Architecture as international diplomacy: Switzerland’s ‘hanok’-inspired embassy in Seoul
The embassy of Switzerland in Seoul is a manifestation of the two nation’s relationship and architectural heritage – and a statement of peaceful coexistence between progress and remembrance.
Switzerland’s embassy in Seoul is a stylish manifestation of the two nations’ diplomatic relationship, which has blossomed in recent years. A Helvetic take on a hanok – a traditional Korean wooden house with no nails or pegs – it is designed in a large horseshoe shape, forming an arc around an open courtyard and connecting the public chancery, offices and residential wings. “It feels incredibly dynamic,” says ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano, who was previously posted to the Netherlands and Iran.
The plot is positioned so that visitors in the courtyard can take in the greenery of Gyeonghuigung park, while elements such as geothermal heating and electricity sourced from solar panels give the property a sustainable Swiss spin. “Diplomacy is about connection and trust,” says Olivieri Lozano. “We want Swiss citizens in South Korea to feel supported and our South Korean friends to feel that this is a place for dialogue and exchange.”
The space in which this sense of quietude exists was once much noisier. Songwol-dong was a boisterous neighbourhood before the government razed its dilapidated buildings in the 2010s to erect glassy skyscrapers. Swiss architecture studio Burckhardt endeavoured to make the embassy, which opened in 2019, a tribute to the hanoks that would have once surrounded it. Concrete surfaces required for security reasons have been imprinted to feature an intricate Korean-style façade of wood grain; these invoke construction features found in cities such as Bern, Zürich and Geneva. “The irony is that despite being characteristic of Swiss buildings, this kind of design could never be achieved back home,” says Nicolas Vaucher, the studio’s lead architect. “It would be far too expensive. We could only afford to do this here.”
The embassy regularly hosts events across business, literature and design but the hanok strikes a deeper chord with Seoul residents beyond the varied programme. “The building respects the memory of what stood here before,” says the Swiss ambassador. “It shows that progress and remembrance can coexist, which is an important message in a city that’s constantly reinventing itself.”
Ambassador: Nadine Olivieri
Number of diplomats: 5
Date formal relations began: 11 February 1963. The first Swiss embassy in Seoul opened in 1969.
Key bilateral issues: Trade volumes between the countries have more than doubled since the agreement between South Korea and the European Free Trade Association entered into force in 2006.
In Monocle’s April issue, we profile our selection of the best foreign embassies in the world — this is just one of the establishments featured. See the rest of our favourites here.
