YOAP White House
South Korean studio Design Band YOAP has squeezed nine apartments and a shop inside this compact white housing block in Seoul Named YOAP White House, the building occupies a corner plot in Seoul's Bangbae neighbourhood. The site is 20 metres long but only eight metres wide, so Design Band YOAP had to design a five-storey building to allow enough room for eight studio apartments and one penthouse.The exterior of the building is rendered in bright white plaster and features a series of sliced-off corners that allow extra space for slanted windows, a pair of balconies and a secluded roof terrace.
Lantern Pavilion in Norway
In 2008, the cities of Sandes and Stavanger, Norway were chosen as cultural capitals of Europe, This led to the Norwegian Wood competitions, which were held to promote creative use of timber in architecture – with the hopes the new cultural capitals could showcase the designs.
Sandes, the second-fastest developing city in the country, asked in particular for a square and sculptural design that could serve as a hub for the pedestrian area of Langgata and help revitalize its core. The Lantern Pavillion hopes to do just that – it was completed in 2010 – by providing shade and protection from the rain, and a large, open space that could potentially be the site of gatherings, concerts, and more.Further, says the firm, the wood structure is shaped like a tree, creating a micro-climate, which makes the space an “urban micro-forest.”
