Chungha Building Seoul, South Korea 2013

摘要

The Chungha building - containing a collection of brands in one - had become a rotten tooth in a fast changing streetscape dominated by single brand stores. On the previous facade, a motley collection of fonts competed for the attention of passersby. The sober building's beige natural stone facade 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 facade 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 facade would have a fitting canvas for its display. The building's facade becomes more advertisement, and in that sense paradoxically more honest.