‘Designing is like writing songs’
Architect Yang Jin-seok is perhaps one of the busiest master builders in Korea. He has designed 800 buildings and pieces of furniture over the last 20 years.
Yang’s recognizable products include Yongpyeong Resort the Forest Residence, Cloudhills and JS Corporation’s headquarters.
During the Corea Quotient (CQ) Forum, organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) on Wednesday, Yang shared his philosophy behind his buildings and how he distinguished himself among many other architects.
“I began my career as architect when I was 13 years old,” Yang said at the CQ Forum held at the residence of Thai Ambassador Sarun Charoensuwan in Itaewon, Seoul. “I dreamed of becoming a musician but my father pushed me to grow up as an architect. So I played music while designing architecture.
“In my music, there is an architect. It’s very much similar to how I work when I write songs and make buildings. They both have developments and messages in the products,” Yang said.
The architect’s breakthrough work in Yongpyeong best reflects his philosophy. That’s one of the venues for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next year.
Former chairman of Ssangyong Group Kim Seok-hoon requested Yang design the resort village. Yang was inspired by the surrounding nature of the site and hanok, the traditional Korean house.
“When I first when to Yongpyeong, the tall straight trees, sunshine and shadows came into my sight. I designed the houses according to the impression I received from the light and nature combined as if I was writing a song,” Yang said.
“The pattern on the building wall took its design from the bark of a tree and the slanted, uneven roof is from the original construction of hanok. The overall resort buildings look small from the outside but are spacious inside, surround by nature in the mountains,” Yang said.
Yang’s other masterpiece, JS Corporation’s headquarters, has an open space in the middle from level’s three to six.
It meant a lot of wasted space but Yang pushed the design to make people communicate between different departments. He also used the left side of the building to make a terrace where female employees can talk to their children comfortably while working.
“JS Corporation is a fashion house. They need a lot of communication as designers,” Yang said. “I convinced the chairman that the increase in communication will lead to an increase in company profits.”