Game Center: Exploring the Dichotomous Relationship between Virtual and Physical Spaces

Course Work, Yonsei University, 2021

We are now living in AI and Virtual Era. As virtual spaces increasingly take on the roles traditionally held by physical spaces, we must reconsider the physical functions of our cities. My project site was the Yongsan Game Market, a marketplace with a 40-year history that is gradually declining and being replaced by industrial facilities for online markets. Once bustling with people looking to buy game CDs, this space has lost its original purpose and is now experiencing deterioration. This decline highlights the dichotomy that is emerging between virtual and physical spaces due to the rise of virtual environments.
My design concept centered around this question: Is it possible to bridge the gap between virtual and physical spaces? Rather than aiming to find a perfect coexistence, I sought to identify and visualize the precarious balance between virtuality and reality.