Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Star Gallery Bridge

This is a project by Mass Studies and it is located at Seoul, South Korea. Project's program: Office building. There are thirty images for Star Gallery Bridge.

: © Yong-Kwan Kim

Project details

Project name: Star Gallery Bridge
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Program: Office building
Area: Site Area: 850.88 m2 • Site Coverage Area: 507.64 m2 • Total Floor Area: 9078.51 m2
Year: Design: 2006.5 – 2006.12 • Construction: 2006.7 – 2009.1
More details: Building-to-Land Ratio: 59.66% • Floor Area Ratio: 695.87% • Building Scope: 13F, B5 • Structure: SRC • Finish: Steel curtain wall, Thk.24 fritted glass
Client: HSG
Project by: Mass Studies
Team: Project team: Minsuk Cho, Kisu Park, Hyunseok Jung, Wonjin Kim, Joonhee Lee, Chungwhan Park, Songmin Lee
Others: Structural Engineer: TEO Structure • MEP Engineer: HANA Consulting & Engineers • Civil Engineer: Korean Geo-Consultants • Construction: MGL E&C

Project images

Designer's statement

The form of the building was designed as if it had been stretched along one axis. The masses held on either end form the two slim towers and the surface tension at the center creates a concave space.

The resulting H-plan allows for two separate office towers connected by a 5.5m wide core that bridges the towers at each floor. Where a typical office building's core is often the least exposed location and claustrophobic despite its regular use, this "social bridge" becomes the central public space, open to outside views at either side.

The curved elevation, whose form is suggestive of a glass curtain, is not only the building's main formal characteristic. The curved shape in plan extends the possible building perimeter from 31m to 39m, increasing the opportunity of daylighting. Fritted glass is used to create varying degrees of transparency in response to program and various levels of public function.

Unlike the curved "glass curtain" at the northern elevation, the southern elevation uses the vertical elements to suggest two slim towers. The core is extruded out from the bridge area (void) and finished with stone to create an oppositional solid. The office balconies use stainless steel mesh for guardrails.

Although the east and west elevations are only a few meters from the neighboring buildings, translucent polycarbonate is used on these façades to provide greater day lighting while maintaining privacy.

The circular cove lighting and irregularly placed down-lights in the offices create a unique display at night.