SPACE January 2025 (No. 686)
Attitudes Toward Sustainable Middle Architecture▼1: UWS Headquarter Building
The UWS Headquarter Building is situated on a backstreet west of COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, where commuter foot traffic exceeds that of its resident population. The 60-pyeong (approximately 200m2) residential plot, previously occupied by a detached house until four years ago, sits at the intersection of internal streets, within a prototypical mega block in Gangnam. This block, measuring approximately 600 × 700m, is bordered by Yeongdong-daero to the east (70m-width), Teheran-ro to the south (50m-width), Samseong-ro to the west (35m-width), and Bongeunsa-ro to the north (35m-width).
Gangnam’s urban development began in earnest in the early 1970s to address the housing demands of Seoul’s rapidly growing population. At the time, only two bridges – Hannam Bridge and Yeongdong Bridge – connected Gangnam and Gangbuk. Gangnam’s massive urban blocks emerged from grids carved between these axes, encompassing irregular internal roads shaped by the hilly terrain. This land reorganisation initiative gave rise to thousands of single-house plots. The resulting urban fabric contrasts sharply between the opulent urban masses along arterial streets and the modest interiors of the blocks. Rapid industrialisation and economic growth further transformed Gangnam through successive redevelopments – from single-family houses to multi-family residences, neighbourhood commercial buildings, and high-density apartments – steadily increasing urban density.
This evolution was paralleled by the rise of commercial facilities over the years. Today, the floor area ratio of commercial buildings in Seoul is remarkably high, even when compared to other major global cities. This includes not only large department stores and shopping malls but also the dense network of small businesses lining secondary streets. Particularly since the 2000s, as residential areas have increasingly been replace...
Zo Hangman (Seoul National University) + TAAL Arc
Lee Dongjoo
155-17, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
neighbourhood living facility
200.5㎡
98.7㎡
696.87㎡
B2, 6F
8 (mechanical)
25.36m
49.23%
249.98%
RC
folded steel panel, concrete surface treatment, L
concrete surface treatment, painted galvanised st
SM Structural Consultant
URI engineering & consulting
Ixplanet
THE MAROO Co., Ltd.
Jan. 2021 – July 2022
Nov. 2022 – May 2024
2.6 billion KRW
UWS
PH6 Design Lab