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Kohn Pedersen Fox: "Recreating the Atmosphere of Paris" with laminated glass in Rodin Museum, Seoul

Chaos outside, peace and tranquility inside

Architects Kohn Pedersen Fox of New York used a translucent 'envelope' of laminated glass for the Rodin Museum in Seoul which, together with a French limestone floor, "gives the interior an almost sepia tone, recreating the special light of Paris on a misty day," according to KPF Partner, Kevin Kenner.

Kenner said: "It's hard to imagine a greater contrast between the bustle, chaos and kaleidoscope of street and car lights on the eight-lane road outside the Museum in downtown Seoul and the peace and tranquility inside the Museum. This is achieved through a double-walled laminated glass shell that shields the interior from the street noise very well."

"The absence of noise and the white, misty glow combine to give a serene, contemplative effect that works for the art and gives a wonderful feeling of space, light and air." Diamant^® laminated glass with a ceramic frit on one surface, supplied by Eckelt Steyr of Austria, is used for the curved walls, skylighting and stairway of the Museum. KPF worked with structural engineers Ove Arup to ensure that the effect is not disturbed by a 4 m x 4 m stainless steel support grid. Like the walls, the ceiling is in two layers. The top surface is a thermal unit, followed by the steel grid. Below this is a second layer of laminated glass, diffusing the aspect of the ceiling grid. The structure passed international safety standards such as ASTM and DIN, as well as Korean building standards. Since the building is located in downtown Seoul, the added security of laminated glass was cited by architects as another benefit.

The Rodin Museum, completed in 1998, forms part of Samsung Corporation's Seoul base. The 500 m² glass pavilion was built to house two major Rodin pieces – The Gates of Hell and The Burgers of Calais – and has become known as the crown jewel of Samsung's worldwide headquarters.