Museum

The historic row of houses at Oberamteistraße 28–32, along with the surviving basement of the “Stone House” that had occupied plot no. 34, but was demolished in 1972, are among the oldest and most interesting buildings in the former free imperial city of Reutlingen. These architectural artifacts date back to the 13th century, when the city of Reutlingen was founded. The ensemble is therefore one of the oldest rows of houses in southern Germany, authentically reflecting the development of building and living culture over the centuries.

Our first cultural institution in New York is a new addition to the New Museum next door to its iconic SANAA-designed building at 235 Bowery. The New Museum has been growing in visitors, exhibitions, and activities. Its diverse engagements, including its expansive education programs, its cultural incubator NEW INC, and, of course, its globally recognized exhibition program have been transforming the institution into a cultural laboratory. We were asked to add a new building that provides much-needed space for its expanded activities and simultaneously reflects increasingly public ambitions—duplicating the program and square footage on a site immediately adjacent to the existing SANAA-designed building—part and counterpart, side-by-side.

Dabbagh Architects is an internationally recognised architectural design firm led by Saudi architect Sumaya Dabbagh. Renowned for its contemporary and culturally relevant projects across the Gulf, the firm was commissioned in 2018 by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi to lead the redevelopment of the UAE’s first museum in Al Ain. The project honours over 8,000 years of the region’s history, preserving its archaeological remains, historic structures, and cultural heritage while introducing a contemporary architectural narrative that bridges the past with the present.

The site lies in Jeongna-dong, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do. Samcheok Port is located to the east, with an industrial zone to the east and the south, a commercial zone to the north, and a residential zone to the north west. In A.D. 512 (the 13th year of King Jijeung’s reign), Silla general Isabu set off from this spot in Samcheok with his marine troops to conquer Usanguk, today known as Ulleungdo Island, and Dokdo Island, which was part of the Silla territory. Yukhyangsan Mountain, located at the centre of the site, was once an oceanic island at the time of Isabu’s departure, but has now become a mountainous region. Underneath this reclaimed land are the lower reaches of Yukhyangsan Mountain, which was once an island. The lower part of the Yukhyangsan Mountain was excavated, the site was lowered to its former altitude, and water was introduced. The water introduced to this area adopts the form of a pond with the name Yukhyang-ji, relating it to Yukhyangsan Mountain and alluding to the image of an island on the sea. An exhibition space tracing the historic features throughout the newly revealed site will come to play a role as na ew cultural site in Samcheok, and recover what in the landscape had been lost to the past.