Touching the road along a distance of 15m and with a depth of 38m, this narrow and long site in the midst of the city – upon which the White Quarter Circle is built – has a dimension ratio of 1:2.53. It is where young children discover the scope of their imaginations and learn about the world. Under a design motif that combines familiarity and vitality, a virtual platform school that would embody child-like sentiments was proposed. The geometrical shape of a ‘1/4 circle’, situated in the city centre, was used as the governing design motif. This creates a completely different mass and façade to those of its surroundings, due to the division in the circle and its lively transformation and composition.
Architecture of Unity_ The aim and purpose of the architecture was clear from the planning stages. All processes, including the school layout, structure, interior and production of furniture were all considered as a unified endeavour. Looking over the layout of each floor, the basement floor has been purposed as a shared space for children to accommodate a food court, café, multipurpose space, and an office, while the first floor has been designed to contain public spaces such as spaces for education and engagement, a lobby, a library, a space for consulting, and an outdoor garden. The second floor is a shared space composed of a multipurpose space for activities, library, and an outdoor deck that can be used by children of all ages. Floors three to five are spaces dedicated to each study year, and the rooftop garden has been designed to cater to vigorous outdoor activities.
Alice Stair_ A simple, functional stair is developed into something sensational and creative. Alice Stair is not a stair in a straightforward way, but a virtual staircase that embodies spatial exploration and the gratifying experience of movement. This distinctive and colourful experience of moving through spaces will inspire and energise the young students. With the space within this dramatic mass, the harmonious use of light and colour, and its imaginative potential, Alice Stair penetrates the entire structure of this White Quarter Circle.
USD Design Group (Shim Jaehyeon, Kim Byeongu, Hwan
UNSANGDONG architects
UNSANGDONG architects is the experimental group organized to realize conceptual architecture with variable possibilities of cultural contents. The main research and project of UNSANGDONG is based on the diversity of architecture, and Jang Yoongyoo and Shin Changhoon are its principals.
