hankook technodome by foster + partners opens in korea

the hankook technodome, a new research and development center for the tire firm, has opened in daejeon, south korea. designed by foster + partners, the 96,328 square meter facility aims to attract the industry’s top talent, with light filled workplaces, advanced laboratories, and integrated social spaces intended to nurture a culture of openness and innovation.

all images courtesy of foster + partners

in its design of the workplace, foster + partners placed an emphasis on communication for hankook’s staff. central meeting pods allow for spontaneous team meetings, while tire testing and research laboratories remain on display to invited visitors and staff. the design team sought to create ‘a sleek, contemporary and mysterious building with a floating silver roof’. the architects then established the scheme’s new program requirements — which ranged from isolation pits to double-height spaces capable of accommodating specialist equipment.

the ‘mysterious’ building features a floating silver roof

the building’s plan promotes visual connections among different areas, with a highly flexible arrangement that enables future changes in use. the levels step up from four to six storeys, in response to the height restriction imposed by an adjacent government site. research spaces extend along a top-lit central spine that runs from a restaurant and entrance in the south, to the staff accommodation to the north. suspended meeting pods are elevated within the full-height space, which also functions as a lightwell.

central meeting pods allow for spontaneous team meetings

the lobby functions as an exhibition space for the latest product range, with views provided into the testing areas and the external parkland. meanwhile, carefully programmed circulation routes create a natural divide between public areas and more sensitive product development zones. from an environmental standpoint, waste heat is used to heat the adjacent dormitory building, while a lake at the site’s southern entrance harvests rainwater for use in cooling.

the central atrium also functions as a lightwell

‘the design of the new R+D center for hankook tire responds to the organization’s specific way of working and their commitment to cutting-edge technology and research,’ explains nigel dancey, head of studio at foster + partners. ‘it encapsulates a diverse range of spaces from highly controlled laboratory environments to flexible meeting pods that promote collaboration, all contained within a simple, emblematic form.’

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