SPACE October 2024 (No. 683)
Winning proposal of Seoul Gangbuk-gu New Office Building International Design Competition ©HAEHN Architecture + POSCO A&C + D&B Architecture
The Gangbuk-gu Office in Seoul announced the international design competition for the construction of its new office building, aiming to offer a one-stop administrative service by consolidating public administrative facilities and creating community spaces for residents. On Aug. 19, the winning design, Gangbuksamkyung (江北三景), was selected. The design is a collaboration between HAEAHN Architecture (CEO, Yoon Sehan, Kim Taeman), POSCO A&C (CEO, Kim Dongkyun), and D&B Architecture (CEO, Cho Doyeun, Lee Kyounghwan). The design focuses its attention on empty spaces within the architectural form as a solution to the issues of a high- density, low-rise urban context and complex pedestrian pathways. By elevating the building off the ground, the design creates an open space for a public plaza called ‘Gangbuk’s Maru’, in which citizens can gather. The rooftop garden, called ‘Gangbuk’s Living Room’, features a large window framing Bukhansan Mountain, allowing people to experience nature both inside and outside the building. The design also includes a soft, cloud-like façade inspired by the nearby Bukhansan Mountain, intended to make the building a landmark within Gangbuk-gu’s dense, low-rise urban environment. The jury praised the design for maximising public and open space by opening the lower floors as a public area, and for planning unique spaces such as a large lobby on the second floor and a multipurpose gym on the top floor, which are not commonly found in administrative buildings. The project, with a total floor area of approximately 65,532m2 and a construction cost of about 262.6 billion KRW, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.
