SPACE Jun 2024 (No. 679)
MASS STUDIES is located at Itaewon, between mountains and rivers. The office faces Gangnam from the edge of Gangbuk, situated at the heart of Seoul, but due to various contextual conditions including the presence of U.S. military bases, citizens often bypass this neighbourhood. When the office was first established in this area, it was intriguingly empty despite being in the centre of Seoul. Now, with an increase in commercial facilities near the original office, MASS STUDIES moved to a quieter area beyond the mountains. The site has a strong topographical character and is densely packed with low-rise buildings. It requires a special urban condition that needs to be considered in three dimensions, even though it seems disconnected. It was more about ‘discovery’ than ‘invention’. It is a work that maximizes the possibilities within a site with various restrictions. If someone has to pick an element of ‘invention’, it would be the use of a haunch on the ground floor to secure open space without columns and maximum ceiling height.
©Cho Minsuk
