Edificio Chungha, en Seúl

Justo antes de que una canción pop de Corea, por primera vez en la historia se convirtiera en un éxito mundial en YouTube, y de que Gangnam se hiciera mundialmente famoso por ser el lugar preferido de los nuevos ricos de Seúl, la capital surcoreana, MVRDV recibió el encargo de Woon Nam Management Ltd. para redefinir un edificio en la elegante calle Apgujung de Gangnams. A pesar de que el edificio Chungha había sido construido en la década de 1980 ya resultaba anticuado para la calle dominada por las tiendas de marca. La transformación, que añade un nivel extra, se completó en sólo 9 meses.

El edificio Chungha se había convertido en algo caótico en ese paisaje urbano. En la fachada anterior, una abigarrada colección de estilos competían por la atención de los transeúntes. La fachada original de piedra natural amarillenta del sobrio edificio había sido arruinada por los mensajes comerciales. La planta baja estaba ocupada por los accesorios de cuero franceses Louis Quatorze. Los pisos superiores de oficinas alojaban además dos consultorios de cirugía plástica y la discreción requerida por sus pacientes también repercutió en el frente del edificio ya que sus ventanas fueron herméticamente cerradas, aportando un toque incierto a la estructura general.

Los marcos con curvas resultaron ser la mejor opción para las vidrieras, y en consecuencia, para seguir esas curvas, el mosaico se convirtió en el material de la fachada. Los azulejos de la fachada exterior, que se asemejan a una espuma blanca de piedra blanca, también se utilizan en la acera y en el vestíbulo. Las luces LED van cambiando la apariencia del edificio. En la planta superior, un espacio adicional del 10% de la superficie se convierte en una cafetería con una terraza exterior, dando como resultado una superficie total de 2.820 m2.

Original Text in English

Just before a Korean pop-song became a global success on YouTube for the first time in history, and Gangnam became world famous as the nouveau riche hangout of the South-Korean capital Seoul, MVRDV was commissioned by Woon Nam Management Ltd. to redefine a building on Gangnams chic Apgujung Road. Even though the Chungha building was completed in the 1980’s it was already outdated in a street dominated by flagship stores. The transformation, which added an extra level, was completed in just 9 months.

The Chungha building had become a rotten tooth in a fast changing streetscape dominated by single brand stores, this building contains a collection of brands in one. On the previous façade, a motley collection of fonts competed for the attention of passersby. The sober building’s beige natural stone façade was ruined by commercial messages. The ground floor is occupied by French leather accessories label Louis Quatorze, the floors above hold a wedding planners’ office, the clients’ maintenance society and two plastic surgery practices. The discretion required by the clients of the plastic surgeries also had implications for the building. The windows of these floors were hermetically sealed, adding to the worn out feel of the structure.

The new façade concept is convincingly simple: Chungha is a multiple identity building which was transformed into a collection of shop windows so each commercial venture imposed onto the façade would have a fitting canvas for its display. The building’s façade becomes more advertisement, and in that sense paradoxically more honest.

Curvaceous frames were found to be the best match to the large amount of shop windows, and a mosaic tile consequently became the façade material to follow the curves. LED lights change the buildings appearance. MVRDV was given nine months to complete the refurbishment. Adding to the complexity was the limited size of the construction site – five storeys tall but only 2,5 metres at its widest point. Construction workers were required to balance and squeeze themselves into narrow spaces.

Once unwrapped, the building appears reborn, its large windows are filled with transparent posters which provide space for changing brand identities and discretion for the clients of the plastic surgeon. A 10% addition on the top floor will be turned into a café with outside terraces, resulting in a total surface of 2,820 m2. The exterior façade tiles, which resemble white foam from close-up and smooth white stone from further away, are also used on the sidewalk and in the lobby.