State(s) of Exception

“State(s) of Exception” is a joint urban design and architecture workshop pioneered by Choson Exchange and the Architectural Association. This initiative explores emerging urban conditions in one of the most difficult to understand countries in the world, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (SPRK/North Korea).

This exhibition showcases design proposals for a 3km long brownfield site in central Pyongyang, produced during a 10-day urban and architectural design workshop that took place in Pyongyang in August 2015. Participants at the workshop, comprised of 7 North Korean architects and 7 foreign architects, explored the possibility of developing an urban project for Pyongyang through small-scale architectural interventions that could complement the larger scale masterplans.