Dezeen has partnered with Kia Design Team to launch a video series highlighting contemporary South Korean architecture, beginning with the Sayuwon arboretum and architecture park.
In the first video reel in the series, Dezeen showcases the Sayuwon Arboretum alongside Kia's EV9 car model.
Dezeen video profiles vast South Korean arboretum
Sayuwon is a 700,000 square-kilometre park located in a mountainous region outside the city of Daegu, South Korea.
Originally conceived as a preservation project for quince trees in 2004, Sayuwon has since grown into a sprawling complex of landscaped gardens, hiking routes, buildings and artworks.
The park includes various buildings, including a monolithic concrete art pavilion created by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza in collaboration with Carlos Castanheira Architects. The park also includes works by South Korean architects Seung H-Sang and Choi Wook.
The pavilion comprises two large forked volumes, built partly underground from rough board-formed concrete. As visitors walk through the space, they encounter square openings in the walls and ceilings which provide glimpses of the sky and surrounding landscape.
The structure was built to be used as an exhibition space for sculptures designed by Siza, who also created an intimate chapel and a looming concrete observation tower for the park.
Dezeen's collaborative video series with Kia situates the Kia Design Team's electric car models alongside examples of contemporary South Korean architecture.
For the first reel in the series, Dezeen filmed Kia's EV9 alongside the buildings at Sayuwon.
The Kia EV9 is a fully electric SUV with a polygonal form and partially faceted edges. The vehicle comes in six or seven-seat configurations.
Kia aimed to create a sleek, sculptural exterior for the car, with fold-away door handles and flat vertical headlights, as well as Kia's "digital tiger face" design for the front of the vehicle.
According to Kia, the car is designed to be compatible with a variety of environments, from dense urban areas to long-distance travel.
Partnership content
This video series was produced by Dezeen in partnership with Kia. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.