Seoul, Korea
Pelli Clarke + Partners
Hyundai Corporation
Gangnam Headquarters
(competition)
The design proposal for Hyundai Corporation’s headquarters evokes the advanced technologies created and used by this global steel, chemical, and manufacturing enterprise.
The form of the soaring 450-meter tower directly references the fluidic design theory promoted by the Director of Automotive Design at Hyundai. A curved plane warps into a complex geometry and a crease appears, creating a distinct line emphasizing the upward thrust of the tower. The form of tower is generated by overlaying two ovals at ninety degrees. The ovals sweep upward and transform into a new geometry that incorporates an angle at the outermost point which appears as a crease in the elevation.
The tower is clad with a double curtainwall which tempers the air in the cavity before providing supplemental outside air to each floor. A tubular diagrid structure efficiently supports the floors while reducing the amount of steel used in the structure compared to a typical column configuration. The diagrid is expressed as an exoskeleton located in the interstice of the double curtainwall façade.
My role as the lead designer for this competition focused on developing a feasible solution that is innovative and appropriate for the client and urban site. The tower geometry, curtain wall, and structural concepts were generated in collaboration with the design team. I was also responsible for coordinating presentation materials (animation, models, renderings, etc.), and I had the privilege of attending the presentation to the CEO of Hyundai in Seoul with Fred Clarke.