morphosis architects ? the firm founded and led by pritzker laureate thom mayne ? has revealed the new design for the ?korean american national museum?. to be located in LA?s koreatown district, on the southwest corner of 6th street and vermont avenue, the two-story building has been conceived as ?a lifted, displaced landscape ? a piece of korea grafted onto los angeles ? containing the museum within.? the building will be crowned with a terrace and sculptural roof garden featuring plants native to the korean landscape, including maple, pine, and bamboo.

all images courtesy of morphosis architects
 
 
beneath the roof garden, morphosis? design follows the courtyard plan of historic korean residences, circling a central open space with a fluid, interconnected ring of galleries, meeting rooms, and offices. the museum?s street presence is defined by greenery and a patterned façade featuring a traditional korean motif. the building will also incorporate below-ground parking for the general public and museum visitors, with capacity equal to the city-owned parking facility currently occupying the site.
 
 
the project establishes a permanent home for the museum, which was founded in 1991 as the first institution devoted to preserving, studying, and presenting the korean american community?s cultural heritage. over the past three decades, the korean american national museum has partnered with other museums, universities, and cultural centers around los angeles to produce e...