Spatializing Inner Cleansing

SESIM uses a series of steps placed along the stream in front of Sesimdae at Oksan Seowon to express learning as a process of inner cultivation. In the seowon, study was not only the acquisition of knowledge but also a continuous refinement of one’s mind, attitude, and conduct through reflection.

The steps begin as an artificial form with clear edges and intentional curves. As water repeatedly flows across them, their surfaces gradually erode, soften, and transform. Over time, the curve made by human intention merges with the curve shaped by water, allowing the steps to become part of the natural landscape. Through this process, the project translates learning and self-cultivation into a spatial experience shaped by water, time, and gradual transformation.