""Surreally so Real" confronts the limitations of commercial architecture in Hongdae while proposing an alternative. In this dense urban district, most commercial buildings prioritize maximum exposure in order to secure higher rents. Interiors and streets are often separated only by thin walls or show windows, yet this very condition reinforces the dichotomy between inside and outside."
"This project distances itself from that logic by introducing a buffer zone between the two realms, allowing the city itself to enter the building. In doing so, it recalls traditional architectural strategies in which space negotiates relationships rather than being reduced to pure market efficiency."
In Hongdae, commercial buildings prioritize maximum exposure to secure higher rents, producing thin separations between interiors and streets. Show windows and thin walls reinforce a rigid dichotomy between inside and outside. The project introduces a deliberate buffer zone mediating public street and private interior, allowing urban life to physically and perceptually enter the building. The buffer negotiates transitions, softens boundaries, and resists the purely rent-driven logic of maximizing façade exposure. The approach recalls traditional architectural strategies that use space to foster relationships and social exchange rather than optimizing solely for market efficiency.
Read at ArchDaily
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