muuun hotel nods to traditional korean architecture

NOMAL’s design references traditional Hanok houses

Seoul-based architectural firm NOMAL, in collaboration with Onjium housing studio, constructs a small hotel joined with two individual residences following the design principles of Hanok traditional Korean houses. Deviating from the stereotypes around the perception of Hanok, the structure reinterprets the design of the wooden house in a modern way. Without being bound by a particular concept, such as modern reinterpretation or keeping the tradition, the design required two houses in one site, not a typical feature for the specific architectural style. The plan constructs a courtyard, forming two ‘L’ shapes, with the entrance courtyard on the south side and the birth myth of ‘Park Hyeokgeose’ on the north side. The courtyards overlook the historic sites ‘Najeong’ and ‘Namsan’ to the east of the Silla Dynasty. Muuun hotel takes its name from the word meaning ‘the place where mist and cloud befriend’, locating its site close to ‘Samreung’ forest, well known for its beautiful natural scenery. The project aims for a spatial experience similar to the sense of entering a forest full of mist.

all images by Choi Yongjoon

two joined L-SHAPED units form muuun hotel’s plan

Designed as a welcoming space, the first entrance curves at 45 degrees between two hanok leading to the main area. The second open courtyard forms a solid facade securing privacy from the neighboring sites. Each L shape unit meets in the center corner as an entrance. Both volumes arrange a living room close to the door and a bedroom at the far corner. The more intimate zones are enveloped inside walls leaving only some small openings at the top for ventilation. Design studio NOMAL lays out each house with sufficient usability, and comfort for the user. Traditional hanok houses shape typical floor types for sitting and sleeping on the floor for a sedentary lifestyle.

Muuun presents two different flooring surfaces, a wooden base used for the living room and dining area where tables and chairs sit, and a higher base coated in traditional materials, such as clay plaster and linoleum with bean oil, used for the bedrooms. Differentiating from hanok’s primary white tonality, the walls and ceilings use grey Korean color paper. The bedrooms put up another layer of traditional paper and hemp cloth doors to control the opacity of light coming from the outdoor open garden. The effect creates translucent silhouettes resembling the image of mist and clouds. Finally, the bathtub at the far end of the house exposes the wood structure and assembles a high ceiling and wide-open doors. The openings can transform the space into an indoor or outdoor bath, representing a modern well, as a reference to the local myth of ‘Park Hyukgeose’.

the project is a modern reinterpretation of Hanok traditional Korean houses