Ewha Womans University President Lee Hyang-sook on Tuesday emphasized the role of architecture in bridging past and future, as she welcomed participants to the 2026 Korea Herald Architecture Talk held at the university’s Ewha Campus Complex.
Marking both Ewha’s 140th anniversary and the 140 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, Lee described the forum as “timely and meaningful,” bringing together global architectural perspectives including keynote speaker French architect and urbanist Dominique Perrault.
“The space we share today is where French architectural thought meets Ewha’s campus,” Lee said, referring to the ECC, designed by Perrault. She called the venue a “masterpiece of contemporary architecture” that reflects harmony between nature, structure and academic life.
Completed in 2008, the ECC is one of Korea’s largest underground campus complexes, spanning six levels and featuring a central valleylike structure. Designed to preserve the natural topography while expanding space below ground, it integrates lecture halls, administrative offices and cultural facilities.
“Ewha’s campus embodies the flow of time, where modern architectural heritage coexists with contemporary works like the ECC,” said Lee, positioning the campus as a “living archive” of Korea’s modern architectural history. “Such a setting creates a space where the past, present and future coexist.”
Lee also expressed hope that the forum would provide “deep insight and resonance” for both students and the architectural community.
“Architecture contains the spirit of its era, and universities are spaces that design the future,” she said, inviting participants to join Ewha’s journey toward “a new future grounded in its history and values.”
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
