Meilenstein (2024 Excellence Award)

Photo: ⓒ 노경

Deep within a densely packed multi-family residential area along a back street in Yeoksam-dong, the site sits at the intersection of two 4-meter roads. The lower floors step back, aiming to improve pedestrian conditions. At the intersection facing due north, the building gains a zone free from sunlight restrictions. The upper floors are envisioned as a landmark—a milestone amid the monotonous back-street landscape.

In urban residential zones, height limits and sunlight restrictions tend to give low-rise buildings similar massing. This corner lot is an advantage. The result is a lower mass responding to the street combined with an upper mass occupying the buildable area defined by sunlight restrictions. The diagonally joined volumes achieve richer three-dimensionality through shadows. The aspiration is for a building whose massing lets anyone in the narrow alleys intuit due north—even when the sun is not shining.