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Architects: 9cm
- Area: 221 m²
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Photographs:Yousub Song
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Manufacturers: Bolon, FILOBE
Text description provided by the architects. This project located next to Hong-ik University, in Seogyo-dong Seoul, has the art department of reputation. So young artists have settled their small studios in old houses along with the university streets, and influenced arts, design, architecture, literature, and more. Then this town became a huge space for cultural exchange of young people and this activity changed old buildings into a brand new or unique remodeled buildings to fit artists’ lifestyle.
This town was no longer a residential area, but artists’ and young people’s cultural space. However, long-term and great alteration in the town led rise of land price and investment for profit. Architects and public officers tried to keep the cultural atmosphere from big investors to use the town as a real estate investment.
Our site was a two-story residence surrounded by commercial facility remodeled from a residence. In this condition, the client wanted to move out and change the use of the residence. He asked for a flexible space for variety programs such as bar, café, restaurant, and club that operates properly.
We suggest a renovation rather than a new building to reduce the budget and to produce unique space matching with surrounding contexts. There were two points to approach this project. The first was how we change this old red brick house to a brand new space for young people who set the trend of streets around. The second was to provide required programs by client at the brick-built structure that has limited space.
To solve the problem, limited space had to be changed to fit the new programs. Firstly, existing wall removed and installation of exterior deck for communication to street actively. Secondly, removing gable and planning exterior space on whole floor, where connect each other from first floor to roof.
Removing roof to make outside space each floor for connecting all the floors from ground to roof garden which allows to use whole building to be used at once. And also, the walls inside and facing outside space were demolished to link inside and outside.
The next step was to take off worn façade. Old red brick façade didn’t fit for young cultural space and we tried to find out materials that is not disparate from surrounding contexts. The upper mass was covered with Dark steel plate and bright grey brick finish in the lower mass for dark steel box to look floating and symbolic. There is a staircase covered with steel-mesh to the rooftop space and shows the way to a whole new experience with lighting cube tables enjoying the night club party.
Inside materials are not very different from outside. Hairline stainless steel and dark steel plate is used for the bar, bathroom, and staircase to emphasize wall and inside small masses. We overcame such a low ceiling height for commercial use with cnc-cut organic patterned wood panel ceiling and plastic fabric carpet to make young and active space.
