Mondrian Seoul Itaewon Resort / Gansam Architects & Associates

‘Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu’ is the to start with exclusive tourist zone specified in Seoul back again in 1997. The army foundation in Yongsan used to be occupied by the Japanese Army until the US Army took in excess of right after the nationwide liberation of Korea. Afterward, modest outlets and bars focusing on American troopers opened and the army camp town emerged, turning the place into an amusement district for US troopers. The urbanization of the spot into a local community of American troopers and similar foreigners continued. Itaewon became regarded to the earth following numerous intercontinental conferences and situations, like the 1988 Seoul Olympic Video games, were being held in the 1980s. It turned into a vacationer attraction frequented by visitors from all nations which includes Japan. The former Money Resort, which opened in 1988, took this tourism demand into account when it opened and provided different amusement services, these as a nightclub, karaoke, and sauna. The 30 or much more yrs were being extended more than enough for calls for to grow for a variety of adjustments in the hotel’s business composition and zoning procedure concerning the changes that have taken put in the tradition of the Itaewon location, where the hotel is situated.

This undertaking intended to remodel the exclusive lodge place into a combined retail + resort space. The areas in the basement for amusement services were being replaced with new applications that can attract synergy with a lifestyle hotel. The MD was composed of courses these as a lifestyle e-book shop, book cafe, craft beer household, and rooftop social gathering pool to incorporate the exotic lifestyle of Itaewon into the hotel. Escalators have been installed to increase the accessibility to the underground and the sunken house available from present roadways exterior was expanded. Moreover, the concrete roof was slash to put in the glass ceiling (Leading Light) for some underground areas to attract natural lighting down to the underground room.

The style solution for lowering the entry barrier as a lodge was worried with how to handle the principal gate. The predecessor, Funds Resort, had the principal gate and canopy on the front facet like other resorts. For the present-day hotel, it was presumed that buyers to the new retail outlets would have a substantial psychological burden on accessibility if they had to go by way of the hotel’s gate to arrive at people stores found in the lower stories. To get rid of the burden, the main gate and foyer space of the lodge was moved from the first ground to the second ground relating to the properties of the inclining land, and the most important gate and lobby room on the to start with flooring was opened to anyone to access conveniently by transforming the zoning and style and design. The Drop-Off Zone, which was newly constructed at the rear of the second ground, is the new canopy intended to match the new brand name identity of the resort.