Facadism and heri-verse: cultural heritage interpretation and presentation of Seoul City Hall and Gungisi site

Abstract

This study explores the case of interpreting and presenting cultural heritage by combining facadism and heri-verse through the cases of Seoul City Hall and its underground Gungisi site. By combining facadism, which preserves the exterior of historical buildings while modernizing the interior, and digital restoration through the metaverse, this study presents a new way of interpreting and presenting the multi-layered nature of cultural heritage. The research methodology includes literature analysis based on a case study of Seoul City Hall and comparative analysis with international examples. As a result, through the physical preservation of facades, modern and contemporary architecture maintains its volumetric identity in the city, and through the use of heri-verse, the lost historical spaces inside the building are recreated in a virtual environment to provide users with an immersive experience, simultaneously. This combination of vertical exterior preservation and horizontal interior reenactment goes beyond the limitations of fragmentary facade preservation and provides new access to multi-layered heritage, especially for younger generations and digitally savvy modern audiences. However, there is also a risk that this approach can blur the identity of the heritage, requiring a balanced interpretation and presentation.