Urbanhive - ELEVATION, drawing courtesy of Kim In Cheurl

Urbanhive - CONCEPT, image courtesy of Kim In Cheurl

Korean architect Kim In Cheurl designed the innovative Urbanhive tower located in Seoul, South Korea. Urbanhive is a 17 levels of 70 meter high tower with white exposed concrete and contextually sits on the corner of the street within the urban matrix, featuring the perforated architectural façade.

The holes in the skin are designed to be a method of looking at the city from the space, an architecture that can also be enjoyed from the city.

Kim In Cheurl

+ Project description courtesy of Kim In Cheurl

Prosody of place – Buildings make places and places form the urban landscape

Urbanhive, image © Park Young Chea

Urbanhive is a17-storied, 70 metre tower with white exposed concrete and contextually sits on the corner of the street within the urban matrix. The red brick tower designed by Mario Botta stands on the adjacent corner of the street, creating a landmark place in the city.

The urban matrix consists of latitude and longitude, these lines of origin will cross paths and meet. Urban energy is gathered at these points. Not only the physical energy concentrated and spreading, but also the symbolic energy of the co-ordinates of urban space concentrates at these points.

Urbanhive, image © Park Young Chea

Urbanhive; a punched concrete box is an element in the matrix, creating urban landscape and consequently making a relation between the place and the city.

Purity of concrete with monolithic simplicity catches the floating city for a moment, exposing the architectural structure and reversing the curtain wall (a skin wrapping a space).

The holes in the skin are designed to be a method of looking at the city from the space, an architecture that can also be enjoyed from the city.

Looking at the landscape of a city from a sequence of framed view enables us to discover new meaning of daily life.

The transparent glass screen, separated from structural holes, is only to maintain the internal conditions, not to serve as a window.

Urbanhive, image courtesy of Kim In Cheurl

The circular cell placed diagonally reduces weight of a rectangular tube, reinforced concrete structure.

The cast are made of P.O steel using a laser cutting machine and packed with high strength high flow concrete.

Urbanhive, image © Park Young Chea

Exposed concrete is not only an external material creating an architectural façade, but it can also be the finishing material for interiors.

Interiors identified with exteriors blur the line between in and out.

Although it is a multi storied building, there is not an entrance hall or lobby.

A point where a building meets a city, it introduces a series of new spaces; voids and massing.

The open space spreading in and out of the building is a public space.

People can be directly connected to their own space form an urban road.

Urbanhive, image © Park Young Chea

The corridor of each floor is open to the outside as if an urban road is extended.

The subway is linked from B2 floor and its entrance is covered as a part of Urbanhive.

+ Project credits / data

Architect: Kim In Cheurl
Project: Urbanhive
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Photography: © Park Young Chea

+ All images and drawings courtesy of Kim In Cheurl | Photo by Park Young Chea

Meals Next Door, rendering courtesy of Patrick Clay Studio

Patrick Clay Studio recently has designed the innovative restaurant – Meals Next Door.

+ Project description courtesy of Patrick Clay Studio

Meals next door is a clear revolutionary vision of creating an efficient, sustainable, and clean kitchen that delivers healthy home cooked cuisine to its customers. This project provides a unique opportunity to create a holistic vision for the future of fast food; clean, healthy, and organic.  The project is centered on sustainability and efficiency.

Entering the restaurant is a complete departure from the outside world.  Walls coated in American Clay stucco in rich hues and floors of plyboo bamboo gives the reception area a warm and delicate appearance; a place where the customers can marvel at the décor while they wait for their meals.  Leaving the profane and entering the sacred brings the viewer to the kitchen, a decidedly sacred and powerful space, worlds apart from the entranceway.

Long preparation areas made out of Hempcrete and concrete dye allow for a spotless and clinical appearance for food preparation.  An innovative lip system on the preparation area makes for a streamlined countertop into the wall, greatly reducing the hidden spots where dirt and grime could sneak.  Fluorescent lights give a sharp but warm glow as well as saving energy.

+ Patrick Clay Studio

+ All images and drawings courtesy of Patrick Clay Studio