The 20 most impressive libraries in the world

The National Library of Korea, Sejong, designed by SAMOO A&E, was selected as the 20 most impressive library in the world by The one of biggest Spanish media group “EL PASI”[Go to Link] 14. National Library of Korea, Sejong (South Korea)The first branch of the National Library of South Korea was built in the city of Sejong in 2013, and designed by Samoo Architects & Engineers. It is also known as E-BRARY a compound word of Emotion and Library (emotion and library in English), implies a library that accommodates digital in the analog form while reflecting the human touches.Simple lines/ The sloping ceiling remind a page of a book/ Reading & conference rooms/ Nice views from the roof.  [Go to National Library of Korea, Sejong] 

YoowonJeil 2nd Apartment, Housing Reconstruction

WinnerYoowonJeil 2nd Apartment, Housing Reconstruction[ Design Summary]Project   : YoowonJeil 2nd Apartment, Housing Reconstruction ProjectUsage    : Apartment, Service FacilitiesLocation : 56, Seonyudong 2-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Republic of KoreaGFA       : 109,502 ㎡Floors    : 22F / B2 

Cheongna C17-2-3 Mixed-use

WinnerCheongna C17-2-3 Mixed-use[ Design Summary]Project: Cheongna C17-2-3 Mixed-useUsage: Studio Apartment, Commercial, OfficeLocation: C17-2-3 Gyeongseo-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea Site Area: 4,175.80㎡GFA: 49,884.66㎡Floors: 29F / B6Unit #: 640 units   

Dasan Newtown Keumkang Officetel

WinnerDasan Newtown Keumkang Officetel김정민, 정혜인, 한승, 이형우, 최학영, 강민수, 강재균, 강한욱, 홍세진, 박용우, 양호정, 김영임, 김진수, 최희호, 왕설서, 성재형, 김우진, 장동진 [ Design Summary]Project  :  Dasan Newtown Keumkang OfficetelUsage  :  Studio Apartment, commercialLocation  :  2, 3 ,4, Dasanjingeon District, Namyangju, Republic of Korea Site Area  :  7,121 ㎡GFA  :  66,293.04 ㎡Floors  :  3 buildings, 8~12F/ B4Unit #  :  904 units   

Remodeling of the Main Stadium in the Jamsil Sports Complex

WinnerRemodeling of the Main Stadium in the Jamsil Sports ComplexSAMOO Architects & Engineers, NOW Architect, nbbj  [ Design Summary]Project: Remodeling of the Main Stadium in the Jamsil Sports ComplexUsage: Multi-uses facility including sports, Youth hostel, cultural, business, commercial Location : 25, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea GFA: 198,057.73㎡Floors: 4F/ B1   

KBS Future Broadcasting Center

KBS Future Broadcasting CenterIn preparation for this global era of broadcasting with multi channels, the KBS Future Broadcasting Center (FBC) is a space where journalists, entertainers and viewers communicate and interact with each other. Considering its need to respond to rapidly changing media environment and unpredictable future with high flexibility, the center would be more invaluable with one comprehensively and organically linked shape away from the conventional space division upon given functions. In line with this, the FBC was designed to seamlessly merge open space, which is available for viewers, and internal space, which is reserved for the professionals. This proposal suggests creating a new space where interactions between journalists, entertainers and viewers are facilitated, and cooperation among different production units and teams is highly encouraged. The FBC is to come as a new symbol representing the future-oriented KBS town to the outside world.  The second GroundThe maximised use of available space and uplift of the land to the highest point provide an independent ground for the broadcasting professionals. Meanwhile, a land in a lower floor is reserved for a broadcasting space open to viewers and citizens. As such, the center can accommodate both open space for the public and comfortable working space for the professionals. One Body + Embracing PeopleThis design suggests as KBS’s future icon one-body architectural shape, in which the public are highly considered, letting them move around and design the center’s shape by themselves. Put in another way, the center is shaped in accordance with its gesture toward the public.   

Dubai Heart

The Design Proposal is proposed for UAE Dubai Heart Architectural Idea Competition to design a waterpark that would welcome visitors during Dubai Expo 2020.  Jumeirah Beach is both locally and internationally popular and well frequented landmark where tourists visit to not only enjoy the beach itself, but to also observe numerous world-famous architecture in the city. During sunset, silhouettes of artificial islands and uniquely shaped buildings make otherwise calm and quiet Dubai coastline stunningly picturesque. The design proposal seeks to blend Dubai Heart into such sceneries.  In regard to its geographical characteristic, Dubai functioned as an important trade location. Until the 1930s, the city has been known for pearling and fishing around Dubai Creek, where Dhow played an important role in development of the industry. This early industry constituted economic foundation for Dubai to eventually become the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. Situated at where Dubai Creek and Arabian Gulf meet, concept for Dubai Heart deriving from pearl and dhow seemed only natural. The perfect sphere shape of a pearl and the flat and spread-out shape of a dhow create a synergic juxtaposition. It responds to the context culturally and formatively.    

SAMOO moved to the New Headquarters

New Place, New Idea !  We’ve moved to Gang Dong East Central TowerTo serve you better with even more creative space, we are proud to inform you that SAMOO A&E has been relocated to new building. Please update your address book as belowEast Central Tower:1077, Cheonho-daero, GangDong-gu, Seoul, South Korea 05340Tel: +82 2 2184 5114(KOR), 5945(ENG)※ the main telephone number remain unchangedWe will continue to offer the same best design service at our new office and look forward to your continued support.

Ice skating and Ice hockey Olympic Stadiums of Pyeongchang 2018

SAMOO designed Ice skating and Ice hockey Olympic Stadiums of Pyeongchang 2018'The Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games', which will be the greatest Winter Olympic Games in the history, are scheduled to take place for 17 days from 2nd to 25th of February in Pyeongchang and its vicinity. The 2018 Winter Olympics is expected to be the greatest in the Winter Olympics history for a total of 2,925 players from 92 different countries are registered competing for 102 gold medals. In particular, the female ice hockey team composed of a single South-North team has come into the spotlight with the leap for peace in the middle of the recent unstable political situations of East Asia. Pyeongchang was announced as the hosting city of the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in October of 2009 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held in Durban, South Africa, receiving more votes than both Annecy, France and Munich, Germany. Pyeongchang won its bid for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in the first round of voting, receiving 63 of the 95 votes cast, recording the major votes in the first round of voting in the history. In March of 2013, SAMOO had the honor of designing a special building which will receive the global attention, by winning the first place in the design competition of masterplan of Speed skating Stadium and Sports Facilities Complex of Gangneung. In the beginning, the original site for speed skating and hockey stadium was covered with landfill and pine forest full of Geumgang pine trees. For this reason, the main objective for the stadium and the masterplan blueprint was set under the theme of conservation of pine forest and renewal of the landfill and this served as a starting point for the design concept. The masterplan constitutes the concepts of three layers: 'Healing' meaning the conservation of natural green area, 'Link' securing the functional connection of the stadium and 'Re-park' symbolizing the renewal of the polluted land. The layer of 'Healing' aims at connecting the natural connection of the topographic flow by minimizing the unnecessary process of cutting and filling the ground. The layer of 'Link' considered not only the connection with the existing Sports Facilities Complex, but also the smooth flow among the stadiums inside the Complex. The layer of 'Re-park' planned the ecological square or plaza uniting each Stadium as one to show concern on the “land”, which used to be the polluted landfill. The Speed skating stadium is supposed to be constructed in a colossal volume covering 100 m and 200 m in terms of length and breadth. SAMOO succeeded in creating the metaphorical expression of the pace of speed skating by modularizing the mass, which is inevitably huge and making elevation design vertically divided. Moreover, the vertical elements of elevation design are connected as roofs, not only giving the unique identity of the stadium, but also linking the south and the north of the building as one urban landscape. With the simple form of roof structure of the stadium, this work successfully completed the plan prioritizing economic feasibility and constructability at the same time. The Ice hockey Stadium was realized based on the concept of which the powerful energy and passion of the game should be aesthetically portrayed in the silvery and understated light imbued with Korea’s traditional beauty. The elegant appearance of octagon is the expression of sophisticated image precisely corresponding to the fine status of the Olympics, the world’s greatest sports event. It intended to depict the symbolism of the Winter Olympics holding in the Republic of Korea, by creating the harmony between tradition and modernity based on the reinterpretation of traditional design motifs in the modern sense. In terms of structure, it used H-shape steel trusses which are easy to assemble and dismantle according to the transfer construction planning. For dismantling work, high-tensile bolts were used to plan the division within the distance of 15 m. The mass was designed in a plain and simple manner by integrating the form and structure system of the stand. SAMOO will make constant efforts to let the whole world know of our country’s architectural culture, on behalf of Korea. Furthermore, we sincerely promise be your reliable partner in providing premium-quality services aiming to create better architectural environment and hand it down to posterity. We pray for the success of the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, which will be the magnificent festival of the global community, and we equally hope that many people keep showing their ardent attention and supports for the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympics which will be held from 9th to 18th of March.  

Winning German Design Award 2018

"Presidential Archives of Korea" - Winner, Architecture"Insight & Inspiration - SAMOO 40th anniversary book" - Winner, EditorialThe German Design Award is the top international prize of the German Design Council established in 1953 as a foundation on the initiative of the German Bundestag. Its goal: to discover, present and honour unique design trends. Therefore, every year, top-quality entries from product and communication design are rewarded, all of which are in their own way ground-breaking in the international design landscape. Launched in 2012, the German Design Award is one of the most well respected design competitions in the world and is held in high regard well beyond professional circles.The German Design Award sets the highest standards when it comes to selecting the prize-winners: in the nomination process, panels of experts from the German Design Council invite only those products and communication design services to participate in the competition that demonstrably set themselves apart from their competitors thanks to their design quality.Celebrating highly receiving the honorable award for two recent outstand works, we quote jury's statement below. - Presidential Archives of Korea [Link to the project page]"This timeless cube constitutes a pure geometric form. The spectacular underlying design consists of an inner cube and a transparent glass shell, which symbolises political transparency. But the shell can also be seen as a symbol of the need to safeguard the nation’s cultural and historical heritage. This colossal structure is part of a building complex whose other elements are concealed on the complex’s grounds and from which the cube protrudes like a memorial." - Insight & Inspiration: SAMOO 40th anniversary book [Link to the intro page]"This cleanly designed commemorative publication provides an impressive look back at four decades of the company’s culture, philosophy and activities. As exciting as it is interesting."