Architecture: JOHO Architecture
Project: Coffee Shop
Photo: Roh Kyung
Geo: Busan, South Korea
Concealing visual volume is one of the most intriguing challenges architects face, especially when a large structure must be integrated into an environment that doesn’t readily accommodate it. My first encounter with this was in Nizhny. Imagine the task of placing a 10-story office building in a historic 2−3 story street. It’s impossible to situate such a volume on the front line without compromising both moral and aesthetic considerations.
For such cases, architects have devised a solution of placing the structure in stepped sections receding into the development. This way, the building on the main line does not exceed the height of the historic part, while each subsequent section increases in height by 1−2 floors. The result is a fascinating pyramid that does not dominate the historic part, yet the farthest sections achieve the required 10-story height.
In today’s project, the situation is similar, but the approach is different. Here, the "dissolution" of the object in its surroundings was necessary to preserve the natural landscape. The height is concealed by using delicate arched structures, which in places are completely transparent due to extensive glazing. The logic is similar: the higher the floor, the lighter the structure appears.
The task is accomplished, and the resulting structures have formed an interesting plasticity, offering a wide field for photography.
Project: Coffee Shop
Photo: Roh Kyung
Geo: Busan, South Korea
Concealing visual volume is one of the most intriguing challenges architects face, especially when a large structure must be integrated into an environment that doesn’t readily accommodate it. My first encounter with this was in Nizhny. Imagine the task of placing a 10-story office building in a historic 2−3 story street. It’s impossible to situate such a volume on the front line without compromising both moral and aesthetic considerations.
For such cases, architects have devised a solution of placing the structure in stepped sections receding into the development. This way, the building on the main line does not exceed the height of the historic part, while each subsequent section increases in height by 1−2 floors. The result is a fascinating pyramid that does not dominate the historic part, yet the farthest sections achieve the required 10-story height.
In today’s project, the situation is similar, but the approach is different. Here, the "dissolution" of the object in its surroundings was necessary to preserve the natural landscape. The height is concealed by using delicate arched structures, which in places are completely transparent due to extensive glazing. The logic is similar: the higher the floor, the lighter the structure appears.
The task is accomplished, and the resulting structures have formed an interesting plasticity, offering a wide field for photography.