Foster + Partners have broken ground on their Hankook Technodome, a state-of-the-art research and development facility for the Korean Tyre giant. Based in Daejeon, the 'silicon valley' of Asia, the new facility will provide light filled offices and laboratories, as well as social spaces which nurture a culture of openness and innovation.
More on the design of the Hankook Technodome after the break
The design of the new centre builds on an analysis of the organisation, opting for an integrated arrangement of offices and testing areas with visual connections between the different spaces which encourage interaction and collaboration. The building is arranged as five fingers, with breaks between each finger which draw daylight into the center of the floor plate.
These fingers extend off of a central spine, with glazed oval meeting pods suspended above the full-height space. The circulation within the spine also outlines the public and private spaces, allowing visitors to tour the factory spaces without accessing the more sensitive product development areas.
The design aims for a LEED 'gold' classification, integrating a system which reuses waste heat from the research and development center to heat the residential accommodation, and a rainwater harvesting lake at the southern entrance to the site which can be used for cooling applications.
Architects
Location
Daejeon, South KoreaPhotographs
Courtesy of Foster + Partners
