a curved brick wall ripples across LESS architects' office building design in seoul

‘volumetric urban space’ by LESS architects

Situated in the heart of a historical district adjacent to the Chosun Palace in Seoul’s Anguk-Dong neighborhood, ‘Volumetric Urban Space’ is a new sculptural office building meticulously designed by LESS Architects to respond to its context. ‘The narrow, interconnected streets and traditional buildings with varying textures in the area inspired our team to create a pedestrian-friendly design that prioritizes intimacy. The design process involved a detailed analysis of the street’s quantity and quality, leading to the building’s placement at the rear of the site to create an open space that coexists with the historic building,’ writes the practice.

The resulting rhythm between the narrow alleyway and the open public space is enhanced by a curved brick wall and roof design rippling across one side of the façade, forming an enclosed area that connects to the street on the west side.

images © LESS, Dongjo Lee, SNOW

prioritizing human movement and street flow

While the LESS Architects team carefully reflected and responded to the historical context, it also considered leveraging the rippling façde to prioritize human movement and traditional street logic. Indeed, the curved brick surfaces are vertically split to make room for open space, glazing, entrance, and landscape features, allowing for easy interaction with street passersby.

Inside the building, the narrow alleyway connects communal spaces and leads to a panoramic roof garden offering historical city views. The void space on each floor connects the interior to the street, taking in natural light and street conditions while accommodating human movement. Lastly, environmental sustainability was a key consideration in the design. The vertically connected void space is controlled by ventilation and daylight, ensuring the building is energy-efficient and provides a comfortable indoor environment for its occupants.

a sculptural gesture sweeps across the office building

‘Overall, this design creates an inviting, sustainable, and intimate urban environment that honors the site’s rich history and provides a functional and aesthetically pleasing space for its occupants and visitors. The popularity of the area among tourists further highlights the success of our design approach, which prioritizes pedestrian-friendly features and sensitivity to the surrounding context,’ concludes LESS Architects.

the curved brick wall rippling until reaching the entrance