UNStudio renovates Seoul office tower with solar panel-studded facade

The Hanwha headquarters office tower in Seoul has been remodelled by Dutch architecture firm UNStudio, retrofitting its facade to hold solar panels.

UNStudio won the competition to retrofit the headquarters for the Hanwha Group – along with engineers Arup and landscape designer Loos van Vliet – in 2014.

The Hanwha Group wanted a more sustainable office to better reflect its position as the world's third largest producer of solar panels.

An existing facade of flat, dark glass has been replaced by clear glass in an aluminium frame.

Hanwha headquarter's facade is designed so the windows are angled away from direct sunlight, to stop heat gain and glare.

Parts of the facade that hold the solar panels are also angled to make the most of the sunlight while shading the windows below.

"The facade design for the Hanwha headquarters implements fully inclusive systems which significantly impact the interior climate of the building, improve user comfort and ensure high levels of sustainability and affordability," said UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel.

UNStudio remodelled the building while it was still occupied.

The studio worked on three stories at a time, both inside and out, to allow the rest of the building to operate normally.

Landscaping around the plaza in front of the tower creates multiple pathways to the entrance, with planters that funnel people along and double as outdoor seating.

The lobby space was redesigned to feature higher ceilings and more natural light.

Wooden finishes and flashes of orange banding decorate the space, along with bands of lighting that direct visitors through the entrance space and to the lifts.

Meeting rooms have been redesigned with a combination of clear and translucent glass to balance natural light with privacy.

Executive-level boardrooms now feature different zones that cater to smaller, less formal gatherings as well as big meetings.

On the 28th floor the staff restaurant is decorated with wood panelling and planters filled with greenery to create a calming place for employees to spend their lunch breaks.

Founded in the Netherlands in 1988, UNStudio has a big focus on sustainability. The practice is currently designing a smart city in Helmond that will harness technology to help residents produce their own food and energy.

Photography is by Rohspace.

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Project credits:

Architect: UNStudio
Team: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Ger Gijzen, Marc Salemink, Sontaya Bluangtook and Martin Zangerl, Hyoseon Park, Gabriele Decandia, Andrea Wong, Daniele de Benedictis, Luke Tan, Jooyoun Yoon, Nina Soltani, Albert Gnodde, Shuang Zhang, Yi-Ju Tseng, Alberto Martinez, Philip Knauf
Local consultant and executive architect: Gansam Partners
Landscape consultant and designer: Loos van Vliet
Haarlem
Facade and sustainability consultant: ARUP
Lighting consultant interior and facade: AG Licht

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70/70 Table with solid oak top by TAF for Muuto

VDF products fair: Danish brand Muuto has introduced a new version of the 70/70 table by TAF featuring a solid oak top.

The new version of the table, originally designed in 2013, features a solid hardwood tabletop supported by two square cast-aluminium frames.

Each frame measures 70 centimetres by 70 centimetres, with the name of the product deriving from the dimensions.

"The 70/70 table is a study in geometric forms identifying the dimensions for a well-balanced table," said Gabriella Gustafson & Mattias Ståhlbom, co-founders of Stockholm architecture and design studio TAF.

"It has an almost anonymous expression but with careful detailing. The table is based upon two cast aluminium squared frames with the dimensions 70 x 70 centimetres."

The table comes in four different sizes and various frame colours. The solid top features chamfered edges on the underside.

"The simple Scandinavian aesthetics balanced with the warmth from the layered wood adds personality to the table with multiple functions, from dining table to home office," the designers added.

Product: 70/70 Table
Brand: Muuto
Designer: TAF

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Rime Pendant Lamp by TAF Studio for Muuto

VDF products fair: this simple glass pendant light by TAF Studio for Muuto is inspired by the shape of acorns.

The Rime Pendant Lamp is a contemporary take on the traditional glass pendant, featuring a mouth-blown shade semi-transparent glass with a sandblasted finish.

"Designing simple things is often one of the hardest things to do," said TAF, a Stockholm architecture and design studio founded by Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Ståhlbom.

"We wanted to create a simple lamp with a glass shape, giving it a soft expression while making its top and pendant tube as subtle as possible."

The powder-coated aluminium cap, the PVC cord and the ceiling fixing come in matching colours and are available in grey, white, black and orange.

The light comes in four different sizes and can be hung alone or in clusters. The shape of the white-glass shade is based on the fruit of the oak tree, the designers said.

"We were inspired by the shape of acorns for the gentle lines of the pendant while hinting towards the shaded expression of ice and rime for the glass of the design, allowing for the light to shine slightly through with a refined touch," TAF said.

"The Rime Pendant Lamp brings a timeless yet modern perspective to the archetypal light through its translucent shade and graphic form.”

Product: Rime Pendant Lamp
Brand: Muuto
Designer: TAF

Above: video of Rime Pendant Lamp.

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Workshop Table by Cecilie Manz for Muuto

VDF products fair: the Workshop Table for Muuto "has an almost archetypal appearance," according to designer Cecilie Manz.

The table combines Scandinavian craftsmanship with subtle detailing, making for "a deliberately simple and archetypical expression in a modern dining table," said the Danish brand.

"The Workshop Table is a design that is pared down to the essence," said Manz. "Deliberately simple in its expression, the table has an almost archetypal appearance that comes from a wish to make as little noise as possible. The details and joints are doing all the talking.”

The table features a solid oak frame and a top finished either in oak veneer or in warm grey linoleum top. It is the latest addition to the Danish designer's Workshop Series for Muuto, which also features a chair and a coffee table.

"The Workshop Table by Danish designer Cecilie Manz joins together the ideals of Scandinavian craftsmanship and subtle detailing, making for a deliberately simple and archetypical expression in a modern dining table," said the brand.

"Extending the expression of the Workshop Series, the Workshop Table translates the understated elements of timeless craftsmanship into a simple design," Muuto said. "Here, the seamless integration of the tabletop and legs echo the refined sentiments of the Scandinavian design heritage, making for an elegant detail."

Product: Workshop Table
Brand: Muuto
Designer: Cecilie Manz

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Stacked Storage System in midnight blue by Julien De Smedt for Muuto

VDF products fair: architect Julien De Smedt's iconic Stacked Storage System for Muuto is now available in midnight blue.

Both the classic Stacked system and the Mini version now come in the new colour.

"Within the Muuto storage solution collection, Julien De Smedt's iconic Stacked and Mini Stacked Storage System is introduced in midnight blue adding a sophisticated contrast to the modern storage system," said the Danish brand.

"Being both versatile and functional, the Stacked Storage System can be arranged and rearranged for the exact configuration that you’d like, whether it be as shelving setups, sideboards, bookcases or side table."

Originally designed in 2009, Stacked consists of modular shelving units that can be placed on top of each other to create free-standing or wall-mounted storage. The units are held together by metal clips.

"Shelving systems have a tendency to achieve one concern but never both," said Belgian architect De Smedt, who heads Brussels studio JDS Architects.

"We decided to dimension shelving units based on the generic measurements of things to store and display while allowing for them to be combined according to specific needs and desires," said the architect. "The result can be at times a random stack of boxes or a coordinated grid of efficient storage… or both!"

Product: Stacked Storage System
Brand: Muuto
Designer: Julien De Smedt

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