Lee Eunseok

Lee Eunseok (이은석, 李恩石, born 1962) is an architect and architectural theorist from South Korea.

He is a professor at Kyung Hee University and a French registered architect.

He was a student of Henri Ciriani, who is known as the successor of Le Corbusier.

Lee has designed various structures including the Millennium Gate (Seoul Ring), Saemoonan Church, Meditation Chapel, Son Yang Won Memorial Museum, National Museum of Korean Literature, National Gugak Center Performance Practice Hall, Bujeon Glocal Vision Center, Heavenly Gem Church, Korean-American Art & Cultural Center in LA.

Eunseok Lee's design style can be classified as New Modernism, a Korean evolution of Modernist architecture.

His works emphasize 'geometric shapes' and 'conceptual verbs,' with a strong focus on public engagement and architectural hospitality.

He has designed a wide range of buildings in various types and sizes, including houses, residential complexes, commercial spaces, cafes, hotels, schools, memorials, art galleries, museums, performance venues, corporate offices, research institutes, convention centers, and landmarks.

He is particularly well-known in the architectural community for his monumental architecture and religious buildings.

Eunseok Lee graduated from the Department of Architecture at Hongik University and is a French registered architect (Architecte DPLG), having graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville.

He also obtained a Doctorate in Art History (Doctorat en histoire de l’art) from Pantheon-Sorbonne University, Paris 1.

Currently, he is a professor in the Department of Architecture at Kyung Hee University.

His roles have included President of the Architecture Design Institute of Korea, a chief architectural consultant for Sejong City, and a member of the examination committee for the Korean Institute of Registered Architects (KIRA).

In 1995, Lee became the first Korean to win first place in an international architectural design competition by winning the Korean American Museum of Art and Culture Center in Los Angeles, USA.

This competition saw participation from 475 teams with over 1,600 individuals from 68 countries worldwide.

The jury included Richard Meier (Chairman), Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern, Kim Jong-sung, and Yoon Seung-jung among the seven members.

His victory as a young, relatively unknown Korean architect left a significant impact in the architectural communities of the USA, France, and Korea, and marked his first major recognition in both domestic and international architectural circles.

After returning to Korea, in 1999, he won first place again in the Millennium Gate competition.

This competition saw registrations from 181 teams, including renowned architects and artists like Nam June Paik, with 36 final design entries submitted.

The jury was composed of leading figures in the Korean architectural scene at the time, including Jang Seok-woong (Chairman), Kang Seok-won, Ko Joo-seok, Kim Jin-kyun, Oh Hwi-young, Yu Wan, Lee Woo-jin, Ji Soon, and Han Do-ryong.

Lee serves as the lead architect at Atelier KOMA.

He has received numerous domestic architecture awards, including the Korean Architecture Culture Award (2003), the Korean Institute of Architects Award (2017, 2018, 2023), the Korean Architectural Design Association Award (2019), the Church Architecture Culture Award (2010, 2015, 2018), and architecture awards from Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Gyeonggi-do.

His works have also been internationally recognized, winning awards such as the Architecture Master Prize(2019, 2020) and the Architizer A+Awards(2020).

Architectural Hospitality is a concept extensively explored by Eunseok Lee in his book "Hospitality of Architect Eunseok Lee: Seven Thoughts Towards Open Architecture."

In this book, the author describes seven architectural languages that can realize publicness and hospitality in building design: 1) Promenade and Escort, 2) Heritage and Consideration, 3) Symbolism and Metaphor, 4) Embracement and Fellowship, 5) Elevation and Openness, 6) Filling and Sharing, and 7) Nature and Meditation.