MVRDV presents “Welcome to the Vertical Village” in Seoul
Daegu Gosan Public Library Competition
As a main event of the 2012 Daegu Architectural Culture Biennale, the committee just launched the International Architectural Competition for a Public Library in Daegu, Korea. Open to all unregistered or registered architects and students of architecture schools from all over the world, the winning prize money for 1st place is USD $30,000 with the opportunity to join the further design development of the library after the competition. All participants must register by July 30 with submissions due September 10. For more information, please visit here.
Naver Line Square / Urbantainer
Architects: Urbantainer
Location: Yoesu, South Korea
Design Team: Jiwon Baik, Younjin Jeong, Gayoung Lee, Sujung Lee, Hyeseong Lee
Project Year: 2012
Photographs: Courtesy of Urbantainer
Social Community Center / PRAUD
Designed by PRAUD, the idea behind their proposal for the Social Community Center is to create a space for various groups of the society; youth, women, family, handicap, and children. Instead of trying to put those groups into a single box, they emphasize the individuality of them. More images and architects’ description after the break.
New Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Headquarters / H Architecture
This city of Gyeongju in South Korea is going to accommodate a new headquarters for the Korea Hydro Nuclear Power (KHNP) Company, one of the nation’s most advanced energy institutions. Designed by H Architecture, the project is to be built on the site surrounded by rich historical heritage and is required to represent KHNP’s dynamic pursuit to purvey the world’s cleanest and safest methods of producing energy. Alongside the historical context, the new KHNP headquarters must also consider the rural, mountainous landscape of the site, which lies low at the center surrounded by adjacent small mountains. More images and architects’ description after the break.
GWELL / JDS
Architects: JDS; Partners in Charge Henning Stüben, Julien De Smedt
Location: Gangnam Bogeumjari District in Seoul, South Korea
Client: Shinyoung
Collaborators: Junglim Architects
Area: 38,000 m2
Budget: 33 million euros
Project Leader: Heechan Park
Team: Byeongmoo Moo, Francisco Villeda, Amanda Ripoll, Chris Zhongtian Yuan, Marvin Philipp, Mathilde Claus
Construction: Autumn 2012
JDS has been commissioned to design a hybrid office and hotel, the Officetel Building, for the new development area of Gangnam Bogeumjari District in Seoul, South Korea. The interesting mixed program, which includes retail, amenities and 700 compact living spaces, has resulted in a textured facade that responds to contextual issues such as sight lines and expose to natural light.
More about the project after the break.
The Creators Project: Mass Studies Visit
The Creators Project, VICE and Intel’s art and technology initiative, recently visited Mass Studies, a world-famed Korean architecture firm in Seoul. They spoke to the company’s founder Minsuk Cho who explained how their ultimate goal is to shape a community through space. The vast scope of their work, informed by both pre and post-urbanized Korea can be seen in this video interview here.
Daegu Color Square Stadium Mall / Jerde
Architects: Jerde
Location: Daegu, South Korea
Completion: 2011
Area: 50,000 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Jerde
Diagonal Tower / SOM
SOM’s new 64-storey Diagonal Tower to be located in the developing commercial and mixed-use Yongsan International Business District in the heart of Seoul, South Korea, exudes a modern take on structural expressionism. The tower progressively addresses the critical issues associated with skyscraper design in an iconic and refined manner. From structural and energy efficiency to reduced construction costs that the tower must meet, SOM have strove to integrate these aspects holistically into the overall aesthetics. More details after the break.
Block H of the Yongsan International Business District (YIBD) / Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) shared with us their design proposal for Block H of the Yongsan International Business District (YIBD) in Seoul. The goal of YIBD is to create a new symbol for the 21st Century city; a new urban center that will include international business, living, entertainment, and shopping. Scheduled for completion in 2016, Block H consists of a luxury 5-Star hotel and high-end serviced residential building containing 167,225 square meters of space. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Roof 3 / Hyunjoon Yoo Architects
Architect: Hyunjoon Yoo Architects
Location: Choongcheongnam-do, South Korea
Project Team: Hyunjoon Yoo, Insil Son
Project Area: 161.02 sqm
Project Year: 2012
Client: City of Gongju
Photographs: Courtesy of Hyunjoon Yoo Architects
YIBD Block C1-20 / Tange Associates
The new Yongsan International Business District (YIBD), which will be the new heart of Seoul, will be comparable only to a few other city centers on the global stage. As part of the district, the Block C1-20 building, designed by Tange Associates, is a metaphorical expression of the dynamic energy created by the Retail Valley and the building’s own diverse program. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Restaurant La Ville de Pins / BANG by MIN
Architects: BANG by MIN (Sae Min Oh)
Location: Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
Project Team: Changwook Kwak , Hyunduck Yoo
Project Area: 305.67 sqm
Completion: 2011
Photographs: Jungwoo Choi
Yongsan International Business District ‘Project 6′ / REX
YIBD ‘Project R6’, designed by REX, is an urban boutique residence for short-term business people, young urban professionals, and foreign residents in Seoul, South Korea. To meet the trends of its users and compensate for its small unit size, R6 must engender a strong sense of community and its residences must be highly attractive, providing generous views, daylight, and cross-ventilation. Maximizing daylight and cross-ventilation are also paramount to providing a highly sustainable residence. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Pentominium / Murphy/Jahn
Chicago-based architects Murphy/Jahn have unveiled their design for a 320-meter-tall skyscraper in the Yongsan International Business District of Seoul. Designed as two-towers under one roof, the steel and glass lattice structure is one of fifteen skyscrapers planned for the global city that was master planned by Daniel Libeskind and commissioned by South Korean developer DreamHub. Consisting of mostly high end residential units, the two Pentominium towers will provide residents with exclusive city views and four-storey skyparks, while attempting to recreate the spacious and private feel often associated with detached housing.
Continue reading after the break for the architects’ description.
EXHIBITOR Magazine’s Expo 2012 Awards Competition
With Expo 2012 debuting this month in Yeosu, South Korea, EXHIBITOR Magazine is now seeking entries for its Expo 2012 Awards competition. The contest will be judged by a star-studded panel of multidisciplinary design, marketing, and communications experts who will ultimately choose which entries represent the best the World Expo has to offer. Entries must be pavilions, exhibits, presentations, or elements of pavilions and exhibits appearing at Expo 2012 in Yeosu. The early bird deadline for entry is June 8, 2012, and the final deadline is June 18. More information on the competition after the break.
One Ocean, Thematic Pavilion EXPO 2012 / soma
As we reported earlier, the highly anticipated Thematic Pavilion for the EXPO 2012 opened earlier this month in Yeosu, South Korea. Now, the Austrian architects of soma have shared with us images of that opening day, inviting you inside for a closer look at the unique building that has captured the attention of many.
Continue after the break for more images and information.
World’s Tallest LEGO Tower Constructed in Seoul
In celebration of LEG0’s 80th birthday, Danish Crown Prince Frederik unveiled the world’s largest LEGO tower in South Korea last week. Nearly 4,000 children stacked 50,000 bricks in five days to help build the 105-foot-tall tower in front of Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. The structure surpassed the previous records set last year in France at 103-feet and in Brazil at 102-feet. As reported by The Daily Mail, the record has been broken more than 30 times since the first LEGO tower was constructed in London in 1988 at a height of less than 50-feet.
Reference: The Huffington Post, The Daily Mail
Daeyang Gallery and House / Steven Holl Architects
Architects: Steven Holl Architects
Location: Seoul, Korea
Area: 1,760 sqm
Completion: 2012
Photographs: Iwan Baan, Inho Lee – Erae
