Project Name: Folded Ground

Location: Seoul, South Korea

Design Team: LIFE Architects

Area: 1108 m²

Completion: 2023

Photography: Kyungsub Shin

Feature：

Project - South Korean architecture firm LIFE Architects has completed a commercial building in Seoul's vibrant Hongdae district that features a distinctive folded concrete facade wrapping around three sides of its exterior.

The Folded Ground Neighborhood Facility, situated adjacent to a playground near Hongik University, responds to its dynamic urban context through a sculptural approach that mediates between public and private spaces. The 1,108-square-metre building, completed in 2023, stands as a thoughtful architectural intervention in one of Seoul's most energetic neighborhoods.

Led by architects Jeeyoung Han and Sooyong Hwang, the project's most striking feature is its continuous concrete skin that folds and overlaps across three facades, creating what the architects describe as an "expansive ground" that responds to the site's diversity. This structural element does more than just define the building's aesthetic – it serves as a sophisticated device for framing views and controlling the relationship between interior and exterior spaces.

The diagonal concrete structure deliberately fragments external views, creating dynamic, multifaceted frames when viewed from within. This architectural strategy allows the building to maintain its commercial visibility while providing appropriate privacy for office spaces, effectively balancing the needs of a mixed-use facility in a high-traffic urban environment.

What sets this project apart is how it creates moments of tranquility within Seoul's chaotic streetscape. The building's thoughtfully designed voids, balconies, and structural elements provide users with a sense of shelter from the overwhelming visual noise of Hongdae's signage and buildings, while still maintaining a connection to the neighborhood's energy. The vertical circulation through the building becomes an experiential journey, with users feeling as though they are moving through the structure itself, discovering unexpected views and spatial relationships along the way.

Design Team - LIFE Architects, established in Seoul, South Korea, represents a dynamic architectural practice that seamlessly merges innovative design thinking with contextual sensitivity. Led by principals Jeeyoung Han (KIRA registered architect) and Sooyong Hwang (Adjunct Professor at Hongik University), both holding Master's degrees in Architecture, the firm has cultivated a distinctive approach to architectural interventions in urban environments.

Since its founding, LIFE Architects has demonstrated their expertise through a diverse portfolio of projects, garnering recognition including the 2021 Korea Architecture Culture Award in the Emerging Architect category and the 2021 Jeju Architecture Award in the residential sector. Their design philosophy emphasizes the intricate relationship between architecture and everyday life, pushing beyond conventional architectural boundaries to explore new spatial possibilities and material applications.

The practice's methodology is characterized by their rigorous investigation of urban conditions and innovative material applications, as evidenced in projects like the Folded Ground Neighborhood Facility (2023). Their work consistently demonstrates a commitment to transforming rigid urban landscapes through thoughtful architectural interventions that respond to contemporary social and environmental demands.

LIFE Architects maintains a collaborative studio culture, combining the expertise of experienced designers with fresh perspectives from emerging talents. Their interdisciplinary approach integrates architecture, urban design, and research, resulting in projects that challenge traditional typologies while maintaining a strong connection to their context and users.