Leeum Museum of Art
Traditional Korean and contemporary art in buildings by Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas.
Leeum Museum of Art is a private museum run by the Samsung Foundation of Culture on a hillside in Hannam-dong, in Seoul's Yongsan district, between Itaewon and the Han River. It opened in 2004 as Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, and adopted its current name when it reopened in 2021. The museum is a short uphill walk from Hangangjin Station on Seoul Subway Line 6, and operates alongside its sister institution, the Hoam Museum of Art in Yongin.
The complex is notable for bringing together three internationally known architects on one site. Mario Botta designed Museum 1, a terracotta-clad building organised around a rotunda with a spiral staircase. Jean Nouvel designed Museum 2, used for modern and contemporary art, while Rem Koolhaas and OMA designed the education and culture centre that links the site. The landscape design was by Petra Blaisse, and the buildings are connected by shared lobbies and outdoor terraces.
The collection spans Korean art from prehistory to the Joseon dynasty, including celadon, buncheong ware, white porcelain, Buddhist art, metalwork and painting, several pieces of which are designated National Treasures. Museum 2 holds modern and contemporary works by Korean and international artists. Alongside displays from the permanent collection, Leeum presents large temporary exhibitions, commissions for its outdoor spaces and public programmes that include talks and research-led projects.
Highlights
- Three buildings by Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas on one hillside site
- Botta's terracotta Museum 1 with its central rotunda and spiral staircase
- Korean celadon, buncheong ware and white porcelain, including National Treasures
- Modern and contemporary Korean and international art in Museum 2
- Outdoor garden commission by Gabriel Orozco on the museum deck
