AMC Headquarters Tower

Urban Context, Commercial Development and Public Space

The AMC headquarters tower reflects the purpose and context of commercial development in the rapidly changing urban environment of Gangnam. It aimed to maximize commercial purposes while simultaneously securing open spaces seamlessly connected to the urban fabric. Located in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, between Eonju subway station and the intersection of Gyeongbok apartments, the site is surrounded by various medium-sized buildings, including hospitals, offices, hotels, commercial and residential complexes, loosely clustered together. The L-shaped project site is directly adjacent to the commercial building at the corner. By separating the vehicle entryway on Bongeunsa-ro 34-gil, a secondary road, the façade of the new headquarter tower could be fully dedicated to pedestrians. 8m setback is applied to maximize open public space, creating an unusual scale of open space which hardly be found on Bongeunsa-ro. Such a unique open space is perceived by pedestrians as more prominent than the architecture itself. The open space on North side facing Bongeunsa-ro, featuring landscaping and benches to offer people a place to rest and interact, while guiding pedestrian flow towards the tower.

Architectural Tectonics - Structure, Module, Proportion, Materiality

The façade of the AMC headquarters tower extends to its maximum length, facing Bongeunsa-ro, and naturally forms an elongated rectangular architectural mass oriented to East-West. The ground level is separated from the upper volume with differentiated materiality, creating a solid stone podium as a base for the tower. The protruded stone portal brings the scale of tower down to human scale, providing the main entrance for pedestrians.

Upper part consists of twelve floors of tower clustered into four each, forming three glass volumes to present architectural tectonics. To maximize the effect of three-dimensional separation, top and bottom volumes are set back, while the central mass is cantilevered out, creating abstract mass. The c-shaped profile is placed at the boundary of each glass volume, serving as indirect lighting channels at night.

Each of three glass volumes is populated with 1240mm façade module and vertical fins, result of five equal division of 6,200mm structural grid. The vertical fins on East and West sides are applied only to the central mass, enhancing the three-dimensional expression of the volumes. This articulation achieved by proportion and materiality reveals characteristics of architectural tectonics.

The ground floor is divided programmatically at the center of the façade. Western half of the floor is the lobby space for the headquarters and the other half is F&B space connected to the lobby and is also accessible from the outdoor public space directly. Rear terrace linked with the F&B is bamboo garden and forms cascading terrace with second floor.

The module of ground level façade aligns with every other module at tower levels. The vertical alignment allows the vertical lines to be projected onto ground plane, forming the edges of landscape for public space.

The BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) integrated at spandrels zone on South complies with Seoul city's renewable energy requirements, also allowing the rooftop space to be remained purely as open space without being dominated by solar panels. The vertical concrete cores and walls on the sides feature reflective glass curtain walls, treated the same as the spandrels, creating ambiguity of the vision/spandrel zone during the day, allowing expression of the monolithic mass.

The architectural expression, achieved through proportion, materiality and integrating module with structure, deliberately removes contemporaneity, endowing the architectural tectonics with a timeless presence.

Internal Space, Hierarchy and Externalization of Internal Space Elements - Ceiling Lighting, Exterior Lighting

The post-tensioned concrete beams applied at the office floors span approximately 19m, providing column-free spaces and offering maximum flexibility versatility to the internal space. The linear lighting ceiling grid runs in North-South direction, following the same spacing as facade module, but is shifted by half a module, visibly exposes the presence between the vertical mullions and serves as exterior lighting, naturally illuminating towards the outside. This not only provides the necessary lighting within the building but also grants maximum flexibility for interior partition configuration to the interior space.

The linear lighting installed in this manner, along with the C-shaped profile lighting at the border of the glass mass, seamlessly transitions into ambient exterior lighting. Technical ceiling elements such as diffusers and sprinklers are arranged along East-West direction, residing in dark gray-painted metal housings, delineating the hierarchy of ceiling components between lighting and other elements.

Conference room on 12th floor is wrapped in stainless steel finish serves as an object within the internal space, welcoming visitors to the executive floor. Electrochromic glass is applied to the internal mass, allowing for adjustable transparency to ensure the desired privacy within the space.

The open interconnecting staircase between the 11th and 12th floors enhances and promotes communication between staff members. On the 13th floor, where the chairman's office are located, a terrace is positioned to provide natural lighting between the waiting area for visitors and the reception desk. Folding doors are placed to integrate the indoor and outdoor spaces for events.

Parking Space and Amenities

While similar-sized office buildings on Bongeunsa-ro primarily plan parking towers to meet statutory parking requirements due to scale limitations and efficiency, the AMC headquarters offers approximately 90 parking spaces across three below grade levels. A mechanized parking system is applied on the 4th and 5th below grade levels to exceed statutory requirements. Curved linear lighting at the parking level naturally guides the vehicles to the lower levels, and the mechanical automated parking system is stacked on the 4th and 5th underground levels.