Molds and Formwork: The Morphological Intersection of Candles and Architecture
The design of the new Candle Works headquarters began by crossing the fundamental similarities between the 'candle-making process' and the 'architectural construction process.' Just as materials are poured into molds of various sizes and shapes to complete a candle, architecture utilizes a rigid framework—formwork—to cast concrete and establish the spatial skeleton. Although the physical scale and nature of the work differ, the sequential behavior of filling an empty frame with physical properties to create a new form is perfectly identical. Cho & Partners adopted this philosophical intersection as the core motif of the headquarters' design, intending for the building itself to act as a metaphor for the candle manufacturing process and to represent the corporate identity.
Horizontal Slabs and the Projection of Infinite Possibilities
Candle Works embodies a brand philosophy of infinite possibilities (∞), free from standardized molds, freely materializing any shape and scent that people desire. We visualized this corporate innovation and flexibility not through closed solid masses or uniform elevations, but as a 'space where infinite possibilities freely unfold'.
To achieve this, breaking away from the conventional method of confining space with solid walls, we emphasized the horizontal floor slabs as the primary architectural language. Complex programs—ranging from logistics warehouses and research labs to offices and residential spaces—were freely arranged and placed on each slab, acting much like individual molds on a worktable. This three-dimensional combination of slabs and masses is enveloped by a transparent glass facade. By emptying the outer shell to be transparent, the dynamic internal activities and programs are projected into the urban landscape without filtration, intuitively reflecting Candle Works' open-mindedness and communicative approach.
Voids of Communication and Three-Dimensional Textures
The internal order of the architecture focuses on connection rather than isolation. To foster organic interaction between employees and visitors, void spaces visually connecting different floors were actively introduced, allowing the building itself to function as a massive medium of communication.
Furthermore, to intuitively reveal the material properties of both candles and architecture, the contrast in form and texture was maximized. The main functional rooms filling the interior were designed as clear rectangular prisms, while vertical circulation cores, such as elevators and direct staircases, were planned as pure cylindrical forms, injecting geometric tension into the space. To offset the heavy and cold texture inherent in exposed concrete, specialized formwork with three-dimensional patterns was used to vary the surface materiality. The rhythm created by light and shadow dancing across the rough texture contrasts with the transparent glass mass, completing a highly multi-dimensional facade. The Candle Works headquarters is a solid vessel containing the corporate philosophy, serving as an experimental canvas where architecture and candles intersect.
