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Daegu IPark Block 1

UNStudio

Colour as a way of challenging the impersonal and creating identities.


When commissioned by Hyundai Development Company to create a series of distinct identities for two residential developments in the city of Daegu, UNStudio aimed to mark the difference by focusing on the impersonal aspect of high-density living. To this end, the firm looked to the history of the city for inspiration. The short film by Albert Ling shows the features of the complex and how its inhabitants use the public space.

Daegu is the fourth largest city in South Korea and its main business is manufacturing, with a specialization in textiles. Every year the town hosts fashion events and textile fairs. UNSTudio recovered this long tradition and identity and placed colour at the centre of its design. The firm transformed the towers by adding digitally designed patterns to the façades: a pointillist framework of colour is used to connect and merge the individual apartment towers into one consolidated mega-block, whilst emphasizing the peculiarity and individuality of the high-rise towers and creating a new highly recognizable urban landscape. The effect is similar to the texture of a fabric. Colour is also used to foster the identities of the inhabitants and ease communication to clarify the access points and relationships between the inside and outside of the two mega-blocks.

UNStudio also worked on the facilities and amenities in the basement, following a “people first” design approach. The offer of fitness centres and leisure areas allows people to remain active without travelling far from their homes. The green park connecting the blocks also offers recreational opportunities to inhabitants, in contrast with the surrounding residential neighbourhood, and encourages community recreation and interaction instead.

This proposal is connected with UNStudio’s on-going research into the “superliving” field, linking different projects at various scales, such as single houses or high-rise buildings. This research aims to investigate emerging trends and innovations in the built environment, ranging from new adaptive technologies to affordable housing, micro-living and the future of the family unit.

The final frame of the short film, showing an overall overview of the city, clearly shows how Ipark Daegu differs from the other nearby mega-blocks.

(Story by Paola Ricco, The Architecture Player)

Credits

Author: Albert Ling
Architect: UNStudio
Mentioned project: Daegu Wolbae Ipark (2012-2015)
Project location: Daegu, South Korea

Germany 2017
Duration: 3'12''