In the South Korean city of Paju, decades of high-density residential development have produced a landscape of isolated apartment towers with almost no legible public space between them. The metropolitan park adjacent to the site of Unjeong Danurim (Senior and Disability Welfare Center) is one of the district's only meaningful open spaces. Sol89, working with lead coordinating architect Jongjin Lee and Korean partner Woodrock Architects, recently completed a project that allows this park to pass through the building of their design.
The brief called for two separate structures; the architects proposed one: a compact volume with an interior void that functions as a madang, a traditional Korean communal courtyard. This space separates the two programs while defining access to the parkland and forms the organising logic for the buildings.
Structural system
The building is organised around an 8 × 8 meter structural grid, which creates a clear and flexible layout able to adapt to different uses over time. Key elements, such as auditoriums and circulation and service areas—including ramps and utilities—are integrated within this structural system to maintain coherence throughout the design. Large suspended concrete beams create open, expansive spaces while leaving the building’s structure and mechanical systems visible in contrast to the green of the surrounding parkland. Externally, the building responds to its context through a series of inward-curving forms.
Facade
The facade is based on a consistent 125cm module that incorporates glazed window frames and curved perforated aluminum panels that are fixed or operable depending on use. These give the exterior a unified appearance while filtering light and providing a privacy for interior spaces where needed.
Accessible programming
The building is designed as a low, horizontal structure to allow for accessibility and avoid reliance on vertical circulation such as stairs or elevators. A continuous ramp runs through the madang. linking two covered porches and providing easy movement throughout the building. From the ground-floor porch, users can directly access the auditoriums, day centre and two large dining rooms, while the ramp allows stair-free access to first-floor recreational spaces, including gyms, billiards, and table tennis areas. Administrative offices are located separately in two rooftop pavilions. The layout organises functions by level, placing more public and communal activities on the lower floors and more private or administrative uses above.
Sustainability
Sustainability is embedded in the spatial logic of the building rather than its systems. The madang is oriented and proportioned to remain sunlit year-round, functioning as a passive thermal core that drives natural ventilation through both buildings. Designed with the future in mind, the adaptable structural grid allows for change in purpose or for the building to be deconstructed.
