DAEYANG GALLERY AND HOUSE BY STEVEN HOLL

“The private gallery and house is sited in the hills of the Kangbuk section of Seoul, Korea. The basic geometry of the building is inspired by a 1967 sketch for a music score by the composer Istvan Anhalt, "Symphony of Modules," discovered in a book by John Cage titled "Notations." 

Three pavilions; one for entry, one residence, and one event space, appear to push upward from a continuous gallery level below. A sheet of water establishes the plane of reference from above and below. After passing through a bamboo formed garden wall at the entry court, ascending steps into the entry pavilion bring the viewer at elbow height with the unifying sheet of water.

Here, at the center of this place is an inner feeling with the sky, water, vegetation and the reddened patina of the copper walls all reflected in different ways. The red and charcoal stained wood interiors of the pavilions are activated by skylight strips of clear glass that are cut into the roof. Sunlight turns and bends around the inner spaces, animating them with the changing light of each season and throughout the day.

Like a cesura in music, strips of glass lenses in the base of the pool break through the surface, bringing dappled light to the white plaster walls and white granite floor of the gallery below. Exteriors are a rain screen of custom patinated copper, which ages naturally within the landscape. The Daeyang Gallery and House is heated and cooled with geothermal wells.”

The recently completed Daeyang Gallery and House in Seoul has been named Mixed-Use Building of the Year in the 2012 Emirates Glass LEAF Awards. About the Daeyang Gallery and House, the jury said, it is "an intriguing combination of commercial and living accommodation on a grand scale." Both levels of the structure were given their own identity, they said, "through the use of color, form and contrasting materials pristinely detailed." Description of Steven Holl.

The Daeyang Gallery and House, which opened in June 2012, was inspired by a 1967 sketch for a music score by composer Istvan Anhalt called "Symphony of Modules." The gallery and house is a composition in sequential movement. Three pavilions-one for entry, one residence, and one event space-appear to push upward from a continuous gallery level below.

A reflecting pool, which simultaneously separates and connects the pavilions, establishes the plane of reference from above and below. After passing through a bamboo formed garden wall at the entry court, ascending steps into the entry pavilion bring the viewer at elbow height with the unifying sheet of water.

Here, at the center of this place is an inner feeling with the sky, water, vegetation and the reddened patina of the copper walls all reflected in different ways. The red and charcoal stained wood interiors of the pavilions are activated by skylight strips of clear glass that are cut into the roof. Sunlight turns and bends around the inner spaces, animating them with the changing light of each season and throughout the day.

Like a cesura in music, strips of glass lenses in the base of the pool break through the surface, bringing dappled light to the white plaster walls and white granite floor of the gallery below. Exteriors are a rain screen of custom patinated copper, which ages naturally within the landscape.

 

 

 

Location: Seoul, South Korea 

Architect: Steven HollArchitects

Project Manager: JongSeo Lee

Project Team: Annette Goderbauer, Chris McVoy, Francesco Bartolozzi, Marcus Carter, Nick Gelpi, Jackie Luk, Fiorenza Matteoni, Rashid Satti, Dimitra Tsachrelia,

Local Architect: E.rae Architects, Inho Lee, Minhee Chung, Hyoungil Kim
Structural Engineer: SQ Engineering

Lighting Consultant: L'Observatoire International

Area: 10 703 sqf

SEOUL MEMORIAL PARK BY HAEAHN ARCHITECTURE

Secluded by mountain hills from a bustling highway gateway, Seoul Memorial Park rests in a serene valley area of the Woo-Myun Mountain on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul Memorial Park is a crematorium constructed in harmony with the natural terrain of the site, which previously lent calming scenic views to meditative passing-by hikers, and is now converted to a sanctuary for solemn rituals concluding life’s journeys.

To overcome the unwelcomed response from the community, this crematorium was sought to be a “non-erected” building. 

Instead, Seoul Memorial Park emerges as a form of “land art” sculpted into the existing topography with a flowing array of architectural forms and motifs.  Concaved at the center of the Park, lies a courtyard encompassed by a series of ritual spaces devoted to separate functions.

These spatial layers bordering the courtyard resonate from a distance with the surrounding mountain trails and ridges.

The 2-storey high crematorium facility configured in the curvilinear belt along the courtyard has roof structures linked in the way flower petals pinwheel one another, punctuated by a reflective pool at the very heart of the courtyard.

Families in bereavement take the final journey of parting as they encircle the courtyard along a path reminiscent of spiritual spaces with vaulted ceilings and indirect lighting.

Towards the cremation alcove, the ceiling rises drastically as a clearstory above a triforum. Upon completion of the path, a meandering garden comforts the bereft.

As the water from the mountain flows  down and gives life to the garden, one might be reminded of the transfiguration of sorrows in praise of the harmony in nature.

The garden shimmers with sunlight, whispers with snowfalls, and dances with spring rains. Season by season, tranquility is discovered and the spirit is renewed.

Just as nature was dissolved into a building to rest in the valley, Seoul Memorial Park was embodied in a piece of land art to celebrate life and transfigure sorrows.

Architects: HAEAHNarchitecture

Client: Seoul Municipal Facilities Management Corporation

Date of Completion: 2012

Site Area: 36,000 m2

Project Area: 18,000 m2

source: Bustler

DONGDAEMUN DESIGN PLAZA BY ZAHA HADID

This inspiring hub provides an important link between the contemporary culture, historic artefacts and emerging nature at the centre of Dongdaemun, Seoul.

A learning resource for designers and members of the public combined with an urban oasis for leisure, relaxation and refuge, its continuous landscape promotes fluid thinking across all design disciplines.

"Our aim was to establish a cultural hub at the centre of one of the busiest and most historic districts of the city – and to bring delight and inspiration to the people of Seoul".

The design was governed by the belief that architecture should enable people to think beyond existing boundaries, in order to reach innovative solutions.

The form of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park revolves around the ancient city wall, which forms the central element of the composition that physically links the park and plaza together, while our fluid design language encourages the greatest degree of interaction between the plaza and the public.

The design integrates the park and plaza seamlessly as one landscape element, blurring the boundary between architecture and nature and transforming Seoul into a greener city by folding into the shopping and dining areas below.

Numerous voids, undulations and depressions give park visitors glimpses into an innovative world of design.

The 85,000 square metre plaza comprises a design museum, library and educational facilities, whilst the 30,000 square metre park reinterprets elements of traditional Korean garden design: reflecting pools, lotus ponds, pebble beds and bamboo groves – with no single feature dominating the perspective.

This approach is informed by local painting traditions depicting grand visions of the ever-changing aspects of nature.

 

Seoul looks to welcome 10.8 million of tourists this year, requesting some 43,000 hotel rooms to accommodate this flow. Unfortunately, only 28,900 rooms are currently available, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, forcing Japanese and Chinese travellers to sleep in motels in the city’s outskirt.

Among other investors, Lotte Hotel plans to open three business hotels throughout Seoul until 2015 in the districts of Cheongnyangni, Seocho-dong and Myeong-dong.

JW Marriott is due to inaugurate a property before the end of the year next to the future Seoul Dongdaemun Plaza, in the city centre. The hotel will have 16 floors and 170 rooms.

Location: Seoul, South Korea

Architect: Zaha Hadid architects

Building: 85,000m²

Site: 65,000m²

Park: 30,000m²
Year: 2007 – 2013

Status: Under Construction
Client: Seoul Metropolitan Government

SEOUL: BJARKE INGELS WINS

Lo studio danese Biarke Ingels Group (BIG) si aggiudica il concorso per la realizzazione di un complesso multifunzione costituito da due torri, di oltre 200 metri, denominato "Cross # Towers", vincendo tra 19 studi internazionali tra i quali MVRDV, REX, SOM e Dominique Perrault.

Il progetto è situato nell'estremità sud-est del distretto dello Yongsan all'interno del masterplan disegnato da Daniel Liebeskind per la realizzazione di nuovo grande quartiere dotato di edifici residenziali, uffici e commerciali in un vasto parco urbano lungo il fiume Han nella capitale della Sud Corea. 

Un piano, denominato Archipelago 21 essendo costituito da "isole" in un mare di spazio verde dove sono previsti 34 milioni di metriquadri per un costo totale di 20 miliardi di dollari,  vuole riflettere la complessità di Seoul attraverso, secondo le parole del progettista, "l'idea è quella di creare una destinazione del 21 ° secolo che è al tempo di trasformazione, vibrante, sostenibile e diversificata".

La soluzione adottata da BIG Group è una semplificazione compositiva che sfrutta il limite imposto delle altezze in un gioco tridimensionale ruotando orizzontalmente i corpi eccedenti, adottando una forma ad # un simbolo universale, chiamato comunemente hash o tasto cancelletto o nella musica diesis.

L'ennesima dimostrazione dell'edonismo architettonico di Bjarke Ingels che coniuga, con genialità, architettura e comunicazione soddisfacendo i bisogni altrui con il piacere personale in un gioco divertente ma estremamente efficace.

Bjarke Ingles vince, non solo concorsi in tutto il mondo, perchè riesce a comunicare il suo processo creativo con semplicità e immediatezza senza andare contro, al mondo o all'establishment, ma conciliando interessi e bisogni cercando di fondere aspetti apparentemente contradditori come economia ed ecologia in una utopia pragmatica.

La genialità di Ingles appare anche maggiormente evidente nel confronto con le torri progettate da MVRDV, poste dietro all'angolo, che hanno creato uno scalpore mediatico a causa della somiglianza con l'attacco del 9/11 al World Trade Center (vedi approfondimento).

THE “CLOUD” BY MVRDV

The design for proposed twin towers in Seoul has been slammed for mimicking the explosions caused by planes hitting New York's World Trade Center in 2001, however the project's South Korean developer says it will not alter the design.

The skyscrapers, designed by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV and "connected midway up by a cloud-shaped bridging section," will be built at the entrance to Seoul's redeveloped Yongsan business district by 2016, according to Agence France-Presse .

MVRDV has described the buildings' connected midsection as a "pixelated cloud" containing public gardens, sky lounges, a swimming pool and restaurants.

MVRDV, in a statement on its website, has apologized for any resemblance to the Twin Towers, saying that it did not see the similarities during their design process.

"It is one of many projects in which MVRDV experiments with a raised city level to reinvent the often solitary typology of the skyscraper," the statement read. "We sincerely apologize to anyone whose feelings we have hurt, it was not our intention."

Meanwhile, White Paik, spokesman for the Yongsan Development Corporation, reportedly said: "Allegations that it [the design] was inspired by the 9/11 attacks are groundless. There will be no revision or change in our project," he said, adding that construction would begin in January 2013 as scheduled."

In an ironic twist, the towers will be at the entrance of the Yongsan Dreamhub project, which was designed by Daniel Libeskind, who created the master plan of the rebuilt World Trade Center.

Premetto che non sono un moralista ne tantomeno un complottista, ma neppure un povero illuso che non riesce a cogliere l’evidente analogia tra il progetto “The Coud” di MVRDV e le immagini dell’attacco alle Torri Gemelle. Non solo l’immagine, ma anche l’impianto planimetrico sono identici e “stranamente” il progetto viene presentato dopo appena due mesi dalle celebrazioni del decimo anniversario, inserito nel masterplan redatto da Daniel Libeskind che è l’autore anche di quello per Ground Zero.

Troppe le analogie per giustificarsi con una banale comunicazione “It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely apologize to anyone whose feelings we have hurt, the design was not meant to provoke this” riporatta nella loro pagina di facebook ed ovviamente oggetto di aspre critiche. Tutto questo non può essere soltanto una strana combinazione progettuale che ha determinato una singolare somiglianza con quello che è stata definita da alcuni critici “una sede di Al Quaeda” come riporta il New York Post.

Non è una provocazione e ne un tributo ma un eccessivo desiderio di attirare attenzione e porsi al centro non solo del dibattito architettonico ma dell’intero sistema dei media, come riconosce onestamente anche il responsabile delle pubbliche relazione dello studio MVRDV “I have to admit that we also thought of the 9/11 attacks” e quindi “ovvero “devo ammettere che abbiamo pensato anche agli attacchi del 9/11”.

Anche il nostro post, seppur irrilevante nel panorama del dibattito architettonico nazionale ed internazionale, giustifica questa scelta di marketing. 

In fin dei conti se ne parla e si da risalto ad un progetto che sarebbe passato inosservato ed a cui nessuno avrebbe prestato attenzione.

C’è qualcosa di più che va sottolineato in questo caso ed è l’uso cinico e fuori luogo di far parlare di se in tutti mezzi di comunicazione per raggiungere la massima veicolazione dei propri progetti.

Penso che in questo caso si sia scritta una brutta pagina della storia dell’architettura contemporanea troppo spesso mezzo di espressione di grandi interessi economici che scelgono le metropoli asiatiche per sperimentare la loro idea di mercato globale.