'The beauty of swarming' rather than standing out alone ....

Architectural philosophies that have shaped cities

Objects shine when they are grouped together. A towering skyscraper among low-rise buildings doesn't express much more than its own individuality. But when several skyscrapers come together, the skyline they create is spectacular. The sum of the parts creates a new beauty.

Centerfield, located in the heart of Teheran-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is a building that represents the beauty of such a cluster. Centerfield is not special on its own. It's a typical office building in any city, wrapped in a translucent, pale blue-gray curtain wall.

But when it's nestled in the middle of Gangnam, amongst the many characterful buildings, the story changes. The building's simple structure fits into the vertically rising city like a Tetris block. The curtain wall reflects the surrounding skyscrapers. Its appearance changes depending on the weather and the angle. It becomes a design in itself. The simplicity of the center field only shines when it is in the city.

'Architectural harmony' with Tehran Road

Consisting of two buildings ranging from 7 floors below ground to 36 floors above ground, Centerfield has a gross floor area of 240,000 ㎡. It is larger than the Gangnam Finance Center (212,615㎡), another landmark of Tehran Road. This creates a sense of bulk when you first see the building. However, it doesn't overwhelm its surroundings. There are various devices hidden in the center field to reduce the intimidating feeling of the skyscraper and harmonize with its surroundings.

First, Center Field is laid out diagonally. This is because a row of buildings with hundreds of thousands of square meters of floor space can be overwhelming to the viewer. Where the buildings should be, there are public spaces. There are several species of trees and a plaza where you can relax. This is why when you look up from the intersection of Renaissance Hotel in front of the building, you feel a sense of cool openness rather than stuffiness.

The building's openness is also due to its glass curtain wall. The translucent blue-gray curtain wall provides a glimpse of the building's interior while reflecting the surrounding landscape. Looking up from below, you can see the sky with the nearby skyscrapers. The front of the building, which faces Tehran Road, is a three-sided addition. The split planes make the building appear smaller than it actually is.

The lower floors have canopies to break up the view. According to JMA officials involved in the exterior design, this is to keep the eye fixed at a height that humans are accustomed to. The exterior finish of the lobby is transparent glass. The purpose is to reveal the interior and increase the sense of openness.

Reinventing tradition... 'Leaving a mark'

The building is located on the site of the former Renaissance Hotel. Designed by the late architect Kim Soo-geun, one of Korea's first-generation architects, the hotel served as a luxury hotel for 28 years, establishing itself as a Gangnam landmark. Because of this, when the hotel was demolished and new buildings were built, efforts were made to preserve its history and architectural beauty.

One of them is the Renaissance Hotel 'Leaving Traces' program. Centerfield was built on the same site as the hotel. In the open space on the south side of the building, there is a sculpture of the exterior wall of the old hotel. Around it, the sidewalk blocks are colored differently along the perimeter of the old hotel property. This trace continues inside the building.

The floor and ceiling of the lobby inside the new building are also marked with the old hotel's boundaries. In addition, to continue the architectural intention of Kim, who designed the building with an emphasis on curves inspired by Bersunco, a part of the lower level of the center field and the border of the public flower beds are curved.

Beyond its appearance, the building also resembles a former hotel. Centerfield West Tower now houses a hotel. Retail facilities will also be built where the Renaissance Hotel's commercial space once stood.

Inspired by 'Ilwol-oh Bongdo(일월오봉도, 日月五峯圖)' and Changdeokgung Palace

Behind the building is a garden half the size of a soccer field. It is an unusual size for a garden attached to a downtown office building. The garden, with its various trees and walking paths, feels like a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's like visiting the Changdeokgung Palace in the old city center.

According to the designers, Changdeokgung Palace was the main reference for the Center Field landscape design. JMA, which designed the overall concept of the sculpture, was inspired by the shape of Changdeokgung Palace, which is centered around the front of the palace, with a plaza in the front where dignitaries come and go, and a courtyard in the back where people can relax. The public space in the front of the center field is a plaza where citizens can come and go freely, while the public space in the back is a private resting place like the Changdeokgung pavilion.

Another source of inspiration was the old painting 'Ilwol-oh Bongdo(일월오봉도, 日月五峯圖)'. It was painted on a folding screen behind the throne of the Joseon Dynasty palace and depicted five mountain peaks, the sun, moon, trees, and a waterfall. Of these, the waterfall was of particular interest to the architects. To create the illusion of a waterfall plunging coolly from the sky to the ground, the architects covered the exterior walls of the building with numerous vertical pipes (louvers). The outer wall is also divided into three sides and layered with layers to realize the waterfall in the painting.

The designers of the building, DA Group and JMA, define the design of the center field as “timeless design” in a nutshell. Like Changdeokgung Palace and Ilwolwobongdo, they believe that the beauty that comes from simplicity rather than complexity will be appreciated over time. Centerfield is currently home to a number of leading companies, including large corporations and foreign companies. Centerfield, which was created through the reconstruction of Renaissance Hotel, is preparing to become another timeless attraction in Gangnam.