Lee Tonghoon (professor, Ewha Womans University)
Site_ The site is located at the peninsula-like eastern edge of Goseongri, encircled by the Cheongpyeongho Lake. It faces the lake to the east, positioned alongside the luxurious weekend houses of the south, and the pensions and training institutes to the west and north. The road in the south provides the only approach to the odd-shaped site, which is narrowest in the middle.
Programme_ The client requested the design of an indoor swimming pool in which they could enjoy scuba diving and free diving in all weathers all year round. The requirements included an indoor pool, which is the largest in Asia, with a maximum depth of 26m, with a ‘beach’ around it as leisurely space to prepare for diving. In addition, it required a large lobby as a lounge space for visitors and service areas like dressing rooms, shower rooms, and an office.
Site Plan and Floor Plan_ Pushed as close as possible to the northern part of the site, the building could secure a certain distance to allow sunshine and privacy for the weekend house at the south without disturbing the view towards the lake from the neighbouring pension to the east. Gradually deepening from the west end to the east, the diving pool was designed to allow divers to dip into water as they moved slowly towards the lake to the east. A large window between the pool and the lake provides continuous experience of the water’s surface in the indoor pool and the lake outside.
Sections_ The approach to the ‘beach’ is on the third floor, to minimise the depth of excavation and increase land use efficiency of this limited area. By placing the lobby on the first floor under the shallow pool and making six aquarium windows on its wall, the architect draws the eye to the presence of the diving pool from the lobby and facilitates a line of visual communication between them. A mezzanine, featuring a dressing room and office on the second floor, allows visitors in the two-floor tall lobby to imagine the silhouette of the stepped pool over them.
Materials and Elevations_ The elevations are made from four materials borrowed from the surrounding context of the site: concrete with a smooth surface and rough surface, a black wooden louver, and glass. Two types of concrete are borrowed from a weekend house to the south of the site, which has been planned for later use as a service facility supporting the diving pool. The material and patterning of the 10cm wide wooden louvers at 5cm intervals, is easily corroborated in the pensions and fencing around the site. This diving pool of distinct form and function was intended to establish a subtle corresponding relationship with the surrounding landscape.
To minimise the heat gain of the southern wall in hot and humid conditions during summer, three different openings were made in the ceiling instead of than minimising the size of the windows, which allows people to sense the ever-changing atmosphere from the inside. The wooden louvers that block direct sunlight on the first and second floors are designed to control the interior illuminance of the southern part of the lobby, and help visitors to pay attention to the inside of the water tank.
Systems_To make the best use of the heat capacity of huge water tank for heating and cooling, the insulation performance of the exterior wall was raised beyond the standard legal requirements. Increasing the area of the windows, which can be opened for natural ventilation, helped reduce artificial air conditioning facilities to the minimum. In the upper part of the lobby a 60cm thick bearing wall for the water tank functions as a transfer beam to replace two concrete columns, which makes the space look much wider.
The elevations are made from four materials borrowed from the surrounding context of the site: concrete with a smooth surface and rough surface, a black wooden louver, and glass.
The wooden louvers that block direct sunlight on the first and second floors are designed to control the interior illuminance of the southern part of the lobby, and help visitors to pay attention to the inside of the water tank.
By placing the lobby on the first floor under the shallow pool and making six aquarium windows on its wall, the architect draws the eye to the presence of the diving pool from the lobby and facilitates a line of visual communication between them.
A large window between the pool and the lake provides continuous experience of the water’s surface in the indoor pool and the lake outside.
Architect
Lee Tonghoon (Department of Architecture, Ewha Wom
Lee Tonghoon is a practicing architect and professor of architecture at Ewha Womans University. His major works include Pocheon House, Daebu-do House, CUBE, and the winning entry for the Single-Family Village Masterplan Competition for Sejong-si. He studied architecture design and theory at Seoul National University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
