Is it possible to design a building without a context? How can an architect react to something that does not yet exist? For an office building in Digital Media City, a new section of Seoul that is still on the drawing board, Berlin-based architects Frank Barkow and Regine Leibinger developed an unusual strategy. The methodic treatment of themes such as “place” or “history” did not come into play at all, and the designs for the neighboring parcels of land were unknown. The architects gave their building the ability to kaleidoscopically reflect its future surroundings in a folded façade.
This book documents the process of designing and constructing the building, which was completed in early 2007. Texts, photographs, and video stills provide commentary on the emergence of a versatile face in the midst of facelessness. With Reflect Observed, a DVD-video by Corinne Rose.
Exhibition schedule: SMB, Art Library, April 10–July 1, 2007