Seoul Hybrid Urban Body

The Seoul Hybrid Urban Body, abbreviated H.U.B, is an experimental architectural structure in the scale between city and building in Seoul, South Korea. The project consists of a strategy scale and a building scale, intending to integrate the 2 aspects of architecture {often not easily compatible} of city planning and building structure.

By using the lost m2 covered by roadscape, the strategy of Seoul H.U.B. is a method of densifying the city instead of satellite settlements.

The location of the H.U.B. is above Olympic Highway between Yeouido Island and Yeongdeungpo mainland covering a total area of 27 hectars. 5 layers {shape, cross-connections, public programming, voids, expansions} constitute the total strategy of the 8 m superimposed structure accommodating both infrastructure and new programs to the area.

To provide a lively, vibrant atmosphere inside the Hybrid Urban Body, the programs are organized as a programmatic defragmentated body instead of solitary single masses with large open space inbetween. Like the Korean traditional dish bibimbab, the sub-programs of the 3 superior public program enclaves {cultural museum, digital art school, cinema complex} are mixed together in an unrecognizable substance rendering the H.U.B. to be neither a city or a building but rather a hybrid of the 2.

At the same time 40% of the public program mass are auto-constructed elements. These parts of the structure are not pre-designed but emerge over time according to the changing demands of an urban setting. This ad hoc development provides a high degree of adaptation and flexibility to the H.U.B. allowing it to change over time.

The result is a new hybrid architype with high mass density and defragmented form aesthetics.