SPACE February 2023 (No. 663)
ʻI am an Architectʼ was planned to meet young architects who seek their own architecture in a variety of materials and methods. What do they like, explore, and worry about? SPACE is going to discover individual characteristics of them rather than group them into a single category. The relay interview continues when the architect who participated in the conversation calls another architect in the next turn.
View of Milmila
interview Park Solha, An Kwangil co-principals, 100A associates × Park Jiyoun
Maximum Energy, Intermediate Energy
Park Jiyoun: Did you have a safe business trip? I heard you had a busy schedule abroad.
Park Solha: I actually went on a trip! To refresh myself, I try to go abroad for two to three weeks once a year. But I did not get a chance to go anywhere for two years due to pandemic, so I finally managed to go away after three years.
Park Jiyoun: Which country did you visit?
Park Solha: Republic of Türkiye. When I am travelling, I try to put work aside for a while. I also try to avoid visiting architecture buildings. Rather, I spend time in nature or explore traditional cultures. This time, I went inside a mosque, sat at the back, and watched people worship even though I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Since Republic of Türkiye’s natural landscape is completely different from ours, I also spent time in nature.
Park Jiyoun: You seem to be adept at remaining still. Since I have sensed an aura of motionlessness in your projects, I am curious about your actual personalities.
Park Solha: I’m not an outgoing person. (laugh)
Park Jiyoun: Do you refresh yourself by travelling abroad as well, principal An Kwangil? An Kwangil: Even if I were to travel abroad, I would not stop being able to think about work. I dare not even consider going abroad!
Park Solha: When we work on something, I prefer to expend all of my energy, whereas principal An takes a quick break in between work. I cannot tolerate taking a quick break, so once a project is finished, I am exhausted. That’s why I cannot continue working unless I take a long pause and take time to refresh myself. I also run away while I’m working! (laugh) Whenever that happens, principal An takes care of it.
View of Milmila
A Neighbourhood in Which Time Glides on Past
Park Jiyoun: The location of your office is known as the underground world by the students at Kookmin University. This is because there is a huge difference in level between the school and the office. How did you come to settle down in Jeongneung?
Park Solha: We just wanted to find a space in which we could sit and conduct our studies. Then, buildings on the main streets had to be eliminated as candidates since they didn’t meet our liking. The fact that there would be engagement with the neighbours was something that we liked about this space. There used to be a small supermarket nearby, which is now closed. There were also some neighbours who could keep an eye on our belongings when we left the office. Even when we were working at the office, when the weather is nice, we just leave all the doors open. Then a couple of neighbours walk in and say, ‘you seemed to be working late last night.’ That kind of sentiment fits very well with us.
Park Jiyoun: At a supermarket, as opposed to a convenience store, the owner works there rather than solely the staff members. Although staff might change, it isn’t usual to change owners on a regular basis. I cannot recall the last time I met someone casually yet also on a regular basis in my daily life.
An Kwangil: We thought about relocating to the Hongdae because of our employees who commute, but we haven’t found a neighbourhood to our liking or fits with the character of our projects, so we’re still here. Our projects are not very attentiongrabbing, but I believe they have the power to stop our co-working designers or previous clients in their tracks, making them think ‘these must be designed by 100A associates (hereinafter 100A).’ That kind of silent power pervades the office and our projects.
Tasteful Stories
Park Jiyoun: I heard you two worked at Need21 (principal, Yoo Jeonghan) for a long stretch of time.
An Kwangil: We both worked there for six to seven years before leaving to pursue our own practice.
Park Jiyoun: Need21 has been practising design by crossing boundaries at a time at which it was rare for a spatial designer to practise architectural design.
An Kwangil: Nowadays, the boundary between spatial designers and architects has become blurrier. But even when we started our own practice, there were people in the field who found us very strange. Still, because we began with spatial design, I believe we were able to establish our own unique working process.
Park Jiyoun: I wonder what 100A’s own design process is?
An Kwangil: We work on a building’s exterior design at the very last stage.
Park Jiyoun: So you start from the inside.
An Kwangil: We start with the client’s own words, their stories, particularly that which has informed the branding. They turn into the space, and that space turns into the exterior. A form, such as its mass, is determined at a later stage. Of course, there are some projects in which the exterior is predetermined to some degree according to the regulations.
Park Jiyoun: There seems to be a reason why you referred to them as ‘stories’ rather than ‘requirements’ of the client.
An Kwangil: The majority of our projects are received from individuals rather than corporations. Most of them are housing projects. In terms of commercial space, a trendy design might be more important to figure out. On the other hand, in the case of individuals, I thought it was first necessary to think carefully about whether that space can be continuously used over ten years or twenty years. In order to do that, I thought it must capture the client’s stories. We pursue the act of storytelling through the client’s stories, turn them into a space, and then into a work of architecture. When we work on a housing project, we believe that the most ideal outcome is to design a ‘house that resembles the client’.
Park Jiyoun: Mumyeong (2021) is a house in which pink stucco was used as an exterior finishing material. As I listen to your words, I find myself interested in that client’s story.
Park Solha: When we communicated with the client, we tried to use many different methods of communication other than just having a conversation. The client of Mumyeong was a novelist. From the beginning, he provided us with lengthy passages of writing about his personality. He introduced himself as a ‘child who is full of curiosity but careful, detail-oriented and worries often’. While we were in that process, we exchanged letters and shared opinions and stories. We get to understand each other through that process, and were able to complete a space that was ‘a bit of a fairytale-like small castle’. Most of the presentation provided to the client was prepared through writing. Sketches and architectural drawings were informally prepared. As far as I can recall, there were only one or two cuts of rendering images included.
Park Jiyoun: It is interesting to learn that you communicated with the client in many different ways, including having a conversation.
Park Solha: Wuju Jae, je (2017) is a home for a family. The sisters in that family majored in design, and they made an image scrapbook of their thoughts. We shared stories while looking at their favourite pictures. When we had a conversation, we tended to talk about their taste rather than their space. Questions like ‘what are the things that you would absolutely want to take with you when you move? what is your favourite colour? what kind of music do you like?’ We also tried to ask questions about the life they wanted to have rather than about fragmentary reflections on the space in which they wished to live. When clients say that it would be great to have a chair on a rooftop, we tried to ask more specific questions, such as whether they want to sit there and look at the stars, whether they want to feel the wind, or whether they want to bask in the sun during the day. In that way, even if we don’t get to place a single chair on a rooftop, we can try to materialise another device that can realise a particular desire, once we know from where it derived.
Park Jiyoun: Now I would like to try to conduct this interview as if you were asking your clients the questions. (laugh) What are your favourite colours?
Park Solha: I like yellow.
Park Jiyoun: That is unexpected!
Park Solha: In the past, there was a time when I said what my favourite colour was, thinking that ‘I wish others would look at me as one who has an aura of such a colour. ’ But, if I were to think backwards, I ’d say that I ’ve always liked yellow since I was a child.
Park Jiyoun: How about you, principal An?
An Kwangil: In my case, black, as you might expect. Black is very clear. A black cloth expresses its patterned line very clearly. Similarly, black space expresses each form clearly.
Park Jiyoun: Since I received such great answers, I think it was a fairly decent question! (laugh) Should we then head to Milmila (2020)? I should say goodbye to principal Park.
Park Solha: Sure, it was a pleasure to meet you. Have a great time.
View of office
View of office
Between Quantity and Quality
Park Jiyoun: I received an impression of the work designed by 100A that the stones firmly hold the central position. And I noticed that there is a similar method used in Milmila.
An Kwangil: I was frequently asked how I was able to move such a huge stone. In the case of heavy stones, there were many instances whereby you did not need know how to use them to place an order. When we were working at Need21, there were a few starry designers, and the design fees were very expensive. By virtue of that, we were able to use a wide variety of materials. Since we have some experience, we are able to use stones more flexibly and without restrictions.
Park Jiyoun: Did you find the mosscovered stone that is positioned beneath the water basin?
An Kwangil: I am the one who finds all of the stones. In order to pick the stone that is suited to the desired image, I personally have to look around.
Park Jiyoun: Milmila appears to be the only project located in Seoul. The majority of 100A projects are located on the outskirts.
An Kwangil: Projects in cities are not exciting. I even tell principal Park that we should work on some projects in the downtown area if we want to earn any money, which can naturally lead to a promotion. However, since we had more of an urge to go out to the mountains, fields, and sea, we kept finding ourselves working on projects located on the outskirts.
Park Jiyoun: I think principal Park in particular would prefer a relaxed life.
An Kwangil: I have someone to take care of, whereas principal Park is relatively free. In addition, she is a person who will worry about the quality of the project. She need a rests for increasing the quality of our work rather than pursuing a more relaxed life. So we often talk about how to adjust the workload.
Park Jiyoun: Depending on where the meeting point lies between quantity and quality, the number of staff will be different. So I see why some directors aren’t increasing their staff numbers.
Park Solha, An Kwangil, our interviewees, want to be shared some stories from Lee Byungyeob (principal, BYARCHITECTURE) in March 2023 issue.
