office da: KAIST memorial building

‘KAIST memorial building’ by office dA in daejeon, south korea all images courtesy of office dA

boston-based architectural firm office dA has developed a design proposal for a new building on the korea advanced institute of science and technology (KAIST) campus in daejeon, south korea. in designing the ‘KAIST memorial building’, the challenge was to create an iconic landmark for the school while still strategically negotiating with the existing urban forces.

the new building called for the joining of two diametrically opposed programs: a working laboratory combined with a space of exhibition, public dialogue and urban engagement. the best solution for such a scheme was to find a productive intersection between the programs to enable them to function independently when necessary. in this context, two distinct formal arrangements were made: a tower that exhibits a larger command of the surrounding landscape, and an undulating base that creates immediate urban connections to the campus.

undulating base

view from the tower

section

structural axo

ground level plan

tower floor plans (left to right)

project info:

total square footage: 53,000 sf (gross floor area) site area: 61,000 sf principal-in-charge: nader tehrani design principal: monica ponce de leon project architect: dan gallagher project coordinators: jeff dee, brandon clifford, richard lee project team: remon alberts