Arario Museum in SPACE

Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu


Korean business magnate and contemporary-art collector Kam Chang-il has found the perfect home for jewels from his collection at this ivy-clad brick building that's considered a seminal piece of early-1970s architecture. The building's compact, low-ceilinged rooms and labyrinthine layout fit the conceptual pieces like a glove, including works by Nam June Paik, Koo Kang, Lee Ufan, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Sam Taylor-Johnson – you never know what artistic wonder lies around the next corner.

Also part of the building are a hanok and a five-storey glass annexe (added in 1997) – both are used as cafes and restaurants.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu attractions

1. Bukchon Hanok Village

0.11 MILES

Meaning ‘North Village’, Bukchon, between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, is home to around 900 hanok, Seoul’s largest concentration of these traditional…

2. Unhyeongung

0.14 MILES

This palace has a modest, natural-wood design reflecting the austere tastes of Heungseon Daewongun (1820–98), King Gojong’s stern and conservative father…

3. Bukchon Traditional Culture Center

0.16 MILES

There's an informative exhibition about hanok homes and the Bukchon area, housed in this larger-than-average hanok. It's generally unstaffed but sometimes…

4. Changdeokgung

0.18 MILES

The World Heritage–listed Changdeokgung is the most beautiful of Seoul's five main palaces. You must join a one-hour guided tour to look around. English…

5. Tteok & Kitchen Utensil Museum

0.19 MILES

For those interested in the local sweet culture, this two-room museum at the Institute of Traditional Korean Food offers displays of rice cakes in…

6. Cheondogyo Temple

0.24 MILES

Cheondogyo means 'Religion of the Heavenly Way', and this temple is the hall of worship for a home-grown faith containing Buddhist, Confucian and…

7. Myeongjeongjeon

0.33 MILES

The main hall of Changgyeonggung, Myeongjeongjeon was rebuilt in 1616, making it a valuable example of 17th-century Joseon architecture, and the oldest…

8. Hwabong Gallery

0.36 MILES

Cutting-edge Korean art is usually on show in this basement space alongside permanent displays of the smallest book in the world (no more than a dot), and…