Leeum Museum of Art

Leeum opened in 2004 on a slope in Hannam-dong, built as three connected buildings by three architects working in deliberately different registers. Mario Botta's terracotta drum holds the traditional Korean collection: Goryeo celadon, buncheong ware, white porcelain jars, gilt Buddhist objects and ink painting, walked from the top floor downwards. Jean Nouvel's rusted steel and glass block holds modern and contemporary art, Korean and international. Rem Koolhaas designed the black concrete hall used for temporary shows. The collection, run by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, is small next to the national museum, but the objects are first-rate and the buildings are half the reason to come.

What to look for

• Botta's rotunda - the traditional collection walked down a spiral from the top floor.
• Goryeo celadon - inlaid jade-green vessels, the strongest part of the holdings.
• The moon jars - plain white Joseon porcelain, wider and heavier-looking than in photographs.
• The contemporary wing - rusted steel and glass around Korean and international work.

When to go

Closed on Mondays and open through the day otherwise. Book a timed slot online for the permanent galleries; walk-ins are possible on quiet weekdays but not at weekends. Special exhibitions go first. Late afternoon is the calmest stretch. Allow time for the walk up from the station, which is steeper than it looks on a map.

What to expect

It is small. Two hours is enough, and anyone expecting a national-scale collection leaves puzzled by the price of the special shows. Photography rules change room to room and are enforced. The neighbourhood is residential and expensive, with little to do on foot beyond walking back down the hill towards Itaewon.

Nearby

Itaewon and the Hannam cafe streets are downhill; the national museum is one stop west.

Key facts