Découverte du talent et des photographies de l’artiste Martin Stavars prises en Corée du Sud. Une série complète très impressionnante où le choix du noir et blanc embellit chacun des clichés de cet environnement urbain. Plus d’images dans la suite de l’article, avec cette galerie de 50 photographies.
Snack-attack stationery from Peco Mart
As smartphones and tablets become more ubiquitous, actual notebooks and memo pads are beginning to seem less and less necessary. Outdone in the realm of convenience, Peco Mart has taken a more entertaining and eccentric approach. Upon first glance, their Snack Memos look like ordinary bags of potato chips or Christmas cookies. However, the bags actually contain 88 small memo sheets. Adding to the illusion—and delightful weirdness—is an aroma packet included with each bag, ensuring that your notepaper not only looks like a potato chip, but also smells like it.
Snack Memos are available from Peco Mart and the MoMA Store.
Intimacy and illusion in a range of contemporary photography seen at the show
Representing 120 galleries from 16 countries, the spring Art Paris Art Fair offers a prime opportunity to observe the latest tendencies in the modern and contemporary art markets. This year we found particular attention paid to photography, unveiling the intriguing progress of the exploration of intimacy.
The images that stood out to us traced a progression from a series of building facades taken in 2007 to today’s more revelatory shots exposing the private lives of those that inhabit such spaces. Some artists delved even deeper into the idea of home documentation with installations set up to peep through a keyhole.
Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf has built an enclosed booth, inviting visitors to sit on the chair in front of closed doors and look into the keyhole. As part of the PHPA 2011 project (Prix photo d’hôtel photo d’auteur—Hotel photos awards), Elene Usdin displayed the sketches she shot in hotel rooms through a peephole in the door of room 18 constructed for the exhibit.
As the camera pierces a sense of intimacy with the keyhole device, the practice of portraiture heads in the opposite direction as pictures seem to zoom in on the face, often depicting the subject blurred, heavily made up or disguised.
Korean artist Byung-Hun Min is gaining fame with his gray-tone “vanishing” portraits, questioning the ephemeral process of photography as well as the silence and simplicity characteristic of his culture.
Similarly focused on disappearing landscapes and backgrounds is the politically engaged series “Hide in the City” by the Chinese photographer Liu Bolin. Bolin uses his body as a medium of expression as he blends into the environment like a chameleon.
At the Italian Fabbrica Eos Gallery, Giuseppe Mastromatteo‘s photo series “Indepensense 2012” plays on truth and distortion by featuring nude bodies unnaturally intertwined to create vignettes opposing racial and cultural norms. Ruggero Rosfer & Shaokun also shakes up tradition by positing a new universal language that Eastern and Western worlds can share, both geographically and culturally, through the arts.
In a reverse approach from explicitly showing intimacy, the landscape itself becomes an intimate subject in a magical series by photographer Markus Henttonen. His photo of decorated trees in Manhattan marks a highlight in his recent body of work exploring relations between cities and their inhabitants.
Gerard Traquandi‘s beautifully dark photos feature organic details of twisted branches, bushwoods and transparent petals like nighttime-induced hallucinations. Their magical appeal is obtained by the technique of brushing resin pigments and wax into the photo, imprinting a photosensitive sheet.
The diptych and triptych style marked another recurring theme of this show. These two- or three-panel pictures result in a panoramic view responding to each other by echoing patterns and forcing the viewer to make the effort to mentally recompose the picture. This technique is brilliantly used by American artist Stephan Crasneanscki—founder of the soundwalk project—in his thoughtful landscapes like “The Woods of Schwarzwald—Martin Heidegger”.
The 2012 World Press third prize winner Alexander Gronsky uses the diptych technique systematically in “Mental Landscapes”, an image enhanced by the dramatic dimensions of a military show in China. Another piece depicts mice spread on rocks in some misty military-occupied scenery, emphasizing contrast while using the same range of colors.
The Parisian-based La Galerie Particulière features diptych and triptych photography by David Hilliard, an artist who uses the technique to tell personal stories in the form of a diary made of sequential imagery. Also included are a series of diptychs by Anne-Lise Broyer that are reminiscent of illustrations in a book, and the Czech Republic’s Inda Gallery presentation of works by Marta Czene, whose stories flow from a similar perspective.
By using a combination of optical illusions and strategic photography, George Rousse creates graphic signs and geometric images within photographs. By playing visual games, his photos appear to feature huge colored frames and objects within the landscapes he shoots, producing a dizzying effect.
For more information about the 2102 Art Paris Art Fair including comprehensive artists and gallery lists and informative videos check Art Paris Art Fair online.
Le studio d’architecture coréen Moon Hoon, déjà à l’origine du projet architectural Lollipop House nous montre un nouveau projet appelé “Villa S. Mahal”. Cette villa moderne au design réussi a été construite dans la région de Yangpyeong-gun. Plus dans la suite.
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The Seoul office of Dutch designers Studio Dumbar has redesigned the national road signage system for South Korea.
Working with typographer Pieter van Rosmalen, they created a new font for the English lettering that features narrow characters to accommodate the long translations plus wide spacing so the words can be read clearly when travelling at speed.
They also developed guidelines for the layout, colours, arrows, road numbers and pictograms of all signs.
The system is now being rolled out across the country.
Here are some more details from the designers:
In 2008, Studio Dumbar started the development of the Korean national road signage system in co-operation with the Hong-Ik university. The previous road signage system had many disadvantages which led to confusion at best, and accidents at its worst. Challenges were the lack of logic in the system, regulatory problems, overcrowding, the fixed size of the panels and a disproportion in letter size, letter space and leading. With signs in both Korean and roman script, and in some areas even Chinese, it is no wonder the old signs were over crowded. The phonetically spelled, romanized translations of Korean words are often very long, making it a challenge to fit all the letters on one row. To add to the confusion, third parties were also placing signs with advertising around the traffic signs, making the roads even harder to navigate.
Above: comparing readability
To answer these challenges, Studio Dumbar developed the guidelines for the layout, typography, color system and the graphical elements such as arrows, road numbers and pictograms. Together with type designer Pieter van Rosmalen, we developed a custom made fonts for the english translations.
The new roman font, called ‘Hangil’, improves readability considerably. The font features a regular and condensed version and seven weights and italics. Both word- and letter-spacing are wide for optimal readability while moving at high speeds.
Above: existing system
A special version for both dia-positive and dia-negative application were made, so the optical effect of the font on both dark and light backgrounds is the same. The background color of the panels was darkened for better contrast, and the arrows and pictograms were redesigned for better and quicker scanning while on the road. From 2011 onwards, the new signs will be implemented steadily throughout the country.
Our interview with the Korean pub grub master chef
Korean ingredients are popping up in the most unlikely of places. A few years ago a kimchee slider would have been a curiosity, but now in cities across the country bibimbap-inspired breakfast dishes and Korean flavor in comfort foods are taking their place in the culinary scene. Chef Debbie Lee has made a name for herself creating menus at several restaurants, appearing on the Food Network and now, with her new cookbook, Seoultown Kitchen, she shares her take on Seoul’s pub grub with recipes for small plates, skewers and cocktails.
Lee lives in Los Angeles, a city home to a massive Koreatown estimated to have more than 3000 restaurants, from Korean BBQ joints and noodle houses to tofu hot pot cafes, not to mention dozens of bars. For the last year she has been rolling around town in her Ahn-Joo food truck serving up her favorite Korean pub grub dishes, and has a brick-and-mortar snack bar set to open. We asked “Chef Deb” to sit down for a beer and a bite—spicy kimchee fried rice—to talk more about the cookbook, as well as the tastes of her childhood, her love of bar food and the origin of her Korean nachos.
Korean food has become part of daily food culture in several cities across the U.S. People have caught on not only to the great flavors and textures of the cuisine, but also their range of uses. Whether you are eating a classic bibibap or if you are jazzing up a burger with some kimchee, what’s not to love?
It’s my favorite way to eat. Being a chef and working restaurants all day long, Korean pubs are great to go to for a late-night meal, have a drink and unwind with your friends. It’s a ritual in Korean pop culture, contrary to the notion that we eat Korean BBQ every day. Galbi is like our steak and is eaten on special occasions, not for daily dining.
A lot of it comes from my childhood with my grandmother in the kitchen. Then having my own interpretation of my favorite items that I order in a Korean pub.
The concept of the Korean nacho was inspired from the classic take on tteokbokki. Typically the dish is wok-tossed with vegetables, sometimes pork belly and chile sauce. Nowadays the thing to do is to top it with cheddar or mozzarella cheese and broil it. So it got me thinking of taking it apart in a separate way while still keeping the concept of the original dish.
On 10 November my brick and mortar Ahn-Joo will be open daily at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, California. A true Korean snack bar!
Check out Chef Debbie Lee’s recipes for kimchee fried rice and Soju sangria after the jump, and watch a Korean grandmother’s tutorial on how to make kimchee here.
There are two things that I always want when I’m in a Korean pub: One is Korean fried chicken and the other is kimchee fried rice. Kimchee fried rice is the ultimate bar food and is great with a cold beer or a bottle of chilled soju. The spicy flavor of this quintessential fried rice melds perfectly with the sweetness of the twice-fried pork belly and the creamy texture of the fried egg yolk. It’s the best thing to make with surplus rice and kimchee. If you don’t have pork belly, I suggest using bacon, hot dogs, or even Spam.
1/4 pound pork belly, skin off, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sesame oil, for frying
2 cups kimchee, julienned
1/4 cup Korean peppers (gochu), sliced into rings
4 cups cooked Calrose rice, chilled
1/4 cup kimchee juice, poured from a kimchee jar
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon roasted and salted sesame seeds, for garnish
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pork belly, soy sauce, and mirin. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork belly for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the marinade caramelizes on the meat. Set the skillet aside, letting the pork continue to cook off the heat for about 10 minutes. Slice crosswise into 1/4-inch strips and transfer to a bowl. Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil and warm for 1 minute. Add the reserved pork belly, kimchee and Korean peppers and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice and break it up with the back of a wok ladle, tossing
constantly to prevent it from sticking to the wok. Add the kimchee juice and scallions, and season with salt and white pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside. Heat another nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the vegetable oil and warm for 1 minute. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook sunny side up until done. Season with salt and white pepper. Place a mound of fried rice on 4 separate plates and top each mound with a fried egg. Garnish with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.
I highly suggest making this the day before, so the fruits have time to steep with the soju.
1/2 cup grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup diced Korean pear- shingo
1/2 cup diced mango
1/2 cup diced plum
One 375-ml bottle of soju
One 8-ounce can aloe vera juice
1 ounce Grand Marnier
2 ounces simple syrup
1 lime, cut into lime wheels and then quartered, plus 4 wheels, for wine glass garnish
In a large container with an airtight lid, combine all the ingredients
except the garnish. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, if not overnight. Transfer to a serving pitcher and pour into the wine glasses. Garnish with
lime wheels.
Timber baton screens surround the new ground and first floor decks of a renovated house in Seoul by Korean studio Moohoi Architecture.
Located in a densely developed neighbourhood, Julia’s apartment previously had little outdoor space, received minimal natural light and was overlooked by neighbouring buildings.
The new wooden screens provide privacy whilst allowing light through.
Inside the two-storey house, a section of the first floor is removed to increase light on the ground floor.
A staircase at the rear of the house is reconfigured, providing space for a tearoom.
We also recently featured another house in Korea, which spirals up from the ground – see our earlier story here and see all our stories about Korea here.
Photography is by Park Young-Chae.
Here’s a project description from Jae-Kwan:
Renovation (zeep-soori) of Julia’s House
Seocho-dong
Overall appearance of the Seocho-dong area, a representative residential district in Gangnam, Seoul, was quite different from the way it looked in the past. Many of the earlier houses were replaced by high-rise apartments. Houses that were excluded from the apartment complexes were turned into low-rise multi-family housing units.
One of the main reasons Julia’s house could remain unchanged was it couldn’t belong to any type of housing that newly appeared and it was situated on a small plot in the outskirts of commercial and residential areas. Moreover, the owner said she couldn’t afford to purchase an apartment unit in the neighborhood by selling the house. She could neither buy an apartment nor build a commercial building, nor build a multi-household home. The narrow alley near the house was enlarged and turned into a road where cars run all day, and the house behind Julia’s home was transformed into a parking lot which exposed it to the cold in winter. In addition, the house in front of hers was changed to a 5-story multi-family housing unit blocking sunlight all day long. Despite such poor housing conditions, the neighborhood has beautiful landscapes surrounded by Mt. Umyeon and Seoul Arts Center. Moreover, she has tremendous assets in her good relationship with next-door neighbors, Stephano, Moses, and John.
Repair on vision
The first thing to be done to keep living in the neighborhood was to handle views from the surroundings. In particular, the house is laid open to view from the house in front. Although direct exposure of the inside of the house could be avoided due to opaque glass on the windows of the multi-household house in front, the problem was severe from the houses on both sides.
She said one day while she was putting out the laundry, she was surprised to see a man standing on the balcony on the second floor staring at her house, while smoking.
Her inner courtyard and bedroom especially were directly viewable from the balcony of a commercial residential building on the left. So, she had to close thick curtains all the time even during the hot summer. However, the problem was the direction facing the south. If installing a screen, views from outside could be blocked. But, it could also prevent sunlight and wind from coming through to the space. I came up with two ideas for the solution. One was to partially lay bricks to cut off views from the next-door house and the other was to partially install a wood curtain on the slab structure on the second floor to let sunshine and wind freely come and go. Through this measure, all the disturbing troubles were resolved. What was needed most in repairing this house was to fix problems concerning views from the outside, rather than the house itself.
Repair on space
What grabbed my attention among external spaces of the house was the boundary between the house and the city. Usually, entrances of houses are adjoined with an alley. But, the house faces a road where a lot of cars go by due to the new apartment buildings constructed nearby. The alley was turned into a road. In this way, like a scene from a movie I watched, a not-so-funny thing might happen as an open entrance could be blown away by a car closely passing by just in time. Thus, I decided to create a narrow alley that connects the entrance with the city like a conjunction connecting words in a sentence. The alley which was created on a corner of the small external spaces of the house serves various roles. It is the place where Julia greets her father occasionally visiting her family, a place where she lets her neighbors into her yard, a place she adjusts her hair or dress on her way to work or a place which bridges the road and her yard together.
The Court
The house’s external spaces were complicated with miscellaneous things scattered all over. Two jar stands buried in the ground, outdoor stairs, a drying rack with only one wing folded out, a drying rack with both wings available, clotheslines tied between tree branches and drying laundry, a sculpture depicting a naked body which was a work of her daughter, a cross made of tin plate, two boxes full of ceramic works, jar stands filled with rainwater, outside air conditioner unit, a half-open tool box, viewing stones, dog feces, lily, chrysanthemum, good luck tree flowerpots, porcelain pots, morning glory planted along the fence, a persimmon tree, peony, chrysanthemums, a lilac tree, a pomegranate tree, a long bench leaning against the entrance, a broom and a shovel.
The only thing missing was a yard. I created a spacious wooden deck at the height of the first floor in order to secure external spaces to distribute the functions such as storage, garden, drying, exhibition and receiving visitors. In this process, separated the garden and the yard by cutting out the area around the existing tree with same size and shape and repaired the outdoor spaces after removing ceramic pieces to the daughter’s atelier or the edge of the pond.
Repair to Enhance Usability
The clock of the house stopped 38 years ago. One of the reasons to purchase the house was said to be 7 rooms which fit the number of the brothers of her husband. But, the family no longer needs all the rooms. Now, four rooms for each family member, coupled with a guest room, are enough. On the other hand, the family needed more storage space as household goods increased. The structure of the kitchen was not proper for large appliances such as large refrigerators and kimchi refrigerators to be installed. Their lifestyle changed significantly, but their living spaces remained unchanged. In addition, the house was dark. Although the house faces the south, the sunlight couldn’t reach inner spaces of the house due to its structure. Moreover, she has never dared to open windows of a north-facing room because of a parking lot. Now, the situation worsened as the newly built house in front obstructs sunlight and wind from reaching her house. I had to find a solution to let the sunshine reach deeply inside. The answer was unexpectedly simple. After I found a sunny place which is not influenced by the house in front, I cut out a big chunk of the floor of the place, inviting sunlight to the deep inner parts of the house followed by the wind. Now, they can stay cool during summer without an air conditioner and Julia’s voice urging them to wake up in the morning is clearly heard from the second floor, although it may be cumbersome for the son.
Architect: Kim Jae-kwan, Moohoi architecture
Location: 1487-10 SeoCho-Dong, SeoCho-Koo, Seoul, Korea
Program: Housing
Site area: 189.5m2
Gross floor area: 237.69m2
Building scope: B1, 2F
Exterior finishing: Black brick, Spruce wood
Interior finishing: Wallpaper, Spruce wood
Construction: Kim Jae-kwan
Design period: 2009.8~10
Construction period: Dec. 2009 – Mar. 2010
Client: Julia Kim + Bruce Jun
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| House 1 and House 2 by TAKA | House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono | Nest by UID Architects |
A cedar-clad house near Seoul by Korean architects AND spirals up from beneath the ground.
The black-stained cedar panels encase the top floor of the two-storey Villa Topoject, projecting ahead of the glazed west face to provide a sheltered balcony.
Below this balcony, a decked terrace at ground floor level overlooks a shallow pool of water in the garden.
A grass lawn surrounding the house slopes onto the building to cover the roof, where a concealed, walled garden is located.
A living room, bedroom, study and greenhouse occupy the first floor, while a guest suite and storage area are buried into the landscape below.
Other submerged buildings we’ve featured in recent months include a dreamy holiday bunker in Portugal and a house in Spain with wedged concrete wings.
Green roofs cover a handful of buildings on Dezeen – see our stories about a house with tiered gardens on the roof and a house in an earth and plant-covered hump.
Photography is by Byun, Jong Seok.
The following project description is from AND:
Villa Topoject
The house is located in a small valley in a mountainous area near Seoul, Korea. While the valley slopes up, series of houses intermittently continue facing a 3 meter wide road. Instead of making walls or fences towards the road, the house gently lifts up the topography to form private spaces inside. The house opens up toward the south view and a small creek on the side.
It is a home for a couple who wants to enjoy rural life while still commuting to the city. It is a small house, but at the same time, it is a house that entails rich stories. The residents are in contact with land like farmers; also, they observe nature like tourists.
Gradually lifted landscape of the mountainous topography becomes a floating mass over a little stream. Villa Topoject rejects the dichotomy of object building versus landscape building. It is a mutant born as a hybrid of the two kinds, and it focuses on the transformation process between the two typologies. The boundary of the site is pulled in as the topography becomes an object, creating semi private outdoor spaces. The private living spaces are formed inside. The continuous exterior spaces meet the interior spaces at all levels adding compact, yet rich spatial qualities. The boundary between exterior and interior, land and building, subject and object becomes ambiguous.
Credits:
Architect: AND – Architecture of Novel Differentiation
Eui Yeob Jeong (principal), Tae Kyoung Lee
General Contractor: AND
Structural consultant: THE Structural Engineering Co.
Click above for larger image
Building Summary:
Project Name: Villa Topoject
Location: Gyeonggido, Korea
Completion: June, 2010
Click above for larger image
Plot: 600m2
Living Area: 199m2
Structure: RC
Exterior Finish: stained red cedar panels + dryvit
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| Barnacre Equilibrium Tanks by Ian Simpson Architects | Sun Moon Lake visitor centre by Norihiko Dan | 8 House by BIG |
Amsterdam architects UNStudio have completed this department store in Cheonan, South Korea.
Called Galleria Centercity, the building has facade comprising two layers of lamellas, which create a moiré effect.
Above photograph is by Kim Yong-kwan
Animations and light patterns are projected from this skin at night.
Daylight is admitted through the facade and reflected around the all-white interior to reduct the need for artificial lighting.
Areas of the department store are set aside for cultural programming, including exhibitions and fashion shows.
More about UNStudio on Dezeen »
Above photograph is by Kim Yong-kwan
Photographs are by Christian Richters/View unless stated otherwise.
The information below is from UNStudio:
Ben van Berkel / UNStudio’s Galleria Centercity in Cheonan – “If museums are turning into supermarkets, why then should department stores not turn into museums?”
“The Galleria Cheonan responds to the current retail climate in Asia, where department stores also operate as social and semi-cultural meeting places. Because of this, the quality of the public spaces within the building was treated as an integral aspect of the design.” Ben van Berkel
Above photograph is by Kim Yong-kwan
Eye Shopping – Re-conquering the public domain within a commercial destination
UNStudio’s Galleria Centercity Department Store in the Korean city of Cheonan reclaims the social and cultural space within the private, commercial large scale department store.
Rather than being the outcome of a prescriptive, standard-critical approach, the design of the Galleria Centercity is based on observations of current behavioural tendencies in large commercial spaces. Particularly in South East Asia, department stores serve a highly social function; people meet, gather, eat, drink and both shop and window shop in these venues. The department store is no longer solely a commercial space, it now offers the architect the opportunity to build upon and expand the social and cultural experience of the visitor. If today we are seeing the museum as a supermarket, then we are also now seeing the department store as a museum.
An expanded interpretation of utility beyond efficiency and profitability is at the heart of the design. In view of this, along with a more varied programme, UNStudio’s design seeks to provide a stimulating experience for the visitor.
Above photograph is by Kim Yong-kwan
On the outside, this is translated into an appearance that is almost impossible to fix. The double layered facades are articulated in a trompe l’oeuil pattern of vertical mullions. The vertical lines on the façade make the scale of the building unreadable; does it contain three floor levels, or fifteen? On the inside, this play with scale and dimension is continued in a way that is at least as radical as the outside. Upon entering, the department store is revealed as a layered and varied space which encourages investigation and unfolds as you move through and up the building.
Programmatically, the Galleria Cheonan incorporates a number of cultural and public spaces, including an art and cultural centre and a vip room. In the basement, a food court and specialty supermarket constitute another distinct destination within the building, which is simultaneously integrated with the overall design strategy.
Above photograph is by Kim Yong-kwan
Cheonan –New city development as platform for innovation
Situated some 80km south of Seoul, Cheonan is well connected to the capital by railway and road, with a new high speed rail link having recently been completed. The area around the new high speed terminal is under development and – prominently visible from the main road – the Galleria Centercity marks the entrance to this new development area.
“The most interesting thing to me about the effect of the Galleria Cheonan is that, because of the organisation of the atrium and the moiré treatment of the facade, Illusions are created which result in the seeming alteration of scales and the creation of double images. No image is permanent in this building.” Ben van Berkel
Dynamic Flow and optical illusion on a grand scale
The main architectural theme for the Galleria Cheonan is that of dynamic flow. This is found both inside and outside. The architecture of the 66,000 m ² building responds to its central position by presenting a deliberately changeable aspect all-around. Moiré effects, special lighting and animations ensure that the outside changes appearance constantly.
The double layered facade encloses the building, with a number of strategic openings incorporated into the inner facade layer. These openings provide daylight to the interior. At the same time, the lamellas of the outer façade prevent direct sunlight from entering the building, ensuring a cooler environment, while the use of white finishes throughout the interior minimises the need for artificial lighting.
The interior derives its character from the accumulation of rounded plateaus on long columns. The repetition of curves, enhanced by coiled strip lighting in the ceilings of the platforms, gives the interior its distinctive character. Four stacked programme clusters, each encompassing three storeys and containing public plateaus, are linked to the central void. This organisation propels a fluent upstream flow of people through the building, from the ground floor atrium to the roof terrace. As the plateaus are positioned in a rotational manner in space, they enable the central space to encompass way finding, vertical circulation, orientation and act as main attractor of the department store. The spatial and visual connections within the space are designed to generate a lively and stimulating environment, in which the user is central.
Media facade – The largest illuminated surface of its kind in the world
The strategy for the building enclosure consists of creating an optical illusion. During the day the building has a monochrome reflective appearance, whilst at night soft colours are used to generate waves of coloured light across the large scale illuminated surface. The lighting design was developed in parallel with the architecture and capitalises on the double layered facade structure. Computer generated animations specially designed by UNStudio are incorporated into the lighting design and refer to themes related to the department store, such as fashion, events, art and public life.
Place branding – not name branding
Rather than creating a platform for a multiple billboard effect made up of individual brand identities, the thematic animated content of the fully integrated media façade facilitates a more holistic and site-oriented urban approach to branding.
UNStudio
Design team: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Ger Gijzen, Marc Herschel and Marianthi Tatari, Sander Versluis, Albert Gnodde, Jorg Lonkwitz, Tom Minderhoud, Lee Jae-young, Woo Jun-seung, Constantin Boincean, Yu-chen Lin
Interior: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Ger Gijzen, Cristina Bolis and Veronica Baraldi, Lee Jae-young, Felix Lohrmann, Kirsten Hollmann, Albert Gnodde, Martijn Prins, Joerg Lonkwitz, Malaica Cimenti, Florian Licht, William de Boer, Eelco Grootjes, Alexia Koch
EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT/ SITE SUPERVISION/ LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
GANSAM Architects & Partners, Seoul, KoreaI
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| Dance Palace by UNStudio | Burnham Pavilion by UNStudio | MUMUTH by UNStudio |
This boutique in Seoul was designed by Korean firm Betwin Space Design to showcase crocodile-skin handbags.
Created for Singapore brand Kwanpen, the shop’s exterior façade is clad in a relief comprising irregular prism shapes.
A grid of square boxes hang from the ceiling inside and rectangular recesses in the walls provide display areas for the products.
Photographs are by Pyojoon Lee.
The following information is from the architects:
Betwin Space Design
Betwin Space Design is a young design studio starting on 2008 with director Hwanwoo Oh and Junggon Kim, who always are longing for new space and designing with inspirational concepts.
Betwin have deployed designs through experimental studies with new approaches by thinking of the relationship and relativity between the space and things, and the space and people.
They starts their design thinking on the most functional and basic elements such as usage, purpose, the user’s intention, and the spatial condition. Decorative elements are constrained and they unfold the space using the process by theme and concept. They believe that design is a process to express the space itself rather than a tool to design for ‘Design’.
KWANPEN
KWANPEN is a hand-made crocodile skin handbag brand based in Singapore. The KWANPEN Seoul boutique in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, is designed to suit a small number of manias rather than the general population.
The brand’s Seoul store has a design element that is quite different from those of Singapore stores designed to an overall concept. The client who has the artisan spirit of their products, wanted a simple design so that it would not compete with the products.
Answering the client’s request to create a space where the protagonist in the space is the handbag, they started their inspirations from the characteristic of crocodile and gallery where the products can be displayed and exhibited as works of art.
The space concept is ‘Gallery’ where the decorative elements are devoid, and customers feel as if they are looking at works of art. The products stand out in the wall-mounted display boxes in a flood of light.
To deliver the sense of gallery-alike, it was designed to minimize the design elements and colors but only to shine products in shop.
Details not easily recognized and the radiating way of illuminating light were tested in various ways and carefully considered to give a certain effect of full of light in display box.
Unlike the conventional façade that features display windows, the front windows are completely closed, and the products are displayed in an active way through window showcase that it created in and almost reluctant way.
In order to communicate the brand identity, a modular material of crocodile skin is created to cover the whole closed façade surface. Employing brass which has excellent metal formability on façade, patterns of crocodile leathers were encoded and simplified.
KWANPEN express its brand identity itself through the space communicates with urban space and influences its immediate environment.
What appears abstract at first becomes a part of a larger story through the delicate experience and discovery of the space between exterior and interior. It is a gallery where the imagination becomes reality.
Project Name: KWANPEN
Design: Betwin Space Design / Hwanwoo Oh, Junggon Kim
Client: C&P International
Constructor: Betwin Space Design
Location: 100-3, Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Design Period: Sep. 2010 ~ Nov. 2010
Completed: Dec. 2010
Use: Boutique Store (Handmade Crocodile Skin Bag)
Area: 98.9m2
Floor: White Concrete
Wall: Lacquer Painting
Ceiling: Vinyl Painting
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| Stella K Showroom by Pascal Grasso Architectures | 3.1 Phillip Lim Seoul Flagship by Leong Leong | Siki Im concept store by Leong Leong |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
