“When approaching this project with such a large site, the fundamental question we asked ourselves was ‘how do we create a fabric?’” said Trent Tesch, KPF Design Principal. “Our solution was to work from our surroundings, looking at the neighboring low- and high-rise buildings, and in particular the adjacent Yongsan Park. We began by creating a central spine in the form of a landscaped linear park, conceptually extending the greenery of Yongsan Park into our project. From there, we were very interested in using the architecture of the buildings to create a human-scaled pedestrian experience. We looked at materiality, texture, color, shape, and size together to create an authentic, intimate, and timeless experience.”

The site is located north of the Han River, with Yongsan Park to the west and Mount Namsan to the east.  The park was formerly part of the United States’ military headquarters in South Korea, and in the early 20th century, was a base for  Japanese colonial forces. This summer, a portion of the park designed by the Dutch landscape architects West 8 and South Korean architects IROJE, opened it the public for the first time in over a century. The remainder of the park has yet to be turned over from the United States.

The materials and colors of The Parkside Seoul reference the existing residential structures in the capital city, linking the various program types within the neighborhood through a cohesive scale and palette. The Parkside Seoul prioritizes personal wellbeing, maximizing the potential for space to elevate how users interact with one another, in addition to sustainable practices that further provide a healthy environment.

Following Korea’s traditional model, the residential buildings on site are joined at a central core, resulting in a layered exterior envelope. The hotel connects through a series of green spaces that vertically extend the neighboring Yongsan Park. The pixelated façade of the hotel begins with an organic, rustic pattern to the west, evolving into a rigid and geometric expression at the eastern end.

The “officetel” portion of Parkside Seoul is comprised of seven buildings linked together to better relate to the nearby towers of the district. Each tower has a folded façade to reflect the ripping water of the Han River.

A tree-lined retail street runs through the neighborhood, connecting the various programs and providing a link to Yongsan Park. The storefronts offer an intimate approach to the commercial portion of the project, improving on the popular high streets in cities around the world.

The Parkside Seoul adds to KPF’s portfolio of work in the capital city, which also includes Lotte World Tower, the country’s tallest at 1,820 feet; Bundang Doosan Tower, two towers connected by a skybridge located along the Gyeongbu Expressway; and Samsung Seocho,  a 2.5 million square-foot corporate headquarters for Samsung Electronics.  Recently, KPF, in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio,  has unveiled the design for the Terminal 5 at Changi Airport in Singapore. This design revolves around the concept of “airport as a city” as a way of creating human-centered social spaces to enhance passengers’ experience