Located in the dense urban fabric of Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, this neighborhood building reinterprets the commercial typology with a refined sculptural presence.
Completed in 2021, the project reflects a minimalist architectural language, emphasizing pure massing and controlled curves to establish visual identity within a compact corner lot.
The reinforced concrete structure is articulated with a soft curvature at the street edge, creating a smooth flow between the building and the pedestrian experience.
Large glass openings on the lower floors invite transparency and interaction, while the upper volume offers privacy through subtle detailing and textural contrast.
Despite its modest scale, the building stands out through its precise material palette and bold geometric simplicity.
This project contributes to the neighborhood not only as a functional commercial space, but also as an architectural marker that enriches the everyday landscape of Gangnam.
Situated in 674-00, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, the site occupies a prime urban location with high accessibility and cultural significance.
It is nestled between major subway lines—Line 2 and Line 9—providing seamless connectivity to key areas of Seoul such as Yeoksam Station, Eonju Station, and Seonjeongneung Station.
The site benefits from a triangular axis of movement formed by surrounding transit nodes, ensuring continuous pedestrian and vehicular flow.
Located just a short walk from Seonjeongneung, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the area presents a juxtaposition of historical gravity and modern urban dynamics.
The proximity to vibrant commercial corridors and serene green spaces offers a unique duality: the intensity of city life on one side, and contemplative calm on the other.
This rich urban fabric allows the building to serve not only as a functional commercial space but also as a spatial hinge between the heritage of the past and the pace of contemporary Gangnam.
The corner site maximizes exposure and visibility, turning the architecture into a visual marker and an anchor for the neighborhood’s evolving identity.
This building in Yeoksam-dong presents a compelling dialogue between solidity and transparency, curve and line, volume and void.
Its form is sculpted with precise urban intent—anchored to the corner of a dense commercial block, yet distinctively refined in posture and proportion.
The vertical elevation is composed of clean planar masses articulated by a rhythmic grid of fine horizontal brickwork, offering a tactile softness to the building’s monolithic presence.
The curved glass volume on the lower corner mediates between the solid wall and street activity, pulling in natural light while enhancing permeability at the pedestrian level.
This contrast of convex transparency against concave opacity introduces a duality—openness below, enclosure above—expressing a functional hierarchy while enriching the building’s spatial narrative.
Strategically placed perforated brick screens punctuate the facade, offering glimpses of internal activity and casting patterned light into the upper floors.
At dusk, the building subtly transforms: its curved edges reflect the ambient sky, while the inner light softly escapes through carefully carved apertures.
Rather than shouting for attention, the architecture speaks in a measured tone—assertive in silhouette, restrained in detail, and intelligent in its urban insertion.
This is not merely a building; it is an urban object composed with sculptural clarity and poetic restraint, contributing meaningfully to the architectural fabric of Gangnam.
Architectural Notes
Set within a tight alleyway, the building asserts its presence through clean geometry and crisp material articulation.
Subtle curves and sharp corners coexist harmoniously, enhancing both circulation and visual rhythm.
The fine-textured white brick cladding offers a refined surface, while vertical glass inserts introduce light and transparency.
Inside, the stairwell is treated as an extension of the facade—minimal, bright, and rhythmically punctuated by vertical light.
This quiet urban infill speaks with clarity and restraint, offering a refined spatial experience within a dense context.
