Reference Line, Section, Sequence: Hyunjoon Yoo + HYP Architects

 

Architect Hyunjoon Yoo (Professor, Hongik University), who expresses his insights on society, culture, geography, cities, and architecture through broadcasting and writing, is now bringing his concepts and arguments to life one by one through his designs. While his earlier works focused on boundaries centred around terraces or mediated spaces, his recent works that are introduced here focus more on the scenery and sequence of projects. As he has emphasised many times, the core keyword that traverses all his work is ‘relationship’. Different concepts, such as boundaries, scenery, sequences, reference lines, and podiums, can ultimately be viewed as tools for creating relationships between people, nature, and space.

 

Every project has its own story. At IDR Architects, those stories are never brief. This is true of this small brunch café, now known as the Old Barnyard. When the client first came to our office, the building was still a teahouse named ‘The Road to the Mountain Temple’. Located on the path leading to Cheonggyesa Temple, it was the sort of aging establishment that seemed just as likely to serve traditional Ssanghwa tea as coffee. Its façade was clad with rough, rounded logs stacked one upon another like a forest lodge, interrupted rather awkwardly by large panes of blue-tinted glass.

Reference Line, Section, Sequence: Hyunjoon Yoo + HYP Architects

 

Sungsil Church is located in a low-rise residential area in Yeokchon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul which is densely populated with multi-family and multi-household housing. Despite its high housing density, the neighbourhood lacks parks and open public spaces; moreover, surrounded by narrow alleys and pilotis parking lots, the environment offers little room for daily leisure. We therefore viewed this project not only as a new church construction, but as an opportunity to create much-needed public open space. Initially, the church requested a renovation of its 60-year-old chapel, but the building was structurally unsound. To stay within the limited budget, we decided to minimise new construction and focus on the courtyard.

Reference Line, Section, Sequence: Hyunjoon Yoo + HYP Architects

 

While constantly changing, the pace at which nature changes is so slow that it often goes unnoticed. This project proposes a reference line for perceiving the passage of time in nature through architecture. Just as a musical staff reveals the pitch of notes, architecture serves as a linear device for interpreting the changes in nature. We designed a long, linear mass – 15m wide and 200m long – nestled on the slope of Chilbongsan Mountain as an exhibition space comprising the welcome centre, the cultural centre, and a lake observation deck. This linearity contrasts with the organic topography, allowing visitors to become conscious of both the rhythms of nature and their own movements.

 

Saekdong House occupies the centre of a residential block in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, where plots of around 330m2 line the streets. The project renovates and extends an aging house built in 1968 on a site of approximately 165m2. The house only reveals itself after one passes along the long, narrow entrance sequence within the site. Although the original house was single-storey, its floor was raised well above the ground and its ceiling height exceeded that of a typical house. This was likely an attempt to secure a little more sunlight and views despite the disadvantage of being buried within the middle of the block. To prevent leaks, a thick pitched roof was added over the original flat roof. The house seemed to stand on tiptoe with its neck outstretched, its oversized roof hovering above like tousled hair after sleep.