South Korea
Many-sided, multi-cultural, multilingual, multi-functional, multi-tiered. All this variety makes it look unique - skyscrapers, flowering gardens, temple complexes, palaces. Contemporary architectural efforts have been constantly trying to balance the traditional philosophy of "harmony with nature" and the fast-paced urbanization that the country has been going through in recent years.
MVRDV's The Imprint, a dual structured entertainment facility, sits as the center piece of a new tourist hub in Seoul, South Korea. The sibling buildings, the Wonderbox and Nightclub, share an architectural language; both becoming an echo of their family, the immediate surrounding buildings. A golden spot floating over the building and the plaza in front boldly marks the Nightclub entrance.
Coop Himmelb(l)au’s design for the Busan Cinema Center, which serves, among other things, as the site of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), represents a new combination of culture, entertainment, technology, and architecture with a public space. The concept envisions an urban center with superimposed areas: the Urban Valley, the Red Carpet Zone, the Walk of Fame, the Memorial Court, and the BIFF Canal Park. The buildings house theaters, cinemas, a conference center, offices, production studios, and restaurants, whose spatial boundaries flow into one another in a mixture of protected interior spaces and outdoor spaces, the largest of which also functions as an outdoor cinema with seating for 4,000 people.
The 0914 Flagship Store is a multipurpose commercial space for Simone, a Korean high-end leather handbags company. The concept of ‘co-working village’ agrees with the business culture of Simone, which for a long time has supported growing artists and reflected artistic creativity in the design and fabrication of handbags. The shape of building was formed in the image of village with small stacked houses carved in a box. There is a contrast between a pure white box and brick houses in form, color and texture enhancing the effect of engraving. Engraved village is reversed in the interior space to form extruded small gabled houses for shops and studios.
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of Kings of the Joseon dynasty, the Kings' households, as well as the government of Joseon.
The city of bridges. The Gwangandaegyo or Diamond Bridge stretches over 7.4 kilometers from Namcheon-dong in Suyeong-gu, Busan to Centum City in U-dong, Haeundae-gu. It is the longest bi-level bridge over the ocean in Korea. In addition to providing a quick way to get around, the bridge offers breathtaking views of nearby attractions, including the endlessly unfolding ocean, Oryukdo Island, Hwangnyeongsan Mountain, Gwangalli Beach, Dongbaekseom Island, and Dalmaji Hill.
