The building folds towards the park, providing passive shading to
the lower floors. Bridging the three extending laboratory wings,
this folding volume contains conference rooms and social spaces
while the street-level floor will be occupied by flagship retail and
exhibition galleries to familiarize the public with the Kolon brand.
A transparent ground plane provides a connection between the
landscape and the interior space, capturing light and movement in
an expansive pedestrian atrium. At 40 meters tall and 100 meters
long, the atrium serves as the building’s social center, and its
translucent liner system—comprised of over 400 massive eight-
meter panels that showcase Kolon’s own fabrics—showcases the
heart of the atrium space: The Grand Stair. Inspired by the Spanish
Steps in Rome, the Grand Stair serves practical functions but also
acts a vertical courtyard for informal, casual gatherings as well as
end-of-year marquee ceremonies.
THE KOLON ONE & ONLY TOWER IS
ON TRACK TO ACHIEVE LEED GOLD
CERTIFICATION.
“The new research and development facility for Kolon sets the
standard for sustainable design and construction in the emerging
Magok district,” said Project Principal Eui-Sung Yi. “Inspired by
Kolon’s severe-weather layered performance wear, our team
worked with engineers and fabricators to apply a performance
driven series of vertical layers to our design that challenges the
conventional approach to sunshade design and enhances the
building’s sustainability.”
The distinctive brise-soleil system on the main, west-facing façade
of the building was created through a complex process early in the
design development phase of the project, resulting in a unique
sunshade that is both performative and symbolic. The design of
the façade features an interconnected array of sunshades that
form the monolithic, outer skin, analogous to a woven fabric—a
reference to Kolon’s research in textiles, as well as a symbol of
collaboration between the company’s many departments. The units
of the sunshade are parametrically shaped to balance shading and
views and are made from fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) using one
of Kolon’s own high-tech fabrics, Aramid, to dramatically increase
the material’s tensile strength. One of the most notable features of
the design is the lack of a visible support structures, allowing the
sunshade to seemingly float outside the glazed wall and providing
clear views from the interior spaces.
The Kolon One & Only Tower is on track to achieve LEED Gold
certification, a rating that is particularly noteworthy due to the
size and high level of energy consumption in a laboratory of this
size. The building is also pursuing the most rigorous sustainability
certification in Korea. The performance of the building focuses
on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental
stewardship, working in concert with education and employee
health and well-being. Roof terraces and courtyards provide
increased access to natural light and fresh air to invigorate the
work environment. Other sustainable measures include green roofs,
photovoltaics (PV) and geothermal design, recycled materials, and
utilizing a bubble deck slab that reduces the amount of concrete
used by 30 percent.
www.morphosis.com/
Photos: Jasmine Park & Roland Halbe