Morphosis Employs Fiber-Reinforced Facade for Kolon Headquarters in Seoul

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Morphosis Architects has revealed their designs for a new headquarters for manufacturing corporation The Kolon Group to be located in in emerging Magok district of Seoul, South Korea. Part of a revitalization effort fostered by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to turn the area into a new “industrial ecosystem,” the four-acre project will sit adjacent to Magok’s central park, becoming the district’s first major completed building.

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A diverse corporation that began its life as a nylon manufacturer, the Kolon Group now comprises 38 divisions ranging from textiles to chemicals to sustainable technologies to fashion. To support this myriad of focuses, Kolon required an expansive, yet consolidated R & D campus that could bring together researchers, leadership and designers into a single location housing flexible laboratory facilities, executive office and active social spaces to encourage interaction and the exchange of ideas throughout the company.

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To achieve these goals, Morphosis has designed a folding, high-tech building organized around a grand entry and multi-story atrium. Research laboratories are placed into three wings that extend out from the voluminous social mass, which angles down toward the park to provide shading to the lower floors. Along the street level, flagship retail and exhibition galleries will draw in visitors and communicate the brand’s products to the public.

A transparent ground plane at the entrance draws the landscape into the interior, with natural light directing visitors through an open pedestrian laneway into the the grand entry and social center. Movement will be on display throughout the the 30 meter tall, 100 meter long atrium, as well as a massive system of 8 meter “stretchers” that will display a range of Kolon-made fabrics.

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The use of Kolon products continues to the building exterior, where the distinctive brise-soleil system on the western facade utilizes a GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic) formulation containing of Kolon’s high-tech Aramid fabric to create a performative and symbolic feature for the building. The system has been parametrically shaped to optimize shading and views.

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The design was also approached with environmental sustainability in mind, with measures including green roofs, recycled materials, and a bubble deck slab that reduces the amount of concrete used by 30%.

“The performance of the building was approached as a holistic concept encompassing energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship, working in concert with education and employee health and wellbeing,” explain the architects. “Along with goals for LEED Gold and the most rigorous sustainability certification in Korea, the project focuses on the quality of the work environment through roof terraces, courtyards, and other measures that increase access to natural light and air for employees.”

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Construction on the project is already underway, with an expected completion date of March 2018.

News via Morphosis.

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• Architects

  Morphosis

• Location

  Magok, 공항대로 지하163 Gayang-dong, Gangseo-gu, 서울특별시 South Korea

• Design Director

  Thom Mayne

• Project Principal

  Eui-Sung Yi

• Project Manager

  Sung-Bum Lim

• Project Architects

  Ji-Young Jon, Sung-Soo Lim, Zach Pauls, Aaron Ragan

• Project Designers

  Daniel Pruske, Natalia Traverso-Caruana

• Project Team

  Ilaria Campi, Yoon Her, Meari Kim, Sarah Kott, Michelle Lee, Jung Jae Park,  Go-Woon Seo, Pablo Zunzunegui

• Advanced Technology

  Cory Brugger, Kerenza Harris, Stan Su, Atsushi Sugiuchi

• Project Assistants

  Natalie Abbott, Viola Ago, Lily Bakhshi, Paul Cambon, Jessica Chang, Tom Day, Kabalan Fares, Stuart Franks, Fredy Gomez, Marie Goodstein, Parham Hakimi, Maria Herrero, James Janke, Dongil Kim, One-Jea Lee, Seo Joo Lee, Katie MacDonald, Eric Meyer, Nicole Meyer, Elizabeth Miller, Liana Nourafshan, Brian Richter, Ahmed Shokir, Ari Sogin, Colton Stevenson, Henry Svendsen, Derrick Whitmire, Helena Yun, Eda Yetim

• Visualization

  Jasmine Park, Sam Tannenbaum

• Local Architect

  Haeahn Architecture

• Structural

  Buro Happold, SSEN

• MEP

  Arup, HiMec, Nara

• Sustainability/LEED

  Arup, Transsolar, HiMec, Eco-Lead

• Facade

  Arup, FACO

• Lighting

  Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, Alto Lighting

• Civil

  ACE ALL

• Fire

  Arup, KF UBIS

• BIM

  Morphosis Architects, Gehry Technologies, DTCON Architecture

• Landscape

  Morphosis Architects, Haeahn Architecture

• Interiors

  Morphosis Architects, Haeahn Architecture, Kidea

• Audiovisual/IT

  Kolon

• Code/Life Safety

  Haeahn Architecture

• Specifications

  Morphosis Architects, Haeahn Architecture

• Waterproofing

  Haeahn Architecture

• Signage/Graphics

  Morphosis Architects, Haeahn Architecture

• Security

  Kolon

• Cost Estimator

  Kolon

• Construction Management

  Kolon Global Corp.

• General Contractor

  Kolon Global Corp.

• Facade Construction

  Korea Carbon (GFRP), Korea Tech-Wall (GFRC), Han Glass (Curtain Wall), Steel Life (Interior Liner)

• Phase 1 Size

  821,286.36 ft² / 76,300 m²

• Phase 2 Size

  242,220.28 ft² / 22,503 m²

• Program

  Corporate headquarters, offices, and research center including labs, meeting suites, exhibition space, brand shop, cafeteria, library, lecture rooms, and other support facilities

• Design

  Nov 2013 - Nov 2015

• Construction

  June 2015 - Mar 2018

• LEED

  Gold (expected)

• Area

  98803.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Courtesy of Morphosis Architects

• Architects

  Morphosis

• Audiovisual

  Kolon

• IT

  Kolon

• Signage

  Morphosis Architects, Haeahn Architecture

• Graphics

  Morphosis Architects, Haeahn Architecture

• Sustainability and LEED

  Arup, Transsolar, HiMec, Eco-Lead

• Code / Life Safety

  Haeahn Architecture