ST SongEun Building

By Carroll Luk 

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the ST SongEun Building consists of art studios and exhibition spaces for the SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation, and was opened to the public on 30 September 2021. The architects describe the work as one that ‘expresses differences and openness despite, or rather because of, its hermetic street side.’ Covering over 8000 square metres, the building comprises 11 aboveground stories and 5 underground stories.

Distinguished among its surrounding environment by the building’s sharp, hard-edge triangular volume, the architects maximized floor area within the compact space in one of the commercial districts of Southern Seoul with respect to urban planning strategies and plot regulations, allowing such interesting form to be realized: a high-rise, outstanding facade towards the main street contrasted by a low-rise, resolving facade towards the garden as well as inner streets. External concrete on facades is imprinted with a checkerboard of wood grains, responding to the name of the building and foundation that translates to ‘hidden pine tree’. With only few openings that allow light penetration towards the interior of the building, it provides a closed, private space for visitors while creating framed views of the city from two facades. The rear of the building are balconies that create a well-lit work space for users. 

The interior of the building is designed to create an inviting yet somewhat mysterious visual effect for viewers, complimenting the experiences of different art exhibitions held. Ramp spirals surrounding a void allows for the geometry of the grand staircase that connects different stories, creating a continuous and flowing direction of the artistic experience. With the combined use of cave-like spaces and concrete textures, artistic content presented in exhibitions within the building offer an enhanced visual as well as emotional experience. 

Created with respect to both functionality and aesthetics, Herzog & de Meuron ‘strengthen SongEun’s presence and significantly contribute to the city’s cultural topography and diversity’, producing an easily accessible cultural anchor that attracts the public, while developing a platform for the work of local artists to be exposed to the international contemporary art scene. 

https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/news.html

https://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/gallery/2021/07/16/herzog–de-meuron-seoul-office-building-cultural-center.html