In 2018, downtown Seoul gained a new architectural landmark: the Amorepacific Headquarters. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Christoph Felger, this cubic structure rises in the midst of a complex urban fabric. Here, the futuristic high-rises of a nearby financial district meet the fine-grained scale of the old city. The new building mediates between these extremes—both spatially and socially.
Address/Directions
AmorePacific Headquarters
100 Hangang-daero
Yongsan-gu Seoul
Directions
“Architecture on this scale carries a social responsibility beyond formal presence: to create a place of significance—a public space for lingering, open to all citizens, that brings urban culture to life.”
The Amorepacific Headquarters is conceived as a mediator on three levels. First, it reconciles large-scale presence with visual lightness. Second, it balances vertical and horizontal dimensions through its cubic massing. Third, it harmonizes corporate functionality with public engagement.
Three generous cuts in the building volume connect to rooftop gardens and open up a central courtyard, allowing light and air to flow through the core. A second, permeable façade layer envelops an inner skin made of floor-to-ceiling glass and opaque ventilation panels. Slim vertical aluminum fins in varying widths respond to the sun’s movement, while the underlying horizontal bands reinforce the woven appearance of the façade. This variation creates a vibrant, finely articulated architectural texture.
At street level, a continuous colonnade opens the building to the public on all sides. The expansive atrium is designed to host art installations, concerts, and cultural events. Visitors are welcomed into spaces that include a museum, a library, a teahouse, and a variety of retail offerings.
The rooftop gardens bring nature into the building and offer space for reflection. Together with the building’s open terraces, they allow for natural ventilation during the transitional seasons and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
Even the atrium benefits from daylight, thanks to a glazed floor above that filters diffused sunlight downward. Material choices throughout the interior are restrained and tactile: exposed concrete and natural stone dominate the lower levels. The upper floors house company offices, including a park-facing auditorium with flexible acoustics and atmosphere, enabled by large-scale curtains.
At the heart of the headquarters is a central courtyard one level up, serving as the social and atmospheric core of the building. Surrounding it are staff amenities such as restaurants, cafés, fitness and wellness facilities, and even a company-run day-care center.
The hardware throughout the building continues the design vision down to the finest detail. David Chipperfield Architects designed the FSB 1004 series specifically for projects like this one. Just like the custom ceiling lights, the handles embody the studio’s integrated approach: form follows purpose. The minimalist, L-shaped lever handle with a rectangular grip and round neck is inspired by the pioneers of modernism—thinkers like Ludwig Wittgenstein, who pursued logical clarity.
In the Amorepacific building, FSB 1004 is used in both stainless steel and bronze variants, aligning aesthetics with material depth and long-term durability.
