NOXON

The neighborhood where NOXON was built is a place with plenty of historical memories. It was one of the administrative centers where publicoces were located in the Joseon Dynasty, and was prosperous during the period of economic development since the modern age. Now it has become a declined old downtown with low foot trac and most buildings deteriorated. Talking with the client, I suggested we should create a building that reflects time. Visiting the site many times, I wanted to reflect not merely the past but the future time here. Considering this is a small building on a small site, I designed it as the vertical spaces layered up floor by floor crosswise surrounded by circulation. Between the central vertical structure and the envelope walls, various spaces were superposed. The outdoor stairs and the indoor spaces were separated with a 300 mm-wide gap and the in-between spaces connected vertically. Thus, the occupants within the glass walls and the walkers moving around up and down floor to floor always share the same time. The envelope was separated from the inner structure, lest this commercial building should interfere with the surrounding context of houses. The ,scorched copper plates used for the envelope had been beaten and scorched one by one with hands, so that every plate has a different shape. Given the copper plates would become oxidized over time, the fire was used as an element to differentiate the time of oxidization plate by plate. This building will have various facial expressions over time. People will recognize this building at the neighborhood alley and move inside feeling the various changes of time. A small neighborhood shop frequented anytime serves as the place connecting people isn’t it possibly a small alternative to make the healthier society?