042 FRAME 0336and size is important, but its position inside the space is far more
significant. In Vault House, a low window on the first floor only
45cm above the floor and a 24m-long thin skylight were devised,
subtly cutting through and enlarging the space. When dealing
with light, daytime and night should have the same hierarchical
position. Lately, I have noticed a tendency to shun the ceiling light
in Korean buildings. In Western houses, the spaces look much
more sophisticated as no direct light is installed in the ceilings,
except in the kitchen and the bathroom for more functional
needs. However, it is difficult to do this in Korea due to the fixed
lifestyle and cultural differences. Therefore, I used different kinds
of architectural lighting, such as indirect lights, direct lights,
luminous ceilings, and line lights, and separated their circuits to
provide a varied ambiance. It sounds conventional, but in fact, this
is an elaborate and sophisticated architectural technique. Even
for architectural lighting it is good to use the indirect method,
so as not to expose the position of the light source and to enable
adjustment of the colour and brightness in order to contrast with
natural light. In the case of Café TONN, the first floor is relatively
dark during the daytime due to the eaves, and the second floor is
always bright by virtue of the glass wall running on all directions.
At night, the first floor is very bright due to the direct lights, and
the second floor is dark and soft due to the indirect lights. It is
always pleasing to use light to reverse time, changing the day and
night of a building.Form MakingAlong with colour, form is the fastest and the most definite way
through which to recognise objects. The form is a necessary and
sufficient condition for creating space, and it is a fundamental
element of architecture that must be given priority over anythingelse. However, the act of clinging to a form may be perceived
as that of a less mature architect, and since people either like or
dislike to the extreme a form based on their subjective views,
architects tend to become passive in dealing with form. Ever since
I was young, I had been interested in modeling, and so I have
consistently focused on it as a central concern. In the earlier days
of my work, the pieces were twisted, cut, or added to, to create
new forms as if they were sculptures. In recent years, I have been
focusing on the scale, proportion, and composition of the basic
architectural elements such as floors, walls, columns, and roofs.
This method distinguishes it from more exaggerated and colourful
forms. In the unbuilt Daejeon project, I conceived of a different
scale for the columns and used tricks to connect them vertically. A
sense of dynamism and tension are expressed in the appearance
of these columns, shifting from the upper level’s columns that are
heavier than required to the lower level’s several thin, tilted, and
in fact, properly sized, ones. This is not something new: Mies van
der Rohe already used this technique to manipulate the purity of
a structure in many of his works. Therefore, there is still a lot of
potential for primitive elements and compositional methods in
architecture. Durastack Headquarters appears as if heavy masses
support the thin roof, but each of these large masses are hollow
inside, serving as a ‘room’ to accommodate their programmes.
There are many elements of architectural deception, as
mentioned above, spread throughout Café TONN. At first,
people pay attention to the form of a concave roof, but when they
look closer, they realise that the four massive exterior columns
serve as important design elements. A closer look reveals that the
four large columns are ‘excessive structures’ that only support
the roof, and the floor slab of the second floor almost touches the
edge of the column, disclosing the fact that it is not structurally
related to the columns. However, these excessive columns are noteven the ‘main structure’ that support the roof: most of the actual
load is handled by the 52 window frames made of metal. This
description may make one think that steel columns are required
as it is a heavy concrete roof, but the weight can actually be
managed by half of the current number of columns. A couple of
moments of foreshadowing hide the true structural method, and
the composition of exaggerated or reduced architectural elements
create a space of strange tension.
Some say architecture is a work of anchoring to the ground,
others that it is a boundary line between ideas, and others a
phenomenon that the body perceives. An influential figure of
his time states that architecture is surfing, as it has to balance
on the waves of its governing capital and programme. Likewise,
many attempts have been made to define one field, a natural
compulsion that results from living in an age where trends rapidly
change and surge. I think architects have the space to return to
the oast and explore architecture itself. The term ‘architecture
of architecture’ is the slogan of a team of fellow architects that I
often meet at a gathering. The design nuances that they employ
are a little bit different from my own, but this phrase somehow
holds my attention. Certainly, architecture needs to consider
the relationship with the land and create harmony with its
surroundings, needs to meet its function as a building and propose
new programmes and lifestyles. However, my priority is a bit
different. Regardless of the many various conditions that inform
architecture, architecture’s values of existence can be expressed
through the basic elements that support architecture, such as
materials, forms, structures, and light. I believe that a building can
be made to be like a work of furniture, with lots of good uses. Just
as there is a chair that fits in any environment, and a table that
shows its true quality in a specific place, should there not be an
architect who strives to produce a well-made product? Recently,Vault House042 FRAME 0336and size is important, but its position inside the space is far more
significant. In Vault House, a low window on the first floor only
45cm above the floor and a 24m-long thin skylight were devised,
subtly cutting through and enlarging the space. When dealing
with light, daytime and night should have the same hierarchical
position. Lately, I have noticed a tendency to shun the ceiling light
in Korean buildings. In Western houses, the spaces look much
more sophisticated as no direct light is installed in the ceilings,
except in the kitchen and the bathroom for more functional
needs. However, it is difficult to do this in Korea due to the fixed
lifestyle and cultural differences. Therefore, I used different kinds
of architectural lighting, such as indirect lights, direct lights,
luminous ceilings, and line lights, and separated their circuits to
provide a varied ambiance. It sounds conventional, but in fact, this
is an elaborate and sophisticated architectural technique. Even
for architectural lighting it is good to use the indirect method,
so as not to expose the position of the light source and to enable
adjustment of the colour and brightness in order to contrast with
natural light. In the case of Café TONN, the first floor is relatively
dark during the daytime due to the eaves, and the second floor is
always bright by virtue of the glass wall running on all directions.
At night, the first floor is very bright due to the direct lights, and
the second floor is dark and soft due to the indirect lights. It is
always pleasing to use light to reverse time, changing the day and
night of a building.
Form Making
Along with colour, form is the fastest and the most definite way
through which to recognise objects. The form is a necessary and
sufficient condition for creating space, and it is a fundamental
element of architecture that must be given priority over anything
else. However, the act of clinging to a form may be perceived
as that of a less mature architect, and since people either like or
dislike to the extreme a form based on their subjective views,
architects tend to become passive in dealing with form. Ever since
I was young, I had been interested in modeling, and so I have
consistently focused on it as a central concern. In the earlier days
of my work, the pieces were twisted, cut, or added to, to create
new forms as if they were sculptures. In recent years, I have been
focusing on the scale, proportion, and composition of the basic
architectural elements such as floors, walls, columns, and roofs.
This method distinguishes it from more exaggerated and colourful
forms. In the unbuilt Daejeon project, I conceived of a different
scale for the columns and used tricks to connect them vertically. A
sense of dynamism and tension are expressed in the appearance
of these columns, shifting from the upper level’s columns that are
heavier than required to the lower level’s several thin, tilted, and
in fact, properly sized, ones. This is not something new: Mies van
der Rohe already used this technique to manipulate the purity of
a structure in many of his works. Therefore, there is still a lot of
potential for primitive elements and compositional methods in
architecture. Durastack Headquarters appears as if heavy masses
support the thin roof, but each of these large masses are hollow
inside, serving as a ‘room’ to accommodate their programmes.
There are many elements of architectural deception, as
mentioned above, spread throughout Café TONN. At first,
people pay attention to the form of a concave roof, but when they
look closer, they realise that the four massive exterior columns
serve as important design elements. A closer look reveals that the
four large columns are ‘excessive structures’ that only support
the roof, and the floor slab of the second floor almost touches the
edge of the column, disclosing the fact that it is not structurally
related to the columns. However, these excessive columns are noteven the ‘main structure’ that support the roof: most of the actual
load is handled by the 52 window frames made of metal. This
description may make one think that steel columns are required
as it is a heavy concrete roof, but the weight can actually be
managed by half of the current number of columns. A couple of
moments of foreshadowing hide the true structural method, and
the composition of exaggerated or reduced architectural elements
create a space of strange tension.
Some say architecture is a work of anchoring to the ground,
others that it is a boundary line between ideas, and others a
phenomenon that the body perceives. An influential figure of
his time states that architecture is surfing, as it has to balance
on the waves of its governing capital and programme. Likewise,
many attempts have been made to define one field, a natural
compulsion that results from living in an age where trends rapidly
change and surge. I think architects have the space to return to
the oast and explore architecture itself. The term ‘architecture
of architecture’ is the slogan of a team of fellow architects that I
often meet at a gathering. The design nuances that they employ
are a little bit different from my own, but this phrase somehow
holds my attention. Certainly, architecture needs to consider
the relationship with the land and create harmony with its
surroundings, needs to meet its function as a building and propose
new programmes and lifestyles. However, my priority is a bit
different. Regardless of the many various conditions that inform
architecture, architecture’s values of existence can be expressed
through the basic elements that support architecture, such as
materials, forms, structures, and light. I believe that a building can
be made to be like a work of furniture, with lots of good uses. Just
as there is a chair that fits in any environment, and a table that
shows its true quality in a specific place, should there not be an
architect who strives to produce a well-made product? Recently,Vault House