FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj

FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Exterior PhotographyFACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Interior Photography, DoorFACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Exterior Photography, Brick, StairsFACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Interior Photography, Facade, ConcreteFACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - More Images+ 21

  • Architects: stpmj
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  113
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2020
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Bae Jihun
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Louis Poulsen
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FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Exterior Photography, Brick
© Bae Jihun

Text description provided by the architects. During the past decade, Sangdo has undergone rapid redevelopment, with approximately ten-thousand housing units being constructed. Housing supply soared, but parts of Sangdo that were not subject to the redevelopment quickly became vacant. Consequently, streets with vacant buildings deteriorated, and the floating population plummeted. Small buildings and lots on these streets were not profitable.

FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Exterior Photography
© Bae Jihun
FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Image 21 of 26
First Floor Plan
FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Interior Photography, Closet, Windows
© Bae Jihun

In order to overcome this situation and increase the value of an old residential building on the site, the building was renovated into a self-employed press company for a comic author to write, exhibit and promote her work in one building. This renovation project altered usage of the building from residential to commercial, which incurred various architectural interventions such as relocating entrance and staircase, modifying interior and exterior materials, and adjusting room scales. ‘Face-Lift Sangdo’ refers to the overall design changes made in the existing building, to reevaluate the potentials of a commercial building in this specific residential area.

FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Image 22 of 26
Sections
FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Interior Photography, Closet
© Bae Jihun

From the first to the fourth floor, there are a bookstore, exhibition space, studio and a communal kitchen, respectively. Different phases of press including planning, showcase, publication, and promotion, are vertically connected in the building. The small garden on the first floor and the rooftop space on the fourth floor allow the activities inside the building to expand when in need. Even though each floor area was small, about thirty-three square meters, the removal of the existing partitions and walls allowed sufficient allocation for each program.

FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Exterior Photography, Brick, Stairs
© Bae Jihun

Steel columns and beams are commonly used to meet the seismic design standards in Korea, but they could significantly reduce the ceiling height and the usable floor area. Instead, reinforced concrete walls were used to satisfy structural requirements and to maximize the interior space. The staircase was internalized to connect the programs vertically and to mediate the spaces on different levels by continuing the same floor materials throughout. The new facade of the building that emerged from the internal transformation becomes a storefront that exposes the movement of the users on different programs and levels.

FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Image 18 of 26
Axo

The existing building did not have a ‘front’ face; it did not have a proper facade. As is often the case for multi-family residential, the main entrance of the building was a thin glass door at the landing of the exterior staircase. Because it was so close to the road, the circulatory conflict between the entrance and the movements on the street was inevitable. The entrance was relocated to the north, and the staircase was internalized to alleviate this unpleasant collision. Thus, the small garden to the south-east was separated from the old entrance, becoming an accessible outdoor area on the first floor. The narrow, double-height new entrance on the front façade dictates the overall impression of the building.

FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj - Interior Photography, Facade, Concrete
© Bae Jihun

Along with the repeating geometry of the staircase openings, it brings a sense of order to the overall composition of the façade. The decorative red bricks of the 80s and 90s are now covered by two contrasting materials: aluminum cladding and stone tiles. The smooth aluminum cladding on the bottom seems to hold up the rough and heavy-looking stones above it, creating an intriguing dialogue between the two materials.

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Project location

Address:Seoul, South Korea

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "FACE-LIFT Sangdo / stpmj" 08 Apr 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/959778/face-lift-sangdo-building-stpmj> ISSN 0719-8884

© Bae Jihun

韩国漫画工作室改造 FACE-LIFT / stpmj

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