The project plays with two contrasting materials – concrete for the solid base and the fine metal grating for the veil – in order to create complex ambiances and micro-climates and to enrich one’s urban experiences in Gangnam.
Two parcels were combined to increase the complexity of massing and urban experiences. The two lower floors are residential and are distributed by private staircases carved into the volume, while the two upper floors are public (with a coffee shop, a co-working space, and a meeting room) and are distributed by a public staircase. The veil gently wraps the upper volumes, creating exterior spaces in different orientations with various microclimates. The intention was to differentiate both stairways through different materialities and let people easily distinguish which one to use.
The veil would thus act as support and be covered with different kinds of vegetation, protectïng from the sun, noise, wind, and pollution of the city, and create in-between spaces that could serve as extensions of one’s living room or workspace. These spaces would become a neutral ground upon which people may gather and different activities might take place.