Seoul Startup Hub Gwanak

The Platform in Between: Seoul Startup Hub Gwanak

While Gwanak has long been a hub for youth and academic excellence, its rich startup resources and research capabilities remain scattered. Seoul Startup Hub Gwanak is designed not just as an independent facility, but as a core ecosystem hub. We defined it as The "Platform in Between"—a space that seamlessly connects research and work, technology and commercialization, and the building and the city.

The architecture is driven by three spatial principles: Gravity (specialized deep-tech infrastructure), Agility (flexible, growth-responsive workspaces), and Reciprocity (shared domains for networking and exhibitions). Based on an 8.4m structural grid, Gravity and Agility are placed on opposite sides, bridged by a central Innovation Spine. Combining a central void and a T-shaped platform, this spine vertically and horizontally connects research, proof-of-concept (PoC), and investment, allowing startups of all sizes to scale within a single ecosystem.

The lower levels act as an Urban Living Room, integrating the main street with the rear urban fabric. Through tech galleries and open lounges, internal startup activities are transparently revealed as everyday urban scenes. The building’s form naturally responds to solar setback regulations, while the facade utilizes data-driven horizontal and vertical shading to optimize daylighting and thermal performance.

In this building, the "in-between" is not an empty gap, but an active platform for exchange. Seoul Startup Hub Gwanak goes beyond gathering scattered resources, enabling knowledge, technology, people, and the city to grow together.

Year : 2026

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 15,147.82 m²

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Office

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f), Bogyeong Seo, Bugeon Kim, Dongwoon Yoon (I.f CDL)

Seorae Salon

The ambitious expansion and relocation project for the Global Village Center in Seocho-gu involves transforming the above-ground open lot of an existing underground public parking garage into a dynamic, integrated facility designed for the shared use of Seorae Village residents and its numerous multicultural families. The final structure consists of two distinct wings, which will be functionally and visually unified by a connecting second-floor deck.

On the first floor, a vast public open space will be created, featuring both a specialized “Bookworm” bookstore and a library that intentionally blurs the line between the building’s interior and exterior, promoting community engagement.

Furthermore, a highly innovative design element is the canopy covering the vehicle ramp to the subterranean parking lot, which is cleverly repurposed as a terraced/stepped community resting area, providing an accessible and distinctive public amenity where residents can pause, socialize, and observe the surroundings.

Related Research

Year : 2025

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 728.90 m²

Status : Ongoing

Type : Community Center

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Suyeon Seo, Chaeyoon Chang, Suhyeon Kim, Jeonghan Chae (I.f), Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Collaboration : 위치건축사사무소

Shinjuku City Building

This project proposes a compact eight-story rental building in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Located near Yasukuni-dori and the TOHO Building with the Godzilla Head, the site has strong pedestrian visibility and requires a clear facade strategy that can be easily recognized from the street.

Due to the narrow site condition, the plan focuses on maximizing rentable floor area while responding to legal and evacuation requirements. The building is planned below the 31-meter height limit to avoid the need for an emergency elevator, while the section is adjusted to secure the maximum volume under the road setback regulation. A front evacuation balcony and a rear outdoor stair provide two evacuation routes, and the ground-level frontage is designed to maintain visibility and commercial value.

The proposal explores three facade alternatives. Option A emphasizes a solid grid facade with a pixelated media expression. Option B strengthens verticality through a continuous curtain wall and highlights the horizontal rhythm of the exposed side wall. Option C responds to pedestrian flows from Yasukuni-dori and the TOHO Building by forming an L-shaped facade gesture that creates a stronger urban presence. Overall, the project aims to transform a narrow urban site into a recognizable commercial building through efficient planning, legal optimization, and a distinctive facade design.

Year: 2025

Location : Shinjuku, Japan

Size : 1016.75 m²

Status : Proposal

Type : Commertial

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Suyeon Seo (I.f)

Collaboration :

M3 Systems, Atelier KOMA

National Archive Museum

Living Records: The Multidimensional Role of the National Archives Museum

The National Archives Museum is not merely a repository of records but a spatial platform where records are created, shared, and interpreted. Records are not just static collections of past information; they are dynamically reinterpreted within historical and social contexts. Just as Walter Benjamin's nonlinear view of history suggests, records are not simply objects of preservation but cultural assets that connect the past, present, and future.

The National Archives Museum: A Period and a Comma in the Master Plan

The National Archives Museum is not merely an independent structure; it serves as an architectural nexus within the spatial network of the National Museum Complex. Rather than existing in isolation, it must integrate seamlessly with the broader master plan, functioning as a key element in the interconnected museum district. Although positioned at the edge of the museum complex, the Archives Museum is not just an endpoint but a starting point for the expansion of archival culture. It acts as both a period, marking a culmination, and a comma, allowing continuity, ensuring that records are not just preserved but actively engaged with, interpreted, and disseminated.

As the Track of Records and the Vessel of Everyday Life

The National Archives Museum is designed as a space where preservation and openness coexist, serving as an interface where archived records intersect with public experience. Its spatial concept is structured around a “floating track (궤)” that holds records and a “vessel (함)” that embraces and connects it to everyday life.

Year : 2025

Location : Sejong, Korea

Size : 11,798.87 m²

Phase : Competition Entry

Type : Museum and Archives

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f.CDL)

Design Team :

Hyunjoo Kang (I.f), Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang, Soohyun Im, Roun Yi, Hyungtae Kim, Bugeon Kim, Isaac Kang (I.f.CDL)

Project PEACE

The Vertiport of the PEACE PROJECT is proposed as a new transportation infrastructure connecting cities near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of South and North Korea. It goes beyond being a mere mode of transportation to serve as a symbolic venue linking the two Koreas. Designed with respect for the preserved natural environment of the DMZ, the VertiStop seeks architectural solutions that coexist with the ecosystem while minimizing environmental impact and harmonizing with nature.

The Vertiport features a steel truss structure comprising three landing pads, each with a radius of approximately 40 meters, providing both stability and efficiency. Designed to stand about 10-15 meters taller than the average height of nearby trees, it minimizes interference with nature during takeoff and landing, ensuring smooth operations. The structure is divided into three levels. The ground level serves as the main entrance and circulation area, guiding users through a natural flow. The middle level functions as a lounge for pre- and post-boarding procedures, featuring independent observation decks where passengers can complete boarding formalities while enjoying the surrounding natural scenery. The top level is a waiting area designed for comfort, offering a pleasant environment for passengers before boarding. All levels are connected by independent vertical circulation paths.

The exterior is clad with steel materials that reflect the surrounding forest and blend seamlessly into the natural environment. This choice of material reacts dynamically to changing light and weather over time, creating an aesthetic that makes the structure feel like an integral part of nature.

Around the Vertiport, gardens and outdoor spaces harmonize with nature, offering passengers areas to rest or take a stroll while waiting. These features position the VertiStop as more than just transportation infrastructure; it has the potential to foster interaction and communication between residents of both Koreas, serving as a place of exchange and connection.

Year : 2024

Status : Concept Design

Type : Vertiport

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team : Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Collaboration : I.f + JOWA Architects + SML

Seoul Multi-purpose Sports Center and Children's Park

As society evolves toward prioritizing individual quality of life, the specialization of community-based sports facilities is also accelerating. Bangbae-dong Redevelopment Zone 5, once a hillside densely packed with small residential buildings, has transformed into a large-scale, high-rise, luxury residential complex. Amid this dramatic contextual shift, this multipurpose sports center is located at the northern slope of Isu Middle School, tucked within the inner edge of Zone 5. It serves as a multifunctional space for local residents' athletic activities and leisure. In the changing urban fabric, the sizable sports facility maintains a quiet presence without drawing unnecessary attention to itself.

To maximize the site's topographical features, a series of three-dimensional public spaces that naturally connect to the adjacent children’s park have been placed on the ground level. Meanwhile, a large swimming pool and multipurpose gymnasium are elevated above this public area. The swimming pool, with eight 50-meter lanes, is designed to accommodate professional swimming competitions as well as community swimming lessons. The multipurpose gymnasium, equivalent in size to two basketball courts, offers a versatile space for basketball, volleyball, badminton, and various local events. Despite its considerable size, the upper mass of the sports center harmonizes with its surroundings, presenting a calm and understated exterior. The building’s interior, while modest in its exterior expression, is vibrant and filled with natural light to support active and healthy athletic activities. Designed for maximum natural ventilation and sunlight, the interior ensures bright, fresh, and invigorating spaces for users.

The lower part of the building, accommodating various lobby levels, mechanical and electrical rooms, pool pits, and parking facilities, is constructed using an RC (reinforced concrete) frame structure. The central section, housing the vertical cores and support facilities for the pool and gymnasium, also employs RC framing. The large-span spaces, such as the gymnasium and swimming pool, are supported by lightweight steel trusses placed atop the RC frame, with mega trusses forming the external walls to resist lateral forces. This structural system is straightforward yet robust, comfortably housing both large and small programmatic spaces.

Situated atop a diverse array of external spaces that connect Dogo-meori Park to the newly established Half-Moon Park, this sports center actively integrates indoor and outdoor spaces with the children’s park. It provides an open, indoor public area for Seoul residents, serving as a space for health, vitality, and community engagement.

Year : 2024

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 14,985.95 m²

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Public Sports Complex and Children’s Park

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f.CDL), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Design Team :

Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Collaboration :

TAAL Architects, iL Landscape

Suseo Public Library

This proposal details the design for a new Public Library in Suseo-dong, Seoul, conceived not merely as a repository for books, but as a vibrant hub for diverse community formation among local residents. Architecturally, the building achieves this goal by utilizing an innovative spatial strategy: individual, specialized areas—such as the quiet reading rooms/study halls and the dedicated Children’s Library—are clearly defined, but are deliberately positioned around a central, magnificent atrium-style volume.

This central volume houses the shared common spaces, effectively acting as a communal heart that encourages interaction and connectivity between various user groups. Further enhancing its connection to the urban and natural environment, the structure incorporates multiple, distinctively designed terraces situated between the main building masses.

These terraces are strategically opened to the landscape, offering contrasting yet engaging views: specifically framing the natural beauty of Daemosan Mountain to the west, and providing a visual link to the nearby residential complex to the east, making the library a thoughtful interface between the community and nature.

Year : 2024

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 4,817.11m²

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Library

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f.CDL), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Collaboration : Jongkil Kim

Yecheon Parking Tower

The Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government's new city project aims to accommodate 100,000 residents by 2027, focusing on administrative functions while attracting residential, commercial, and cultural facilities. It features an administrative town on the east side, where the provincial office is located, and a second administrative town on the west side. Residential and commercial facilities between these two areas blend abundant green spaces with urban spaces. The central commercial zone is designed with an ideal spatial structure for easy access to urban functions from surrounding areas.

Parking facilities in the new city must efficiently accommodate the movement of residents and visitors while considering the urban environment. To address issues like noise and emissions, the parking plan proposes integrating parking structures with pedestrian pathways and green spaces adjacent to the city. This aims to create a buffer and transitional space using external changes while maintaining the unique functions of parking lots.

Parking structures should support safe and efficient parking and movement for vehicles and pedestrians. Modern and smart systems are considered for efficient vehicle access and utilization of parking spaces. Integration with surrounding pedestrian paths and roads enhances connectivity with the city. Transitional spaces between parking facilities and the city respond to the external environment, interact with the urban environment, and enhance the overall cityscape.

The parking plan aligns with the city's structure, considering efficient connections between vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians, thereby improving overall transportation systems. It aims to provide citizens with convenient and efficient mobility by harmonizing major roads and walkways within the city.

Year : 2023

Location : Yecheon, Korea

Size : 8,962.66 m²

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Parking Tower

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (i.f), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Design Team:

Seungil Kim, Soohyun Im (i.f)

Sunsan Healing Center

The Healing Center, part of the forest leisure town in Sunsan-eup, aims to secure recreational and restful spaces for citizens through the value of forests. It's designed to harmonize with the terrain while ensuring panoramic views of the woods below the mountainside without disrupting the landscape. Emphasizing a genuine natural environment, the center utilizes sloped areas, nestling the structures into the terrain and creating gently sloped roofs amid the forest canopy.

This space aims to offer diverse programs physically and visually connected to nature, reflecting the essence of a healing center. The design focuses on eco-friendly spaces and active integration between indoor and outdoor areas. Under low roofs akin to mountain birds, major program areas have separate outdoor spaces, fostering activities that harmonize with nature's flow. This envisioned Healing Center invites individuals to experience and enjoy nature while reflecting its tranquility and circulation within the space.

Year : 2023

Location : Kumi, Korea

Size : 4,325 m²

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Cultural

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim(i.f), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Design Team: Seungil Kim, Soohyun Im (I.f)

Gimpo Townhouse and Masterplan

Nestled within the verdant landscapes of Yangchon-eup, Gimpo City, this project occupies a site surrounded by a serene forest and crowned by a gentle hill. Its purpose is to develop a visionary community rooted in new culture, space, and technology. The project is driven by the ideals of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), aiming to embody social sustainability, life sustainability, and environmental sustainability. It aspires to be more than just a residential complex; it is a commitment to a holistic approach that considers not only personal well-being but also environmental stewardship and social responsibility, with an eye toward the future of our planet.

Respecting the existing allocation of over 80 parcels, the project’s design standards for new public spaces are visionary. They focus on creating immersive entry experiences, enhancing the streetscape, and providing design criteria for communal spaces within and outside the community.

The residential typology here has been carefully analyzed in light of the significant changes in living environments post-pandemic. Five distinct residential types have emerged to cater to diverse lifestyles. Individual spaces are designed to be customizable, aligning with residents’ preferences, offering the flexibility of a bespoke housing platform.

This development isn’t just about housing; it’s about crafting a way of life that reflects the evolving needs of modern society while nurturing an environment where personal aspirations align with ecological and social responsibilities. It’s an invitation to join a community that embodies the spirit of LOHAS and envisions a sustainable, dynamic, and harmonious future.

Related Research

Year: 2023

Location : Gimpo, Korea

Size : 35,273 m²

Status : Design Proposal

Type : Residential, Community Facilities, Master Plan

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University)

Design Team :

Seungil Kim, Junyoung Park, Soohyun Im, Inyeob Jang (I.f)

Jinju National Museum

The National Jinju Museum is embarking on a significant transformation, moving from its iconic location within Jinju Castle to a new cultural park situated between the city center and the urban area near the old Jinju Station. The aim is to reposition itself as a focal point for the citizens of Jinju. In this endeavor, we propose the creation of an open, circular museum that seamlessly blends the daily lives of citizens with the museum’s commemorative essence.It begins with the concept of the museum as an exceptional lobby, one that interfaces directly with the linear park that adjoins the urban core. The revitalized area, once divided by railway tracks, is transformed into a park where Jinju citizens can engage with the city’s history and culture during their daily routines. The circular design encompasses flexible exhibition, educational, cultural, and leisure spaces that directly connect to both the city street and the park, allowing people to encounter Jinju’s history and culture as they commute to school or work.

This circular space, serving as an extension of civic life, is situated adjacent to the Welcome Center, which becomes the bridge between the expanded museum and the civic space. By inserting a framework that physically and spatially supports both spaces, we enhance accessibility for the citizens, fostering a stronger connection between the museum and their daily lives. Our proposal is driven by the idea that the museum’s role extends beyond commemorating history; it should be an integral part of daily existence. The open, circular design encourages citizens to engage with the museum’s unique experiences as they go about their daily routines. This transformative approach seeks to seamlessly integrate the museum’s commemorative aspect with the everyday lives of Jinju citizens, making history and culture accessible to all.

Year: 2023

Location : Jinju, Korea

Size : 33,234 ㎡

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Museum

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Allie Yeseul Chung (I.f Manila), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Design Team : Seungil Kim, Junyoung Park (I.f)

Collaboration : Urbanyard Landscape

Twinrock Hotel & Resort

Nestled along the serene shores of Catanduanes Island in the Philippines, Twinrock Hotel offers a tranquil respite amidst the natural beauty of the region. The existing resort site boasts several amenities, including an outdoor swimming pool, cabanas, event spaces, a picnic area, and a sandy beach where one can witness the sunset.

Our latest addition, a 3-story hotel, aims to provide accommodation in the form of 40 units, encompassing oceanview suites and presidential suites. These units are designed to cater to the discerning traveler seeking a certain level of comfort.

At ground level, a convention hall is available, capable of accommodating up to 300 individuals for events or meetings. This flexible space can be repurposed into a meeting room, café, or banquet hall to suit various requirements. The second floor offers a range of amenities, including a swimming pool, spa, game room, and gym, catering to various leisure interests. Twinrock Hotel presents itself as a destination for those in search of solace or a base for business activities. Our commitment to service remains consistent, ensuring a comfortable and uneventful stay for all patrons.

Year : 2023

Location : Catanduane Island, Philippines

Size : 4,325 m²

Status : Ongoing

Type : Hospitality

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim, Yeseul Allie Chung (I.f), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University)

Design Team : Seungil Kim (I.f)

Collaboration : I.f Manila Office

Paju Bandabi Sport Complex

Common Ground

The Bandalbi National Sports Center in Paju serves as a complex sports facility along the pedestrian axis connecting Paju Stadium and Geumchon Multipurpose Gymnasium, functioning as a combined cultural and leisure facility for all local residents in Paju. Located on the northern side of the site, the central road provides convenient access from anywhere as it connects Paju City Hall, subway stations, nearby highways, catering to various modes of transportation such as vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Due to its horizontally expansive setting within the existing agricultural land, it plays a role in converging the flow of the city and outwardly radiating, creating an open space that interacts diversely with the surroundings. The Bandalbi Sports Center, designed based on consideration and understanding for individuals without discrimination between people with disabilities and non-disabled individuals, serves as a mediator between people, the city, and public spaces.

Universal design starts from recognizing everyone's differences rather than defining a particular majority as "normal" and discriminating against a minority due to their differences. Since each individual is unique, with numerous and diverse distinctions, everyone is equally important. It begins by paying closer attention to each person and being sensitive to the subtle differences in everyone's bodies. The spaces created within Paju's Bandalbi Sports Center stem from a profound consideration for the architectural appearance of a simple, flexible, fair, free, diverse, and enjoyable complex cultural and sports facility.

The Bandalbi Sports Center in Paju places a strong emphasis on embracing the daily lives and physical differences of diverse individuals. It acknowledges the variety of everyday experiences and physical differences of everyone who seeks a complex cultural and sports facility in their daily lives, including young mothers pushing strollers, students using wheelchairs due to leg injuries, children who are deaf, young adults undergoing vision therapy without complete recovery, seniors coming on scooters, pregnant women and their husbands.

A Public Space Encompassing Everyday Life

For a long time, Paju's public cultural facilities mainly developed as tourist attractions centered around coastal areas and the demilitarized zone (DMZ). However, recently, Paju has made considerable efforts to advance public architectural cultural heritage centered around its citizens. As an extension of the motto of public architecture as a "connecting city" based on Paju's geographical characteristics and historical background and urging active citizen participation in "connecting spaces," the Bandalbi Sports Center can be envisioned as a more just and inclusive public building based on the ideology of universal design. If public buildings were previously focused on nostalgia, the Bandalbi Sports Center proposes an additional value of coexistence alongside nostalgia. It embodies the ideology of a public building not specifically for a certain minority but aiming to encompass more people's differences and everyday lives. It will be a resident-friendly public building that promotes the improvement of residents' quality of life, connects regions, and understands and encapsulates the daily lives of individuals.

Year : 2023

Location : Paju, Korea

Size : 3,214.28㎡

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Cultural

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Incheon Geomdan Cultural Complex

The Site is a Corner condition placed between the dense residential complexes to one side, and the Neighborhood Parks 13 and 15 to the other side. In the large scale, the Cultural Complex will be an extension of the U-shaped thread of Neighborhood Parks and especially the Lake in No.3 Cultural Park. However, in responding to the two distinctive zoning conditions, the Museum•Library Cultural Complex will produce a gradient of spaces in order to merge and take advantage of the two physical conditions the New City zonal plan offers. In response to the dense City edge, a homogeneous and hard form will emerge by organizing the volumes in an “L” composition. As one enters deeper into the Complex and closer to the edge adjacent to the Park and the Lake, the volumes disperse and the singular form breaks to provide a more intricate conglomeration of volumes, walkways, as well as interior and exteiror conditions. This seamless transition of spatial composition will allow a smoother transition of the cityscape.

To Geomdan New City, the Museum•Library Cultural Complex becomes a landmark because of its seamless integration as a place for the Everyday Life activities to unfold. It is a sacred place only because of its flexibility to accommodate any and all Everyday Events of the Everyday People of the New City. The form is simple, weighted, and informed by the Go-in-dol. The horizontal overlays of spaces and spatial groupings allows for the act of gathering and spreading of programs but mainly of people. The physical boundaries between the programmatic volumes are less defined as it merges and divides seamlessly from one to the other. The in-between spaces that are mostly walkways of varying thickneses; sometimes lobbies; sometimes open spaces for different programs, all serve to break the rigidity and hardness of the Complex. Instead, the layered composition allows for fluid movement within and throughout and beyond the Cultrual Complex.

Year: 2024

Location : Incheon, Korea

Size : 27,377 sqm

Construction Cost : Incheon-si

Year : 2023

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Museum, Library

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Allie Yeseul Chung (I.f Manila), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Environmental Engineering : Dongil Kim

Youngju Bandabi Sport Complex

The Bandaebi Sports Center will become a new entrance point located within the Yeongju Citizen Sports Park athletic facilities site. It serves as a mediator that connects people entering from the University Road 153 to both the inside and outside of the Bandaebi Sports Center, as well as other facilities within the site, such as the Community Sports Hall, indoor swimming pool, boxing training center, Citizen Sports Park, tennis court, soccer field, volleyball court, National Sports Center, and Citizen Sports Park. The external space configuration encourages the Bandaebi Sports Center to be closely integrated with the site by opening up to a variety of external spaces that are adjacent to the site. Planning for natural and convenient access for different people and various modes of transportation such as cars, bicycles, and scooters, the Bandaebi Sports Center is designed to be a mediator between people, the city, and public spaces, based on consideration and understanding for each individual.

Over the past decade, public buildings in Yeongju have positively transformed the landscape of small cities and improved the quality of life for its residents. Yeongju has been steadily and clearly attempting urban regeneration through public buildings. Based on the characteristics of the Bandaebi space, if we try to capture the core idea in the public building, we can think of a more fair and inclusive public building based on the ideology of universal design. The Yeongju Bandaebi Sports Center embodies the idea of a public building that aims to accommodate more people’s diversity and everyday life, rather than being a space for a specific minority. Through this, Yeongju aims to achieve successful public buildings that have already been carried out and also match the goal of urban regeneration.

Year : 2021

Location : Youngju, Korea

Size : 2,035 ㎡

Status : Competition Entry (2nd Prize)

Type : Community Facility

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Allie Yeseul Chung (I.f Manila), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)

Environmental Engineering : Dongil Kim

Geoje Public Library

Jangseungpo Port was designated as a trading port in 1965, and it was a lively and diverse place where different people and things gathered and dispersed. The library for the people here should be functionally excellent, faithfully fulfilling its role as a place for preserving the collected books and sharing knowledge, and the proposed urban space is a public space but also a very personal place that individuals can privately own but is primarily a public space. It is a place where sharing and enjoyment coexist and are separated, where individual experiences are gathered, accumulated, and defined, and ultimately, a new library is proposed where space is configured from considerations for the community, and a new type of space that can contain both daily and non-daily experiences is presented as a truly meaningful public space for the city.

Starting from individuals and reaching out to many, it ultimately becomes a library for everyone - overlapping and intersecting with the activities and traces of individuals and groups to create a diverse and resident-friendly library. As people, objects, spaces, time, and memories accumulate, they form a complex public space - the library is designed to faithfully fulfill its primary function. It also incorporates intangible libraries that surround and embrace it. Here, each generation can gather, overlap, and share space together, or enjoy it individually as needed. The diverse library accommodates and embraces the community.

The library projects and embraces its surroundings through the material of its unobtrusive form - rather than standing out in its relationship with the city, it is a humble library that guards its place. The significance of the metal exterior that fully receives and respects the surrounding area is crucial. Depending on the characteristics of the material, it can project and absorb the surroundings, enveloping and reflecting them. The colors and textures of the city and the surrounding greenery will dye the library exterior like an image.

Year: 2021

Location : Geoje, Korea

Size : 1,595 ㎡

Status : Competition Entry (2nd Prize)

Type : Library

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Allie Yeseul Chung (I.f Manila), Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University), Minho Lee (func. Architects)