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Architects: WGNB
- Area: 1860 m²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Taeho Jung
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Manufacturers: Ingo Maurer, Sungan D&C
Text description provided by the architects. Design for commercial space reflects the changing lifestyle basically. Kyobo book Center at Busan Seomyeon shows such a change with two implicative images. Two images of sketch tell the before and after of this space. While the space of existing bookstore had the structure which made purchasers busy to choose, to buy and to go out, the changed space is designed to be a place where people can visit and stay easily even though buying no books. Low bookshelves and open space make this bookstore be a space where people want to stay for a long time. Designer chose Agora, a plaza formed in polis ancient Greek city state, as a motive of this space. Agora is the day was plaza, marketplace, place with storytelling, and such a space where people discussed about politics, economy and society freely. The Agora was the center of daily life for Greek people, this is an open space settled in the daily life for neighboring residents or those who visit it, regardless of buying books or not. Consequently, it was a space of daily life forming culture in it, and the designer plans to create such a space at this project.
Kyobo Book Center at Busan Seomyeon consists of the first floor and the first basement. On the first floor, the best-sellers are arranged at the front centering around the entrance, and its layout reflects Korean peculiarity. Behind the corners of poet, novel, culture and essay, corners of magazine, record figure and cartoon are situated. Seminar area is located above the cartoon corner. Space of basement gives the sense of openness to the two floors by expanding stairway on both sides and making a large void. It is divided with see-through walls by each part. The see-through walls categorize the space by using perforating panels.
The bookshelves on the basement are divided by categories but they maintain the general concept of open space due to the see-through walls at main human traffic line, books area, and HPTTRACTS area. In the middle of the basement, there is resting place like a plaza, which harmonizes with nature. There are various types of areas, but basically, the designer creates resting place where people can mingle each other naturally while reading. Inner gardening plays the aesthetic role to substitute for signs or to relax dry air, starting from the vertical garden at the cashier area.
