SPACE September 2025 (No. 694)
Core disassembly system. ©Kyungsub Shin
FUTURA SEOUL. ©Choi Yongjoon
Seoul e-pyunhansesang Urban Bridge. Image courtesy of Chun Architects / ©Design Studio Yegam
On July 14, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the eight winning projects of the 43rd Seoul Architecture Award. This year, 89 entries were submitted, 19 from the public sector and 70 from the private sector. Aligned with the 2025 Seoul Architecture Festival’s theme, ‘Seoul-ness: Multi-Layered City’, the jury prioritised projects that interpreted the uniqueness, identity, and locality of Seoul from a future-oriented perspective.
The Grand Prize went to FHHH Architects (co-principals, Yoon Hanjin, Han Seungjae, Han Yangkyu) for their Core disassembly system, an office building for the fashion brand thisisneverthat, located in Seongsu-dong. The project boldly removed the central core of the building to create a column-free, open-plan space. The core was divided and arranged in a cross-shaped formation, used as the vertical structure of the building. The intersecting points are tied with square-shaped post-tensioned beams, eliminating the need for columns. At the center, a ‘scissor stair’, crossing a spiral stair and a straight stair across three floors, allows users to move between levels without changing their direction. The entire building was designed as a continuous, circulating space that enhances mobility, communication, and a fluid work environment. The introduction of a cantilever structure fixed only at one end enables natural light to penetrate deep into the interior space. The project was highly praised for achieving both a simple structural composition and a flexible space that can easily adapt to changes in building use.
The First Prizes went to FUTURA SEOUL, designed by WGNB (principal, Baek Jonghwan) + Perspectives Architects (co-principal, Kim Wonbang), and Seoul e-pyunhansesang Urban Bridge by SIAPLAN (co-principal, Yang Heebum) + Chun Architects (principal, Chun Yseo). FUTURA SEOUL created a front façade using a concrete mass and horizontal ribbon windows aligned to the site boundary, while lifting the upper façade on a cantilever inspired by the eaves of a hanok to create an approximately 5m void at ground level. Carefully designed to offer views of Bukchon from the upper floors and rooftop, the building was praised for harmonising the traditional and the modern. Seoul e-pyunhansesang Urban Bridge is a 593-unit housing project that departs from the conventional model of isolated apartment blocks. Instead, the design removes walls and loosely ties the buildings together through site planning, forming a more natural sense of its boundary. Through the ‘linkage village’ process that organically connects the low, mid, and high-rise elements, the low-rise units introduce small courtyards and passages to draw people in, while the mid-rise units and towers are linked three-dimensionally to yield a new residential type. The expansion of central pedestrian corridors and the removal of fences further reinforced the openness of the complex. The project was commended for creating a community-oriented housing development that blends seamlessly with its urban surroundings.
Four projects – one in the public sector and three in the private sector – were selected for the Excellence Awards. In the public sector, stpmj (co-principals, Lee Seungteak, Lim Mijung) was recognised for the Seoul AI Hub Mega Floor. In the private sector, the winners were Hwayeon Jae by Spaceyeon Architects (principal, Lee Sangdae), COFFEE AUDITORIUM by MAAPS Architects Cooperation (co-principals, Kim Sungmin, Rue Samyeol), and Joongdong High School, Won-Ik Hall by Proto Architects (principal, Yoon Sunkyeong) + Nanal Architects (principal, Jo Jihyun).
The Emerging Architect Award, newly established this year, went to Grid 149 by SOSU ARCHITECTS (co-principals, Go Seokhong, Kim Mihee). This year’s Seoul Architecture Award highlighted the growing presence of the younger generation, with five projects by architects under the age of 45, including the Grand Prize winner, among the winners.
