Skip to content

Strange Systems

Exploring the overlap of virtual and physical

Menu
  • About this site
Menu

The Morning Commute #1

Posted on September 4, 2007July 5, 2021 by namho

Seoul’s eclectic architecture

Now that I have fully embraced my role as the tourist, I intend to have fun.

Let’s start with today. Since everything is new to me (the tourist) and in part because of my architectural education, I actually look at buildings. I read them, measure them and place them in a style. Most building in Seoul doesn’t have much of a vernacular to follow, so on top of the corbusian domino system of columns and slabs, people slap on the style (or more correctly ornamentation) that makes most sense with the image they are trying to project, especially if you are retail store. Over the course of time the ownership retail space change hands and whomever comes in afterwards is forced to deal with the what was there before.

This is the case for this store that sells Simmons beds and furniture. My guess is that the store was originally built to house a store that catered to the wedding business (how else would you explain this architectural style?).

This makes for a strange clash of ornamentation. Now it has a modern floating, translucent glass box growing like an alien entity which is obsessed with battling the baroque armed with simplicity and order.

Recent Posts

  • Four Strategies for Going Mobile
  • Mobile storytelling: an evolving story
  • Desperately seeking good kimchi in Seattle
  • iPad as disruptive innovation in education
  • Up close with Ashoka founder Bill Drayton

Recent Comments

  • Maya Bailey on Sugar on Eee PC
  • Chris Motorcycle merchandise on Hanoi and its love of motorcycles
  • Tilly Holmes on Hanoi and its love of motorcycles
  • sj on ChangeON conference presentation
  • Aaron Stewart on Personalization and Mobile Phones

Archives

  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • September 2011
  • January 2011
  • June 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • March 2009
  • January 2009
  • November 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007

Categories

  • ~everything else
  • architecture
  • book review
  • design
  • hanoi / sustainable future
  • internet culture
  • korea / tourist at home
  • mobile technology
  • sleepless in seattle
  • social change
  • sustainability
  • urbanism
  • user experience
  • web 2.0
  • web design

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
©2023 Strange Systems | Built using WordPress and Responsive Blogily theme by Superb