveled to
nearly 100 countries and having visited over 250 cities,
he continues his mission as a high profile international
consultant lecturing worldwide on issues of tomorrow and
humanitarian needs of today as he focuses on leadership,
strategic planning and sustainable development
strategies to corporate bodies, local authorities and
national governments.
With a Master of Architecture Degree from the
University of Michigan after his Bachelor of Engineering in
Architecture Degree from Seoul National University, Arch.
Hahn has worked for various multi-national design firms
both in Korea and in the US. Through these experiences,
his project involvements have earned him awards and
distinctions in design and architecture in Korea. After
having served as the Vice President for The Korean
Institute of Culture Architecture in 2010, he is PresidentElect of the Korea Institute of Architects and UIA Council
Member for Region IV.
Abstract
Abstract
With a stronghold on geopolitics and other issues
relevant to the problems of today, the paper will discuss
global trends on mobility, culture and identity, and the
digital era. In presenting the realities of the urban world,
we would encounter the most significant global issues,
players, and imbalances in our attempt to identify lessons
to be learned from these experiences as we seek a
better understanding of the globalized, integrated, and
collaborative world we now live in.
Focusing on three 1920s landmark buildings built
during the Japanese Occupation Era in Korea, these are
milestone projects of Samoo Architects and Engineers.
Through national competitions, they been transformed
and reborn—each of them had a unique way of
transformation and these cultural buildings have become
much more public. Collectively, these structures are now
considered as the new landmark roll.
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