Space – August 2019

100 PROJECT SALON GUUI

The Guui-dong area, in the eastern part of

Seoul, comprises many red-brick detached

homes built in the 1980s. While villa-style

buildings were newly constructed in the

early 2000s, the area has retained its

distinctive landscape, cherishing moments

long past in each and every corner. The

residential housing typical to the district,

instigated by and representative of the real-

estate boom of the 1980s, still features the

semi-basements and individual access at

each level. The building codes of the 1980s

required every building to have a basement

that could be altered into a bunker with

relative ease at the outbreak of war. There

was no need to dig deeper or to introduce

a higher ceiling in the basement. Later

on, as a result of the hike in the housing

demand coupled with a desire to maximize

rental income, the semi-basement was

transformed into a poor form of housing

and buildings also became further

compartmentalized to accommodate more

than two units on each floor. Independent

access has therefore gained in importance.

Residential Design Type of the 1980s and

the New Design

Salon Guui presents a new stylish possibility

for refurbishing Korean residential buildings

of the 1980s. The building consists of

a semi-basement, a first floor elevated

by half a story, and a second floor, and

independent access connected on each

floor. The new design for the building of

195m^2 – with five units (two in the semi-

basement, one on the first floor, two on the

second floor) – includes an office (semi-

basement, first floor) and the residential

area (second floor). The main office area

is located in the semi-basement, which is

suitable for the purpose of using the semi-

basement and the first floor as a unified

office space.

The most important part of the project is the

first floor, which has been elevated by half a

story at the southwest road level. This space

is designed without a specific programme.

It serves as an office space connected to

the semi-basement, but has the possibility

of being used as a living space for the family

members of the owner who will live on the

second floor. In other words, the first floor,

which is referred to as a ‘salon’, will act as a

space between the semi-basement and the

second floor, and become a reception room

where various activities such as meetings,

exhibitions, relaxation, and leisure can take

place.

The Scope for Conservation and

Demolition in the Original Spatial Layout

Buildings built by the so-called jipjangsa,

the home sellers, also demonstrate the

architectural style and language of the time.

This type of architecture has a universal

value since it functions as a ‘collective

architecture’, representing the atmosphere

of the time. The decisions to ensure what

values persist and what do not during the

renovation project follow the standards

outlined by architects. This should be

differentiated from the consumer trend

of the ‘Retro’, which simply chases after

that which has an old-fashioned veneer.

Salon Guui establishes a hierarchy of

A Collective Style

Representing the Era

Lee Seungteak

co-principal, stpmj

건물 내 배관, 벽과 바닥의 축조 방식, 외부의 건축적 요소 등은 한 시대를 환기하는 집합체적 양식으로서 보존되었다.

The plumbing system, the construction method, and the architectural elements of the exterior are all preserved in the style of ‘collective architecture’.

100 PROJECT SALON GUUI

The Guui-dong area, in the eastern part of

Seoul, comprises many red-brick detached

homes built in the 1980s. While villa-style

buildings were newly constructed in the

early 2000s, the area has retained its

distinctive landscape, cherishing moments

long past in each and every corner. The

residential housing typical to the district,

instigated by and representative of the real-

estate boom of the 1980s, still features the

semi-basements and individual access at

each level. The building codes of the 1980s

required every building to have a basement

that could be altered into a bunker with

relative ease at the outbreak of war. There

was no need to dig deeper or to introduce

a higher ceiling in the basement. Later

on, as a result of the hike in the housing

demand coupled with a desire to maximize

rental income, the semi-basement was

transformed into a poor form of housing

and buildings also became further

compartmentalized to accommodate more

than two units on each floor. Independent

access has therefore gained in importance.

Residential Design Type of the 1980s and

the New Design

Salon Guui presents a new stylish possibility

for refurbishing Korean residential buildings

of the 1980s. The building consists of

a semi-basement, a first floor elevated

by half a story, and a second floor, and

independent access connected on each

floor. The new design for the building of

195m^2 – with five units (two in the semi-

basement, one on the first floor, two on the

second floor) – includes an office (semi-

basement, first floor) and the residential

area (second floor). The main office area

is located in the semi-basement, which is

suitable for the purpose of using the semi-

basement and the first floor as a unified

office space.

The most important part of the project is the

first floor, which has been elevated by half a

story at the southwest road level. This space

is designed without a specific programme.

It serves as an office space connected to

the semi-basement, but has the possibility

of being used as a living space for the family

members of the owner who will live on the

second floor. In other words, the first floor,

which is referred to as a ‘salon’, will act as a

space between the semi-basement and the

second floor, and become a reception room

where various activities such as meetings,

exhibitions, relaxation, and leisure can take

place.

The Scope for Conservation and

Demolition in the Original Spatial Layout

Buildings built by the so-called jipjangsa,

the home sellers, also demonstrate the

architectural style and language of the time.

This type of architecture has a universal

value since it functions as a ‘collective

architecture’, representing the atmosphere

of the time. The decisions to ensure what

values persist and what do not during the

renovation project follow the standards

outlined by architects. This should be

differentiated from the consumer trend

of the ‘Retro’, which simply chases after

that which has an old-fashioned veneer.

Salon Guui establishes a hierarchy of

A Collective Style

Representing the Era

Lee Seungteak
co-principal, stpmj

건물 내 배관, 벽과 바닥의 축조 방식, 외부의 건축적 요소 등은 한 시대를 환기하는 집합체적 양식으로서 보존되었다.

The plumbing system, the construction method, and the architectural elements of the exterior are all preserved in the style of ‘collective architecture’.