vibrant balloons nestle within metallic scaffolding atop seoul's playful urban hub by SSP

SSP’s Blooming Clouds Reframes an Abandoned Gangnam Site

Located near Samseong Station in Seoul’s Gangnam district, Blooming Clouds by SSP – Studio Sunggi Park introduces a spatial and visual intervention within a dense urban fabric. The project repurposes an abandoned site to create a public-facing space defined by modular scaffolding, lightweight forms, and flexible programming. Designed as an ‘urban oasis,’ the structure offers a visual and experiential contrast to its surrounding high-rise office towers.

The design centers on a balloon-nested scaffolding system. Typically used in construction for support and safety, here, system scaffolding is repurposed as a structural and architectural framework. Painted white to distinguish it from its industrial origins, the scaffolding holds floating balloons of varied scales. This contrast between rigid geometry and soft organic forms generates a dynamic facade and spatial experience, referencing cloud formations and water imagery. The existing structure on site, partially built and abandoned since 1995, underwent extensive rehabilitation. Retaining only select structural components, the project introduced new steel beams and carbon fiber reinforcements to restore stability. This strategic reuse of existing infrastructure supports the sustainable goals of the project, minimizing demolition while adapting to new use scenarios.

all images by Yoon Joonhwan

Blooming Clouds Reimagines Vacant Lot into Playful Urban Hub

Public spaces are organized around a ground-level courtyard and outdoor plaza, designed for flexibility and user interaction. Movable modular furniture supports various programming needs, from informal gatherings to larger public events. A mirrored wall at the plaza’s edge visually expands the site and reflects sky and greenery, reinforcing the project’s conceptual link to nature. For the interior layout, the design team at SSP – Studio Sunggi Park prioritizes circulation and transparency. A double-height staircase connects the ground floor to the basement, where green walls and stone art walls serve as both visual anchors and environmental devices. The basement level showroom is finished in white gypsum board for spatial clarity, with additional options considered for alternate material palettes, including blackened steel and marble furniture to accommodate future reconfigurations.

On the ground floor, the reception and lounge areas are arranged for intuitive movement between indoor and outdoor zones. Furnishings are modular and easily reconfigured, emphasizing adaptability and open-ended use. The roof features a large sculptural element, an oversized version of Bithumb’s logo, emerging from the balloon cloud forms. While highlighting corporate identity, it also contributes to the surreal visual language of the building and acts as a landmark within the urban skyline. The landscape strategy is based on three concepts, Yard, Meadow, and Landform, integrated with the brand’s identity and expressed through natural topographies. Outdoor furniture such as benches and tables encourages community use of the space, while the mirror wall enhances user interaction and perceptual play.

a modular cloudscape rises in Gangnam’s dense urban grid

balloon-nested scaffolding redefines conventional building frameworks

scaffolding becomes a permanent architectural feature

the project transforms an abandoned site into a public-facing space

reception and lounge areas flow intuitively from inside to outside

the rooftop sculpture anchors Bithumb’s identity within the clouds

the public hub is designed for flexible, open interaction

modular furniture allows for ever-changing public use scenarios

cloud-like balloons introduce a sense of lightness and impermanence

white-painted steel supports soft, floating forms above the plaza

contrasts of hard and soft forms animate the building’s facade

project info:

name: Blooming Clouds

architect: SSP – Studio Sunggi Park | @studiosunggipark

design team: Sunwook Jo, Myoungsoo Ha, Taerim Kim, Myoungjin Kim, Yoonha Shin

client: Bithumb (Corporate)
collaborators: CPA(Structure) Gunwoo (MEP)

location: Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea

photographer: Yoon Joonhwan | @yoon_joonhwan