Office for Architecture, Research and Design
Previous Work

Christoph Felger at David Chipperfield Architects

Project

Amorepacific Headquarters, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Year

2010-2018

Programme

Office, museum, retail, hospitality and kindergarten

Site Area

1,8 ha

Gross Floor Area

216.000 m2

Client

Amorepacific Corporation, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Commission

Invited competition

Scope

Stages of work in accordance with HOAI 1-3, detailed design and artistic supervision

Description

The Amorepacific Headquarters emerged from a close collaboration between client and architect across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Rather than drawing on formal references, the design process began with a shared exploration of Korean history, architecture and material culture. Through this exchange, architecture became an act of translation, transforming ideas into spatial form while building trust and a common understanding. Conceived as an extension of the adjacent Yongsan Park, the building mediates between a large corporate institution and the dense urban fabric of Seoul. An open ground floor connects city and landscape, while a central courtyard brings light, air and orientation deep into the building. Large urban openings link this interior void to the surrounding city and create a sequence of elevated gardens and outdoor spaces. A diaphanous façade of vertical fins moderates sunlight, enhances environmental performance and frames views across Seoul. Rather than presenting itself as an isolated object, the building acts as an infrastructural framework that balances openness and privacy, public life and workplace, architecture and landscape. The project is documented through Landing, a film initiated by Christoph Felger and realised by artist Shirin Sabahi. The images presented here are drawn exclusively from this cinematic perspective, offering an alternative view of the building through occupation, perception and everyday use.

Team David Chipperfield Architects

Partners David Chipperfield, Christoph Felger (Design Lead), Harald Müller (Project Management)
Project Architects Hans Krause, Nicolas Kulemeyer, Thomas Pyschny
Project Team Isabel Albano-Müller, Wolfgang Baumeister, Wolfram Belz, Cyrell Boehm, Viktor Braun, Ronan Burke, Christian Busch, Rodrigo Carrasquer, Robert Chandler, Sophia Deckel, Caterina Decker, Ivan Dimitrov, Paul Eckert, Rebecca Egan, Carlo Fischer, Kristen Finke, Alberto Franco Flores, Franziska Friebel, Nico Gaar, Christoph Goeke, Caroline Hammarström, Rafael Heine, Anne Hengst, Matthias Heskamp, Paul Hillerkus, Wilhelmina Hoffmann, Frank Jödicke, Frithjof Kahl, Kristin Karig, Ruben Kiewiet, Julie Studer, Anke Lawrence, Ho Sun Lee, Xuda Liu, Dalia Liksaite, Jens Lorbeer, Pascal Maas, Peter von Matuschka, Franziska Michalsky, Lorand Mittay, Sandra Morar, Carthage Murphy, Felix Müller-Hartburg, Eve Neumann, Miguel Ortigão, Nicolas Pabion, Diogo Passarinho, Alexandre Pavlidis, Mariana Peralta, Lena Peters, Rosa Piepoli, Ken Polster, Ilona Priwitzer, Maximilian Pudenz, Susie Ryu, Franziska Rusch, Noriyuki Sawaya, Josh Saunders, Diana Schaffrannek, Julia Schenke, Antonia Schlegel, Lilli Scherner, Fabian Schneider, Lukas Schwind, Gunda Schulz, Marlitt Schwarzer, Lijun Shen, Vincent Sijssens, Caroline Stahl, Marleen Stauth, Christian Stöckert, Iason Tsironis, Jene Van Den Abeele, Natacha Viveiros, Gordan Vitevski, Marc Warrington, Max Werner, Robert Westphal, Malte Wilms, Kyung Ho Won, Roberto Zitelli

Collaborators

Haewon Shin, Lokal Design, Seoul, Republic of Korea (Local Adviser)

HAEAHN Architecture, Seoul, KESSON, Seoul, Republic of Korea (Local Architect)

Kunwon Engineering Co. Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea (Site Supervision )

Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Seoul, Republic of Korea (General Contractor)

Arup Berlin & London, Germany/United Kingdom of Great Britain (Engineering Services)

Sascha Lobe, L2M3 Communication Design, Stuttgart, Germany (Signage Design)

SeoAhn, Seoul, Republic of Korea (Landscape Architect)

Noshe & Laurian Ghinitoiu, Berlin, Germany (Completion Photographs)


View across Seoul’s Yongsan district showing the Amorepacific headquarters among the city’s skyline, with parkland in the foreground and mountains beyond.
Evening view along a local street in Seoul with the Amorepacific headquarters illuminated in the distance.
Landscaped courtyard at the Amorepacific headquarters featuring a shallow water terrace reflecting the sky, framed by trees and views towards the city beyond.
Central atrium of the Amorepacific headquarters, where escalators and open floor plates connect a series of communal work and public spaces.
Entrance colonnade of the Amorepacific headquarters with large concrete columns, glazed façade and landscaped public realm.
Framed view from one of the Amorepacific headquarters’ elevated garden openings towards the Seoul skyline and surrounding hills.
Open-plan office space within the Amorepacific headquarters, with workstations arranged along a glazed façade overlooking the central courtyard.
Small potted plant beside the façade of the Amorepacific headquarters, with views across Seoul beyond.