South Korea’s largest cosmetics manufacturer, Amorepacific, has been based in the Yongsan district of Seoul since 1956. The area is currently undergoing rapid change: in the east, a US Army barracks will soon be replaced by a new landscaped park, while in the west, a high-rise district is being built on the site of a former marshalling yard. This will radically change the skyline of the South Korean capital.
Rather than creating a traditional high-rise that stands out mainly due to its height, Amorepacific was more interested in establishing an integrated sustainability concept for their new headquarters that encompassed ecological and social aspects. This aim was achieved, as the building has since been awarded the Leed Gold certificate.
Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the new build blends contemporary high-rise concepts and elements of traditional Korean architecture into a new typology that the architects call “courtyard high-rise”.
Rather than creating a traditional high-rise that stands out mainly due to its height, Amorepacific was more interested in establishing an integrated sustainability concept for their new headquarters that encompassed ecological and social aspects. This aim was achieved, as the building has since been awarded the Leed Gold certificate.
Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the new build blends contemporary high-rise concepts and elements of traditional Korean architecture into a new typology that the architects call “courtyard high-rise”.