New York City–based firm REX Architecture is giving residents a new way to experience panoramic views in their multifamily units without having to pay top dollar for a penthouse apartment.
The 39-story Project R6 building, located on the edge of the Yongsan International Business District in central Seoul, South Korea, takes the form of a zipper-like structure with an innovative design that boldly breaks with the footprint of a conventional residential tower.
Sections of the building consisting of two- to eight- story floors are pushed and pulled from the center of the frame, creating large, cantilevered portions of residences. The protruding sections of single-loaded balcony corridors allow the units to maximize unobstructed natural light and views on both sides, for a more open feel. The layout also provides a larger footprint for shared amenity spaces such as the central courtyard and rooftop terraces.
The 1.24-million-square-foot building is encased in a concrete mega-brace frame that surrounds the property’s central courtyard. Described by its creators as an “urban boutique residence,” the units within Project R6 are deliberately small, ranging in size from 430 to 650 square feet. The homes are aimed at a specific demographic of transient people, mainly short-term businesspeople, young urban professionals, and foreign residents.
The units themselves can be customized per resident need—each space is bookended by a kitchen and a bathroom, while a movable wall in between can be arranged to define the rest of the living spaces throughout the day. The multifunctional wall, which was designed with compact shelving technology, contains a Murphy bed, nightstands, a TV mount, a couch, and storage.
The project was chosen as a winner of the 2016 ARCHITECT Progressive Architecture Awards.
