{"id":38970,"date":"2026-03-26T06:49:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T06:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/38970\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:49:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T06:49:21","slug":"switzerlands-embassy-in-seoul-shows-how-architecture-can-host-diplomacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/38970\/","title":{"rendered":"Switzerland\u2019s embassy in Seoul shows how architecture can host diplomacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\"Switzerland\u2019s\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The embassy of Switzerland in Seoul is a manifestation of the two nation\u2019s relationship and architectural heritage \u2013 and a statement of peaceful coexistence between progress and remembrance.<\/p>\n

Switzerland\u2019s embassy in Seoul is a stylish manifestation of the two nations\u2019 diplomatic relationship, which has blossomed in recent years. A Helvetic take on a hanok \u2013 a traditional Korean wooden house with no nails or pegs \u2013 it is designed in a large horseshoe shape, forming an arc around an open courtyard and connecting the public chancery, offices and residential wings. \u201cIt feels incredibly dynamic,\u201d says ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano, who was previously posted to the Netherlands and Iran. <\/p>\n

The plot is positioned so that visitors in the courtyard can take in the greenery of Gyeonghuigung park, while elements such as geothermal heating and electricity sourced from solar panels give the property a sustainable Swiss spin. \u201cDiplomacy is about connection and trust,\u201d says Olivieri Lozano. \u201cWe want Swiss citizens in South Korea to feel supported and our South Korean friends to feel that this is a place for dialogue and exchange.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Exterior(Images: Helene Binet)<\/p>\n

\"Interior<\/p>\n

\"Exterior<\/p>\n

The space in which this sense of quietude exists was once much noisier. Songwol-dong was a boisterous neighbourhood before the government razed its dilapidated buildings in the 2010s to erect glassy skyscrapers. Swiss architecture studio Burckhardt endeavoured to make the embassy, which opened in 2019, a tribute to the hanoks that would have once surrounded it. Concrete surfaces required for security reasons have been imprinted to feature an intricate Korean-style fa\u00e7ade of wood grain; these invoke construction features found in cities such as Bern, Zu\u0308rich and Geneva. \u201cThe irony is that despite being characteristic of Swiss buildings, this kind of design could never be achieved back home,\u201d says Nicolas Vaucher, the studio\u2019s lead architect. \u201cIt would be far too expensive. We could only afford to do this here.\u201d <\/p>\n

The embassy regularly hosts events across business, literature and design but the hanok strikes a deeper chord with Seoul residents beyond the varied programme. \u201cThe building respects the memory of what stood here before,\u201d says the Swiss ambassador. \u201cIt shows that progress and remembrance can coexist, which is an important message in a city that\u2019s constantly reinventing itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ambassador: Nadine Olivieri
Number of diplomats: 5
Date formal relations began: 11 February 1963. The first Swiss embassy in Seoul opened in 1969.
Key bilateral issues: Trade volumes between the countries have more than doubled since the agreement between South Korea and the European Free Trade Association entered into force in 2006.<\/p>\n

In Monocle\u2019s April issue, we profile our selection of the best foreign embassies in the world \u2014 this is just one of the establishments featured. See the rest of our favourites here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The embassy of Switzerland in Seoul is a manifestation of the two nation\u2019s relationship and architectural heritage \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38971,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[22685,3328,17],"class_list":["post-38970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-switzerland","tag-foreign-embassy","tag-seoul","tag-switzerland"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116294147410797609","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}