sukchulmok studio imposes PTFE tents onto concrete for photography studio in south korea

sukchulmok studio looks to children’s building blocks

Sukchulmok Studio places a vast block-shaped photography studio in Daejeon, South Korea, which integrates PTFE tents onto concrete walls, resulting in a space that exudes flexibility and showcases geometric shapes in a fusion of materiality and form. With sweeping interiors, a minimalist palette of textures and tones, and an optical illusion guiding the eye, Curving Block serves as a hub for employee welfare spaces within the baby products industry, offering both relaxation and filming facilities.

The complex’s design concept is a celebration of purity, deriving from childhood memories of building with toy blocks. Further encapsulating this simplicity, the design team limited the materiality to four key elements — red bricks, concrete, PTFE tents, and steel –- which enabled them to maintain the integrity of the building’s curving shape and achieve a tent-like space while concealing functional elements.

Curving Block from afar | all images by Hong Seokgyu

‘curving block’ exudes flexibility within tent-like interior

Situated in Anyeong-dong, Daejeon, an industrial complex known for its developed logistics and distribution industries, Curving Block emerges as a symbol of communication between spaces, neighbored by an interchange and numerous factories. In response to the client’s request for a design that facilitates product photography and creative and recreational activities, Sukchulmok Studio transformed an empty space between existing headquarters into a multi-functional zone. This site encompasses a private outdoor garden, a high-ceilinged internal hall, and a cyclorama wall which doubles as a product shooting studio.

The design balances openness and closure, creating a harmonious relationship between various materials and forms. Curving Block’s structure is characterized by a seamless circulation connecting the interior and exterior spaces through two entrances formed between the slightly warped gaps in the semi-circular mass. Inside, one of the project’s most notable features is its optical illusion effect. The space features a 3-meter-high reference point, where materials are separated and a half-dividing gesture is employed, giving rise to a two-dimensional illusion from a specific viewpoint. ‘An optical illusion effect occurs if you deviate from general spatial perception or perspective,’ notes the team at Sukchulmok Studio.

two entrances formed between curved gaps induce internal and external circulation

Throughout the space, furniture crafted from various iron textures adorns the red brick floor, enriching the tactile experience and emphasizing the physical properties of the site. Each piece of furniture has been custom designed for the project, inspired by the gestures of the space itself, the layered appearance of building materials, and the construction process, culminating in a harmonious interplay of form and function.

to maintain the purity of the shape, Sukchulmok Studio hid the functional elements