Traditional Korean house installed above busy London street by Do Ho Suh

South Korean artist Do Ho Suh has built a replica of his childhood home and installed it above a road in the City of London.

Called Bridging Home, London, the installation sees a traditional Korean dwelling built on top of a pedestrian bridge spanning Wormwood Street, a dual carriageway located near Liverpool Street station.

The simple, decorative structure offers a striking contrast to the high-rise buildings that dominate the area. Its features include a curved gable roof, a timber frame, brick walls and shuttered windows.

One of the house’s walls is hanging over the edge of the bridge, suggesting that the makeshift structure could collapse at any moment.

By modelling the design on the house he grew up in, Do Ho Suh’s aim is to make a statement about the migrant history of London, as well as to reflect his own experience of moving from one country to another.

It builds on themes covered by previous projects such as The Passage/s, which saw the designer create a sequence of passageways that represented all the different places he had occupied in his life.

“For me, a building is more than just space. It is not only physical but also metaphorical and psychological,” he explained.

“In my work I want to draw out these intangible qualities of energy, history, life and memory. While Bridging Home, London comes from personal experience, I hope it is something a lot of people can relate to.”

The installation will remain in place for at least six months. It forms part of Sculpture in the City, a programme that sees sculptures pop up all over the Square Mile, and Art Night, an annual initiative that commissions site-specific artworks all over the city.

“Do Ho Suh’s Bridging Home, London is an ambitious commission, one of his most significant in the United Kingdom to date,” said Fatoş Üstek, the curator for the installation.

“This unexpected apparition triggers a hiatus and a detournement, taking passer-bys to lands far away. Most importantly the piece activates feelings of home, belonging and remembrance that will resonate with viewers on their individual journeys.”

Photography is by Gautier Deblonde.

Read more

• Design
• Installations