Immerse in Sound at Seoul’s Audeum Audio Museum

Have you ever thought of a place that can awaken the deepest notes in our hearts?

In Seoul, Korea, Audeum Audio Museum （오디움） designed by the famous Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, officially opened this year. This museum combines sound art, historical audio equipment, and modern audio technology. Its silver structure stands in the city center like sound frequencies, awakening the forgotten body consciousness of people.

Michael Chung, the founder of the vacuum tube amplifier brand Silbatone Acoustics, build this uniquely designed audio museum in Seocho-gu, near Gangnam, Seoul, overlooking the beautiful scenery of Cheonggyesan. This museum conveys a deep affection for sound art and also pays tribute to his father.

Kengo Kuma

TIME magazine, named Kengo Kuma the “Architect of the Year.” Known worldwide for his “negative architecture” and “Kengo Kuma style” he has left many architectural landmarks in Taiwan. Kuma skillfully uses natural materials such as wood, mud bricks, bamboo, stone slabs, paper, or glass, combining them with water, light, and air to create a soft yet strong aesthetic experience.

The Audeum Audio Museum features seven exhibition floors, covering a total area of 224,246 square meters. An art installation made of 20,000 aluminum tubes surrounds the museum’s exterior, resembling sound frequencies on a track. Under sunlight, the aluminum tubes reflect different light and shadow effects, making visitors feel as if they are in the dimension of sound transmission.

Daylight, Sound and Architecture

The lounge uses special thin fabrics that filter the light, emitting a soft glow. The fabric unfolds upwards, becoming more transparent and swaying with the audience’s movement. One wall showcases CDs and vinyl records from various eras, as well as some of the world’s rarest speakers.

Kengo Kuma’s design naturally captures the light that changes over time. Visitors can appreciate music at Audeum while feeling the building’s subtle sensitivity through sunlight and shadows, revisiting the history of audio technology in this special place.

Vacuum Tube Amplifier

A “vacuum tube amplifier,” also known as a tube amplifier, is an electronic device that uses vacuum tubes to amplify audio signals. This ancient yet charming audio equipment can enchant music lovers with its warm and rich sound.

The museum’s private collection includes mostly rare items that are far from the public eye and may never have existed. These items include music production machines and audio equipment from the late 19th century to the 1960s, such as the Edison phonograph and Western Electric speakers.

Visitors walk through the history of audio technology, experiencing the diversity of sound art. The museum connects these technologies with the vast world of art, redefining the established listening experience from rational to emotional.

Immersed in the world of sound at the intersection of history and modernity, technology and art, you can feel the inspiration brought by music. Whether you are an audiophile or curious about sound art, the Audeum Audio Museum is a must-visit sanctuary.

Jung Eum: In Search of Sound 정음(正音) 소리의 여정：

“Good sound” has many meanings, and Audeum is dedicated to exploring this through its audio collections. The opening exhibition presents “Hi-Fi,” which stands for “high fidelity” audio, considering it the answer to “good sound,” resonating with people as the starting point of a sound journey.

The museum is open from Thursday to Saturday, from 10 AM to 6 PM, with free admission, but online reservations are required on the Audeum Audio Museum’s official website. Currently, all reservations for June are fully booked! Plan your trip to Korea in advance to ensure a smooth visit to this new cultural landmark in Seoul.

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Photo Source : Audeum Audio Museum （오디움）