Seoul‘s “Surreally so โขReal” Challenges Commercial Architecture Norms with City-Integrated Design
Seoul, Southโฃ Korea – โA โคnew commercial building in โฃHongdae, dubbed “Surreally so Real” and โคdesigned by FHHH friends, is challenging conventional architectural approaches to maximize profit in dense urbanโ environments. Theโ project,completed in 2022,deliberately moves away from the typicalโ prioritization of storefront โฃexposureโฃ andโค instead introduces a “buffer zone” between the โinterior and the โคcity,allowing โฃpublic โspace to flow into the building.
Hongdae, a district known forโ its vibrant arts and entertainment scene, is characterizedโ by commercial structures โthat frequently enough feature minimal โขseparation between interior spaces and the street, creating a โคstark divide betweenโ public and privateโ realms. “Surreally so Real” offers an option, drawing on conventional architectural principlesโข that emphasize spatial negotiation over pure market efficiency. โคThis approach โคaims โคto โฃredefine the relationship between โcommercial spaces and the urban fabric,perhaps influencing future developments in similarly dense areas. the โproject was photographed by โKim Kyungtae.
The designโค directly confronts theโข limitations imposed โคby commercial pressures, where maximizing rent often dictates buildingโข form. Moast โbuildings in the area prioritize visibility, resulting in thin walls and expansive show windows.FHHH friends’ โproject intentionally disrupts this pattern by โคcreating a โtransitional space,blurring the lines between the interiorโ and exteriorโ and inviting the city to become an integral part ofโข the building’s experience. This strategy seeks to foster a more engaging and integrated urban habitat.
