Having wanted to visit this building for so long, I had high expectations. On approach, the four little houses perched atop the concrete base subtly adjust their orientation along the curving street, as if nodding to passers-by. However, the monolithic rusty corten facades are somewhat stark and harsh. It was interesting to find out later from Florian Beigel that it was Seung’s insistence that corten was used!
Moving closer, the consideration and care apparent in so much of IROJE and ARU’s work reveals itself strongly. Walking up the series of entrance steps into the central courtyard, I began to appreciate the usefulness of empty or ‘purposeless’ space1. The building could have been designed so that doors next to the street opened up straight into an internal foyer, allowing more square footage for exhibition space. However, as Beigel might describe it, Welcomm City offers a ‘gift’ to the city with its semi-open courtyard. From the courtyard, glimpses through the various levels of the building become visible, unfolding a series of routes across the vertical landscape.
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| L-r: Looking in, looking out, looking between |
The changes between levels are so far removed from the situation in Hongie; from street level to upper level. The study below concentrate on the stepped circulation.
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| Plan diagram illustrating level changes (lighter-darker, lower-higher) |
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