Buildings are necessarily weighty, as they need to be to support people, objects, and their own mass, but the new headquarters for 'Around Magazine' in Seoul manages to appear far less heavy than it actually is. In fact, when viewed from one of the angles available at street level, the building appears as though it's as thin as a single sheet of paper.
The impressively slim illusion is a result of the shape of Around Magazine's headquarters as a whole. Thanks to the already-dense lot, the building needed to have an acutely angled corner and a generally triangular shape. Rather than smoothing that edge, FHHH Friends, the architecture studio behind the project, opted to make it as sharp as possible. Further, it added uniquely shaped balconies to accentuate the illusion.
Illusory Triangular Offices
'Around Magazine' Has a Headquarters that Looks Paper-Thin
Trend Themes
1. Slim Architecture - There is a trend towards designing buildings that appear thinner and lighter than they actually are.
2. Optical Illusion Design - The use of clever design techniques to create optical illusions in architecture is gaining popularity.
3. Unconventional Structures - Architects are exploring unconventional building shapes and angles to create visually striking structures.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - The architecture industry can explore innovative ways to create buildings that defy traditional perceptions of weight and mass.
2. Construction - The construction industry can embrace unconventional design approaches to construct visually appealing and unique structures.
3. Real Estate - Real estate developers can invest in properties that incorporate slim architecture and optical illusions to attract attention and stand out in the market.