[Insta Walk] Sikmulkwan PH - Open Windows, Exhaled Breath... Leisure as a Bonus

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Open Advice Breathes Life into Closed Minds
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Urban Greenhouse... Healing with Green Plants
Sharing Culture through Photography, Art, and Experiences

View of the first floor from the second floor of the Plant Hall PH. / Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] In the untact (contactless) era, the time spent indoors is increasing. Amid IT advancements, COVID-19 is spreading the untact culture more widely than expected. This accelerating trend since last year has sparked a desire among urban residents, trapped in seemingly blocked daily lives, to break free from frustration and fully enjoy natural spaces. They feel an impulse to slowly savor the open and pleasant natural environment while inhaling clear and soft air.

However, it is not easy to freely roam natural environments. COVID-19 is still rampant, and news reports indicate that every country is facing the 3rd or 4th wave of the pandemic. Although mask-wearing habits have become familiar, many people inevitably think they must avoid crowded places. Therefore, a highlighted alternative is the somewhat secluded yet nature-experiencing ‘plant interior’ spaces, known as ‘plantterior’ (plant + interior). Plantterior refers to decorating interiors with plants and is gaining attention as an interior design that provides stability and healing to all COVID-19 generations trapped in the city.

‘Sikmulkwan PH,’ filled with green plants that soothe the mind and body, has emerged as a representative plantterior space on social networking services (SNS). This place, which feels like a combination of a botanical garden and an art museum, allows visitors to enjoy nature and sunlight while appreciating unique artworks that are hard to experience in daily life. Sikmulkwan PH, reachable by about a 10-minute walk from Ilwon Station on Seoul Subway Line 3, is located near an apartment complex in the Gangnam Segok Housing Development District.

Cafe seating arranged on the 2nd floor of the Plant Hall PH. / Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

Inside the modern and neat glass greenhouse, green hues abound. This naturally draws the eyes of passersby. Stepping inside from the entrance, the high ceiling and open space create a mysterious feeling as if entering another world. The exterior is decorated with huge glass walls that give an alien impression, allowing visitors to enjoy the sky and surrounding scenery even from inside, making it hardly necessary to call it an indoor space. On sunny days, warm sunlight pours in directly. The first and second floors have gardens and cafes where various plants can be admired, and the third and fourth floors house galleries.

In the center of the first floor stands a large glass display case as tall as a typical building, exhibiting various small plants in different shapes, reminiscent of a museum. Around it, tall trees form a small forest. From the cafe on the second floor, visitors can sit and enjoy the plants planted at the first-floor height.

Sikmulkwan PH is a space where the imagination of CEO Moon Hyeong-mu is realized. Moon, who ran an advertising company, did not focus solely on advertising but pondered unique ways to calmly view the world and find solace. He believed that nature was essential to creating a space where people could rest and share culture. He thought that combining art with such a space would create a unique cultural venue.

He explained, "If a space is decorated with common interior designs that people can easily encounter, many do not feel the desire to revisit after one look. I created a natural environment embracing artworks to relieve the frustration that urban residents, overwhelmingly living in apartments, feel in their daily living spaces, so they can repeatedly visit and heal."

Small plants displayed in the glass showcase on the first floor of the Plant Hall. Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

Above all, a unique feature is that the space can be changed according to trends. Since fixed tree locations in a limited indoor space can become a familiar scene, they prepared plant pots with wheels to allow frequent changes. Moon’s sense stands out, knowing very well that SNS users rarely upload photos or videos with the same background.

The exhibition space on the third and fourth floors makes Sikmulkwan PH even more special. Here, works by artists from various fields such as photography, fine arts, and experiential art are exhibited. Recently, they held an experiential exhibition titled ‘I Shot Therefore I Am’ by artist NOOM.

The reason for continuously planning exhibitions stems from Moon’s desire for this place to have an identity as a space where many visitors can enjoy culture. He said, "I hope many people enjoy and find meaning in popular culture, media, and art."

Moon plans to develop Sikmulkwan PH into a space where visitors can simultaneously enjoy taste and style, like a buffet offering various foods. He said, "Visitors seem to have diverse thoughts. Some come quietly to stroll in the small botanical garden, some take photos, participate in exhibitions, or relax with a cup of tea at the cafe. I hope anyone can gain relaxation by breathing fresh air in this small park with a comfortable mind."