"The Architecture with Reason–Space Traveler" ended its season by conveying the charm of architecture that is visible as much as one knows.
On the 23rd, the MBC educational program "The Architecture with Reason–Space Traveler" (abbreviated as "The Architecture with Reason") presented its final architectural journey under the theme "Seoul, the Han River as author." A distinctive journey that intensively explored the Han River, which has shared Seoul's development and is drawing Seoul's tomorrow, captured viewers' attention.
Jun Hyun-moo and Park Sun-young, and Im Woo-il, the man who owns an Han River view APT., joined forces to form a Han River exploration team. They set off for Hangang Bridge, the Han River's first pedestrian bridge completed in 1917, among the many bridges of the Han River. While examining Hangang Bridge, which is divided into the old bridge and the new bridge, following Park Sun-young's guide, Jun Hyun-moo displayed sharp observation and pointed out the older bridge. Jun Hyun-moo guessed by instinct, "This side is a newer color, and the other side has lots of patches and looks worn," and it was confirmed that the old bridge indeed bore marks left because welding technology was not advanced at the time.
The three who went down under Hangang Bridge discovered the flood mark from the big 1925 Eulchuk Year flood. They were surprised to learn that this flood changed the map of Jamsil in Seoul. Heavy rain at the time had turned the entire city of Seoul into a sea, which caused the Han River to split and flow in two channels. Later, as part of Han River development, the original Han River (the old Songpa River) was reclaimed, completing the present map of Jamsil. Areas that were not fully filled became Seokchon Lake, and the cast members could not hide their surprise, saying, "I didn't know that."
The reason the submerged bridge was built so low that the Jamsu Bridge would be submerged, and the background of Banpo Bridge being built above it, also drew attention. Architect Yoo Hyun-joon explained, "Korea always kept war in mind when building," noting that Jamsu Bridge was originally designed for tanks to pass. It was designed so quick repairs would be possible if a bridge was cut off by bombing. Also, the fact that Banpo Bridge was built like a roof to hide the Jamsu Bridge exposed to enemies added to the interest.
Hannam Bridge, which boasts the highest traffic among Han River bridges, was built as a 12-lane road in both directions because of North Korea. When intelligence reported that North Korea was building a bridge along the Daedong River, the original plan was revised to make the bridge wider. The opening of Hannam Bridge led directly to accelerated development of Gangnam and attracted attention as the starting point of Seoul's development.
Having studied the Han River bridges diligently, Jun Hyun-moo took the troupe to the Han River's hip places. At the world's first hotel built on a bridge, Jun Hyun-moo and Im Woo-il left a photo that looked like a newlywed couple on honeymoon, causing laughter. They also visited Nodeul Island, famous for its sunset and night views. It surprised them to learn that Nodeul Island was originally not an island but land connected to the north bank. They were told it is expected to become hotter through a 2027 renewal project. Im Woo-il jokingly said, "Now that Jun Hyun-moo hyung and I came, the MZ generation's visits will stop, and they'll come back later," and the "trend cutter" Jun Hyun-moo playfully replied, "We're here to wish the construction goes smoothly."
Backed by praise for its 2024 pilot broadcast, "The Architecture with Reason" was given a regular slot and brought freshness by taking a space journey with the differentiated point of "architecture." Beyond simple building introductions, the show expanded stories into various areas such as history, culture and society through architecture, offering a deeper perspective and drawing continued praise from viewers. Architect Yoo Hyun-joon explained professional knowledge in an easy-to-understand way, and Jun Hyun-moo, Hong Jin Kyung and Park Sun-young contributed with curious questions and diverse perspectives, completing a fantastic rapport.
They took a space journey with a total of 10 themes and explored 39 architectural works. They reviewed masterpieces by first-generation architects who designed Korea, Kim Chung-up and Kim Swoo-geun, and examined why Seongsu-dong and Haebangchon became hot spots from an architectural perspective. They conveyed the history of Bukchon hanok village, which was preserved from Japan, and the charm of hanok. They also stepped beyond Korea to reinterpret Hong Kong, known only as a city of cuisine, film and shopping, from an architectural viewpoint. In Berlin, which has emerged as a techno city, they highlighted hip architecture along with buildings that remember the wounds of war. Every architecture had a reason, and stories were hidden in spaces. Hong Jin Kyung's exclamation, "You see as much as you know," proved it.
As the season concluded, Jun Hyun-moo said, "It was a time to learn difficult architecture enjoyably and deeply," and Park Sun-young left the comment, "I came to think, 'Architecture isn't difficult.'" Yoo Hyun-joon looked back on the past journeys, saying, "Each episode was enriched much more by the added perspectives of the guests." Finally, Jun Hyun-moo left a promise, saying, "See you in the next season," making viewers look forward to "The Architecture with Reason" returning with a new architectural journey.
"The Architecture with Reason–Space Traveler" is a new-concept architectural talk show that tells stories crossing various fields such as history, culture, economy, art and science through architecture, and it ended its season on the 23rd to positive reviews.
[Photo] Provided by MBC.
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