MUL

MUL means “water” in Korean.
This work explores the inherently vulnerable nature of wood, a material that has been widely used throughout human life. Compared to other materials, wood is highly sensitive to humidity and temperature. While many furniture designers and architects attempt to control and minimize these characteristics, I chose to do the opposite—intentionally amplifying them through the use of water.

MUL is fundamentally designed as a bench, but its seat is constructed to allow water to flow across its surface. The seat is made of hinoki wood, which releases a distinctive fragrance when it absorbs moisture. As the water falls from top to bottom and circulates back through a pump, it also produces a continuous flowing sound.

Through this work, I aimed to reveal the temporality in which water—both the source of life and a force of decay—gradually transforms and deteriorates wood. By combining the scent emitted from the interaction between water and wood with the sound of flowing water, I sought to create a piece of furniture that heightens the viewer’s sensory experience.