Architecture as Immersive Teaching Aid: Reimagining the Pieces of the Government-General Building of Korea, Seoul

Conducted as a year-long directed seminar-based M.Arch thesis studio supervised by Lukas Pauer at the University of Toronto, this project explores the Government-General Building in Seoul (GGB; 1910–1996), constructed by Japanese imperialists (1909–1945) to colonize Korea. Developed within the theoretical framework inspired by Pauer’s doctoral research and the Vertical Geopolitics Lab, the project integrates a speculative competition format to address the educational potential of colonial architecture. 1 Designed by German architect George De Lande, this Neoclassical building symbolized Japanese imperialism and the colonizer-colonized relationship.2 After liberation, it housed government offices (1962-1983) and the National Museum (1986-1995) until its politically charged demolition in 1996. This decision began debate over colonial erasure and neglecting alternative postcolonial approaches.3