‘Lie wanted the building to make a mark
in Seoul’s luxury fashion district’
ABOVE LEFT, LIE SANGBONG
IN THE TOP-FLOOR CORRIDOR
OF HIS NEW HQ, DECORATED
WITH MURALS OF TREES. LIKE
HIS FASHION COLLECTIONS,
THE BUILDING’S DESIGN NODS
TO NATURE
ABOVE RIGHT, THE TOWER IS
SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO
MORE ORDINARY BUILDINGS.
‘WE WANTED TO SHOW A
MISMATCH TO CREATE A
FEELING OF SOMETHING NEW
AND UNEXPECTED,’ SAY THE
ARCHITECTS. ‘IT’S A SPACE
TO GENERATE CURIOSITY AND
INTEREST IN NEW CULTURE’lot in common,’ recalls Shin. ‘Both we and Sangbong
find inspiration in traditional Asian aesthetics and
transform this into something contemporary. We also
agree that there is no clear boundary between fashion
and architecture.’
It was a relationship that blossomed, so when
Lie decided to transform a commercial building in
the heart of Seoul’s stylish Cheongdam district
into his new base, he turned to Unsangdong for the
conversion. ‘He wanted the building to reflect his
unique style and to make a mark in the luxury fashion
district, which is full of foreign brands,’ says Shin.
The architectural duo’s design proposal, a slim,
tall tower with a sinuous, undulating façade, was
inspired by a 15th-century Korean painting referencing
an ‘ethereal utopia’. Lie immediately approved it.
‘Architecture and fashion have the same starting point
because they both deal with the human body. Both
evolved into more sophisticated spheres from the
same goal of protecting and making the human body
comfortable,’ says Jang, adding that both disciplines
deal in form, structure and material, and the idea
of creating or transforming an outer ‘skin’.
The dynamic curves of the building’s front elevation
were its most challenging element. ‘We wanted to
create the otherworldly feel of a cloud, to illustrate
an ethereal utopia as seen in a dream,’ explains Jang.
‘To achieve this, we used vertical louvres as a base
and developed subtle differences in their spacing.’
The architects spent close to a year perfecting and3D-modelling the façade, creating a life-size mock-up
and eight scale models in the process. The finished
exterior is clad in waves of ceramic panels, chosen for
their matt texture and durability.
The building’s base is dedicated to fashion and
lifestyle. The entrance level hosts a café and a lifestyle
shop that sells goods by emerging Korean artists. The
first and second floors (which are connected through
a separate circulation core) house the showroom of Lie,
a popular fashion brand by Lie Sangbong’s son, and the
Lie Sangbong showroom, respectively. The five floors
above are set aside for office rental space, and the ninth
through to the thirteenth floors feature apartments.
The building’s top two levels feature a cultural space,
which may be hired out for shows, performances
and parties.
Juxtaposing the views of Seoul’s contemporary
skyline through large openings with classical references
to the Greek Agora within the building, the architects
aimed to create an interior that would surprise and
provoke conversation – seamlessly bringing together
urban, social and sartorial elements in a single building,
as befitting their client’s multidisciplinary outlook. ∂
usdspace.com; liesangbong.com Photography: Kim Jaeyoon146 ∑
Architecture