This summer I had the pleasure of joining a group of judges for the Open City's Architecture in Schools initiative. This creative learning programme for primary school pupils aims to inspire the next generation of city-shapers, building an understanding how architecture informs the world around us. I was particularly pleased to be involved this year as the theme was Shared City – opening up the debate beyond architecture of buildings to all the places and spaces between them where we meet and play every day.
public space
![The internal courtyard of traditional Korean houses used to be the centre of collective life. Photo © Michela Leoni](http://mh.markoandplacemakers.com/sites/default/files/styles/scale-only-635px/public/01_2.jpg?itok=mFkrFExS)
14 March 2014 Unpublished
Appearances and Concealment: the Two Faces of Seoul’s Public Space
Being half Korean, I had already visited the country's capital city a few times. However, as a child who could not speak the language, my perception of the built environment had always been filtered and guided by the adults of my family. I took the opportunity now, following my degree in town planning and with fairly improved language skills, to experience life as a Seoulite for a few months at my own pace, through my own eyes and ears, naturally biased by my academic background.