theplus architects defines seoul publisher’s office with faceted white façade
image © ryoo, in keun

 

 

 

situated in a compact site measuring at a width of six by ten meters, theplus architects has designed a building for a client who is a publisher, writer and a political philosopher. named ‘the horn’, the scheme is located in the mapo-gu neighborhood in seoul. the white concrete structure is defined by its faceted form; the distinctive character with edges seemingly shaved off. comprised of three storeys, there is a generous workspace for the client’s individual work but areas to host lectures and workshops.

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image © park, youngchae

 

 

 

‘the entrance alley was as narrow as the size of our site, neighbors surrounding the site were all the more close to the construction site which resulted in frequent complaints from neighbors throughout the process, the site’s soil was soft filled with underground water, and there wasn’t enough space to load materials. it was the harshest environment imaginable for the construction workers. though small in size, I wanted the building to look bold amidst the high-density surroundings. somewhat expressionless yet impressive, simple yet refined was what I aimed for.’  – theplus architects

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image © ryoo, in keun

 

 

 

as well as the three upper floors, there is a basement level containing a classroom lit by various skylights. in contrast to its stark white exterior, the surfaces of the scheme uses primarily exposed concrete. an extensive collection of books can be seen from the ground to the top floor library space.

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image © ryoo, in keun

 

 

 

influenced by the faceted nature of the building’s exterior, this has led to the creation of different sized windows which allows light into the space. ultimately, the building is topped by a rooftop terrace which provides views across the dense neighborhood.

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image © ryoo, in keun

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image © ryoo, in keun

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image © ryoo, in keun

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image © park, youngchae

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image © ryoo, in keun

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image © ryoo, in keun

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image © ryoo, in keun

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image © theplus architects