[건축비평] 이성관의 건축이 지향하는 것 2020.11

Architecture Criticism
What Lee Sung Kwan’s architecture aims for

 

이성관의 건축은 논리를 동원한 분석을 통해 읽어내기보다는, 오감의 감수성으로 느끼는 건축이다. 그의 건축이 그리 어렵지 않은 것은 이성관이 사용하는 시각적 언어들이 우리 가까이 있는 것들, 일상적인 것들, 우리가 주목하지 않고 무심코 지나치는 것들을 다듬은 것들이기 때문이다. 그저 있는 그대로 받아들이면 된다. 또한 이성관은 자신의 건축을 ‘어떤 개념’이나 ‘논리’를 가지고 설득하거나 더구나 설교하려 하지 않는다. 프리젠테이션이나 강연 등 어쩔 수 없는 상황에서 구태여 설명이 요구되면, 그는 ‘말’을 앞세우지 않고, 우리 주변에서 쉽게 구할 수 있는 ‘이미지’로 대체한다. 예를 들어 〈지상 43m의 가상家像〉을 말하면서, 르네 마그리뜨(René Magritte, 1898∼1967)의 〈피레네 성 Le chateau des Pyrenees〉(1959)과 체코의 사진가 얀 샤우덱(Jan Saudek, 1935∼)의 〈너는 요새가 되고, 나는 그 튼튼한 벽안에서 안전하리라 Ty budeš tvrz a já v bezpečí v tvých mocných zdech〉(1978)를 보여주며 듣는 이들의 직관에 맡길 따름이다. 그래서 이성관의 건축은 편안하다.

이런 품성 때문인지, ‘건축가 이성관’은 그저 솜씨 좋은 장인(匠人)으로, 디테일에 뛰어나고, 그저 ‘보기 좋은’ 건축을 무리 없이 만드는 건축가이며, ‘독선적’이기보다는 ‘타협과 절충’(대개 부정적 의미로 쓰인다)에 능한 건축가로 여긴다. 
한 때, 건축을 있게 하는 배후의 ‘개념’이 지고의 가치로 여겨지던 풍조가 휩쓸던 시절, 몇몇 말하기 좋아하는 이론가들 중에는, 그의 건축에 말로 표현되는 선언이나 명확하게 제시되 
는 ‘개념’이 없다는 이유로, “디테일에 몰두하다가, 건축의 본질을 잃어버린 건축가”로 폄하되기도 했다. 즉 이성관의 건축은 이론과 실천 사이의 연속성이 설명되지 않은 채, 필연적인 결과가 아닌, 임의로 선택한 화려하고 현란한 모습[figure]들이 정교한 디테일로 연결시켜 구성되어 있어서, 그것은 소위 마치 시각적 언어들이 잘 정제된 제작물composition처럼 보이기 때문일 것이다.

그러나 그는 이런 물결에 편승하지 않고, 그는 자신의 길을 굳굳하게 걷는다. 이러한 그의 모습으로 인해, 그의 태도는 인간의 삶과 문화, 특히 건축에 선험적으로 보장된 유의미한 일관성이 있다는 점을 인정하지 않는 듯하다. 순간순간 최선의 선택과 최상의 결단이 있을 뿐, 해명의 통일적 원리를 무규칙적 다양성 속의 세계를 서술할 뿐이다. 이성관에게 ‘생각한다’는 것은, 바라보고 주의하기를 다시 배우는 일이며, 자기의 의식을 조종하고, 하나하나의 이미지에 특권적 기회를 주는 일인 듯, 매 작업은 그 프로젝트 자체에만 진력할 뿐, 그의 작품들에 일관하는 ‘어떤 것’을 구태여 만들려 하지 않는다.

그러나 그저 보여주는 듯하지만, 방문자로 하여금 감추어둔 ‘보석’을 ‘발견’하게 한다. 아무에게나 보이진 않지만, 그 건축을 애정을 가지고 살피는 눈에만 보이는, 마치 호사를 애호하던 렘브란트(Rembrant van Rijn, 1606∼1669)가 현란한 ‘장식’ 뒤에 ‘무엇’을 숨겨놓듯이. 
“〈독서하는 램브란트의 어머니〉에서 주름들은 세밀하게 표현되었고, 눈가의 잔주름, 살갗의 주름, 무사마귀까지 그려냈다. 하지만 그것들은 화폭의 내부로 연장되지 않으며, 살아 있는 신체로부터 나오는 온기를 공급받지 않는다. … 그러나 그녀의 주름을 치워내면 우리는 여전히 아름다울 매력적인 젊은 여인을 찾아내게 된다.”(장 주네 「렘브란트」 윤정임 옮김/열화당 p 14-16)

그래서 그의 건축의 참 모습은, 물론 모든 건축이 그러하지만, 현장에 있다. 
2017년 8월 건축가협회상 심사를 위해, 이성관의 여주박물관을 탐방했다. 예측한 대로 이 박물관 역시 대부분 이성관의 건축이 가지고 있는 잘 절제된 현란함에 우선 감탄했다. 그러나 그 현란함을 벗겨낸 다음, 더욱 현란한 이성관의 보석을 발견하는 큰 기쁨이 있었다. 나는 주저 없이 수상작으로 강력하게 추천했고, 전원 일치의 동의를 얻어 수상작으로 결정되었다. 그리고 나는 이렇게 썼다. 
“가장 돋보이는 것은, 중앙 홀·수변라운지에서 시작해서 거울 못과 남한강을 지나, 강 건너 마암(馬岩)의 풍경에 종착되는 일련의 서사적 풍경이다. 이 하나의 풍경이 서사적이기 위해서, 무리한 듯 보이는 캔틸레버 구조를 도입하여 무주공간을 우선 만들었고, 중앙 홀은 3개 층의 높은 공간이어야 했고, 거울 못의 레벨은 라운지에서의 앉은 눈높이여야 했으며, 거울 못의 끝단은 물로 감추어져서 남한강의 물과 이어진 듯 착시현상을 유발시켰고, 마암이 서사의 종착점이기 위해 그 시선을 강제하도록 세미한 공간적 조정이 필요했다.”

여기 ‘여주박물관’에서 ‘보석’을 만드는 방법은 ‘풍경의 편집’이다. 대지에서 보이는 수많은 풍경들 중에서 이성관이 주목하고 선택한 풍경은 ‘남한강의 수면’과 강 건너 ‘마암(馬岩)’이다. 그것들이 품고 있는 전해오는 이야기이다. 이것들이 아마 ‘여주박물관’의 어떤 전시물보다 중요한 전시물일 것이다. 그래서 그것과 하나의 서사를 이룰 건축적 장치들, 즉 라운지 공간, 거울 못을 만들고 그 것들을 정교하고 치밀하게 치수를 조정하고, 디테일을 입혀서 하나의 특별한 풍경의 서사구조로 엮어낸다. 

여기의 ‘서사적 풍경’을 창조하기 위해서는 이성관의 독특한 시선과 선택 그리고 숙련된 손이어야만 한다. 건축가란 전적으로 무심한 풍경을 서사구조에 담아내기 위해 그것을 변형시키고 구부러뜨리고, 풍경의 일부를 도려내기위해 건축적 장치를 고안한다. 이러한 특유의 ‘손’을 통해 일상적이었고 무심했던 풍경이 공간들과 장치들을 만나게 함으로써 새로운 문맥을 갖게 되고, 새로운 의미를 부여받게 된다. 대상들이 건축으로 이행하여 편집되는 조용하고 확실한, 건축의 좁은 길이다. 

이미 구축되어 있는 자연의 물리적, 인문적 조건이 건축을 만들기도 하지만, 역으로 건축을 통해서 세계, 자연에 대한 지각이 새롭게 규정될 수도 있다. 그리고 그 자연과 건축은 하나로 합일되어 또 다른 하나의 자연이 된다. 건축이 자연의 한 요소로 변용되는 것, 이것이 내가 읽은 이성관 건축이 지향하는 목표였다. 이런 뜻으로 이성관 건축은 논리에 앞선다. 


* ‘이론과 실천 사이의 연속성’이란 먼저 숙고하고, 전형(典型 model)을 만든 다음, 거기에 따라 假說을 세우고, 이론적 구상을 한 다음 실천으로 전환하는 일련의 과정을 말한다. 이러한 연속성을 강조하는 건축을 우리는 ‘이론화 작업으로서의 설계’라 부르기도 한다.

 

 

Lee Sung Kwan’s architecture is an architecture that feels with the sensitivity of the five senses rather than reading it through analytic logic. The reason his architecture is not so complicated to understand is that his visual languages are those that are intimate to us, ordinary things, and refined things that are inadvertently overlooked without paying attention. Just take and accept it as it is. Furthermore, he does not try to persuade or even preach his architecture with a certain concept or logic. If an explanation is needed in an unavoidable situation, such as a lecture, he does not put a word in front of him, but replaces it with an’image’ that can be easily seen and contacted around us. For example, whilst speaking of 〈virtual imaginary 43m above the ground〉, he presents 〈Le chateau des Pyrenees〉 (1959) by René Magritte (1898-1967) and Jan Saudek (1935-), a Czech photographer. 〈You will be a fortress, and I will be safe within that sturdy wall Ty budeš tvrz a já v bezpečí v tvých mocných zdech〉 (1978) and leaves it to their intuition. Therefore, his architecture has comfort.

Perhaps because of this personality, Architect. Lee Sung Kwan is simply a skillful craftsman, excellent in detail and an architect who makes decent looking architecture without any difficulties. Rather than being self-righteous, he regards him as an architect who is good at compromising (usually used ain a negative sense). At one time, when the trend was swept away when the concept behind architecture was regarded as the supreme value, some of the theorists disparaged him with the reason that his architecture had no clear manifesto or presented concepts and those referred him as an architect who lost the essence of architecture while immersed in detail. Namely, Lee Sung Kwan’s architecture is composed by connecting with elaborate details, not but with randomly selected splendid and glamorous figures without explaining the continuity between theory and practice. Perhaps, for this reason, it looks like a composition such as well-arranged visual languages.
But he does not go along with the atmosphere, he unshakably walks on his path. Because of his appearance, his attitude does not seem to admit that there is a meaningful consistency guaranteed a priori in human life and culture, especially architecture. Every moment there is the best choice and the best decision, it merely describes the unifying principle of clarification and a world in irregular diversity. ‘Thinking’ for Lee Seung Kwan, like as it is an assignment of learning to look and pay attention again, manipulating his consciousness, and giving each and every image a privileged opportunity, each work focuses on the project itself and he does not try to make ‘something’ consistent with his works. 

However, it just seems to show, but it makes visitors “discover” hidden gem. It is not visible to anyone, but only visible to the eyes looking at the architecture with affection, as if Rembrant van Rijn (1606-1669), who loved the luxury, hid ‘what’ behind the flashy ‘decoration’.
“In <Reading Rembrandt’s Mother>, wrinkles were expressed in detail, and fine lines around the eyes, wrinkles on the skin, and even warts were drawn. However, they do not extend into the interior of the canvas and are not supplied with the warmth from the living body. … However, once her wrinkles are removed, we will find an attractive young woman who is still beautiful.” (June Jang, translated by Jeong-Im Yoon, Rembrandt/Yeohwadang p. 14-16)

So, the true appearance of his architecture is on the site.
In August 2017, I visited his Yeoju Museum for a member of critics of the Architects Association Award. As predicted, the museum was well represented of his architecture. However, after peeling off the splendor, there was great joy in discovering even more dazzling gem of him. I strongly recommended it as a winner without hesitation, and he was decided as a winner with the consent of all of them. And I wrote.
“What stands out most is a series of narrative landscape sequences starting from the central hall and waterside lounge, passing through the Pond and Namhan River, and ending with the scenery of Ma-ahm across the river. In order for this single landscape to be narrative, a cantilever structure that seems unreasonable was introduced to create a ownerless space first, and the central hall had to be a high space on three floors, and the level of the pond had to be the level of the sitting eye in the lounge. The end of the pond was concealed with water causing an optical illusion as if it was connected to the water between Namhan River, and a small spatial adjustment was needed to enforce Ma-ahm’s enduring gaze to be the end of the narrative.”

Here, the way to make ‘gem’ in ‘Yeoju Museum’ is ‘editing scenery’. Among the numerous landscapes seen from the site, the landscapes Lee Sung Kwan paid attention to and selected were “the surface of the Namhan River” and “Ma-ahm” across the river. It is a story that they carry. These are probably more important exhibits than any of the exhibits in Yeoju Museum. Therefore, it creates architectural language that will form a narrative with it, namely, a lounge space, a mirror nail, and elaborately and precisely adjusts the dimensions and details, and weaves them into a narrative structure of a special landscape.

In order to create the ‘narrative landscape’ here, it is necessary to have Lee Sung Kwan’s unique gaze, choice, and skillful hands. In order to contain an indifferent landscape to the narrative structure, architects bend, transform and even cut out a part of the landscape. It is a quiet and sure narrow path of architecture that objects transit to architecture and are edited.

Although the physical and human conditions of nature that have already been established make architecture, conversely, the perception of the world and nature may be newly defined through architecture. And that nature and architecture are united into one and become another nature. The transformation of architecture into an element of nature, this was the goal of his architecture, which I understood. In this sense, his architecture is logical.

* ’Continuity between theory and practice’ refers to a series of processes that first consider, create a model, then establish a hypothesis according to it, then devise a theoretical concept, and then turn it into practice. Architecture emphasising this continuity is sometimes referred to as ‘design as a theoretical work’.

 

 

 

글. 민현식 Min, Hyunsik 한국예술종합학교 명예교수 · 건축사사무소 기오헌 대표 · 건축사