4×4 (2024 Beautiful Architecture Award)

Photo: ⓒ 김용성

The architect sought to achieve the most fundamentally stable form through a cleanly organized brick volume. Minimizing unnecessary formal gestures, the building is distilled into four floors, four masses, and four outdoor spaces. Rainwater and mechanical systems are routed inside to maintain a pure architectural form. Beyond stability, the architect wanted to offer a gift of delight.

The brick volume is divided into four, with outdoor spaces planned in between where one can encounter nature. These outdoor areas—entrances, balconies, terraces—expand the building's perceived scale and invite diverse experiences. The exterior, appearing as four near-square volumes simply stacked upon one another, assures people that the spatial form is entirely predictable and structurally sound.