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Architects: Doojin Hwang Architects
- Area: 4528 m²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Kim Yongkwan
Text description provided by the architects. Won & Won 63.5, a rental office and commercial building, is located in Gangnam. The name Won & Won 63.5 is a mixture of the clients' family name and the building's full height of 63.5m. The clients are interested in re-interpreting traditional design in a contemporary approach; they look for sensitive and detailed design, above the conventional market demands for the building type.
The most prominent visual characteristic of this 15-story building is the use of brick. The softness of the material and the human labor involved in the building process are the key aesthetical points. The middle section of the entire front facade is a porous brick wall with 50% porosity; it is a 'pixellated' wall, with bricks as pixels. The wall creates a sharp contrast between day and night, and works as an excellent sun screen, increasing the 'green' performance of this west-facing building. A group of openings on the wall in various sizes work as railings for the balconies behind; they also provide 'human presence' on the facade, an unusual feature for a building of this height and size. The signage design, fully integrated with architecture and lighting, pleasant and easy-to-read in the night as well.
The parking access is located at the lowest point on the front street, shortening the length of the ramp and lowering the entire parking system, so that its presence is minimized from the pedestrian point of view. A mezzanine floor on top of the parking system merges with the ground floor to create one large commercial space with double floor height directly accessible from the main street. Another unique feature is the sunken garden with a slope ceiling covered with super-mirror stainless panels, which works like a periscope, allowing the basement and the front street to exchange views. To the south of the building is a public pedestrian path, connecting Gangnamdaero in the front and the alley in the back. The railing along this path has an integrated indirect lighting, keeping the path safe in the night. Overall, the effort for efficient design for a rental building co-exists with the concern for public safety and amenity.
The top story has a roof garden, similar to the courtyard of a c-shaped Hanok; the FAR has to be carefully manipulated to create this design feature. The porous wall and its many openings help to provide different views on every floor. DJHA hope this building will give a new, positive urban impact on Gangnamdaero, where only mundane, curtain-wall buildings prevail.
