NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMMUNICATION BUILDING

H Architecture recently completed the National Assembly Communication Building in associate with Haeahn Architecture in Seoul.
The project is designed for National Assembly of South Korea, which is located on the historical field of the National Assembly Complex in Yeoido, the largest island that is situated on the Han River in Seoul. As part of a long-term development of the National Assembly Complex master plan that began in 1969, the purpose of the new annex building is to support legislative functions of the National Assembly as a Press Center, a work place and welfare facility. The project site is approximately 221,628 ft² and is located alongside the National Assembly Proceeding Hall (the main building) as well as the office building for the Members of National Assembly. The building size is 266,445.32 ft² and houses five distinctive programs: a Press Center with a briefing room equipped with a small broadcast facility and a workplace for reporters; a highly-equipped Smart Work Center which serves as a remote workplace for commuting officers dispatched from a government; supplementary office spaces; underground parking; and welfare facilities which includes a restaurant, a banquet hall and a retail component that will be accessible to both government workers and the general public. The complexity of the building program requires the flexibility of use so that it may function interchangeably as the spaces will be occupied by various groups of users while maintaining different level of security.

The Key is to make the building harmonize with neighborhood buildings and surrounding nature. The overall building height is maintained as low as possible to allow for the building to be submerged within trees around the site in order to provide un-obstructive views to the National Assembly’s main building. The building form is flatten below the tree lines horizontally to create a spatial intimacy as well as to celebrate the greenery by concealing the building mass. The flatten and squared roof-top is correlated with the complex's original master plan of a grid system, and the floor plates are gradually transformed into a stepped-trapezoid form at the building footprint. It leads the building shape to a dramatic floating-canopy while retaining its identity in the complex. The canopy-like building front allows interaction between programmed interior and landscape, even between surrounding buildings. The building programs are literally stacked and flowed down by floors considering different functions and level of securities. It is imperative to note that the building is secured while it opens to the public. The idea of Stacking Programs offers not only ensure security separations between floors, but also create a hierarchy of functions between floors; open programs inhabiting the lower levels and more secured functions are positioned on the upper floors. All floors are combined with a Courtyard which serves as a communication hub for users. It integrates circulations, common areas, and rest areas while delivering daylights into common areas and work spaces, and allowing natural ventilation.