The bulging mid-section of the building helps increase the office floorspace|The balcony increases the feeling of space in the office, but is counted as external space|A street view showing the Gilmosery’s overhang|A meeting room on the double-height top floor||
Archium’s Gilmosery office building in the affluent residential district of Seocho in Seoul, South Korea, overcomes planning restrictions on floor space and height with its ‘bulging’ asymmetrical form.
Circumventing strict planning restrictions relating to ground-floor footprint size, architect Kim In-Cheurl of Archium has designed a Seoul office building that bulges in the middle to optimise floorspace.
Designed for internet banking software developer Settle Bank, the Gilmosery building, the reinforced-concrete structure, offers 1,029sq m of office space on a 383sq m site. It comprises seven storeys, including one below ground level in order to conform to height restrictions.
The double-layered exterior wall creates a wide balcony on each level with floor-to-ceiling openings that form contemporary colonnades, boxed in by perforated metal planters and benches. The balcony provides extensive breakout space for workers, but is considered external space by regulators.
From inside, the building appears spacious and airy. Glass-walled offices look on to the balcony space, while the interior design is raw and simple with polished concrete walls and floors. A double-height upper floor benefits from large amounts of light.
