RRP won an international competition to design new headquarters for Seoul Broadcasting Systems, comprising news, education, music and radio studios as well as supporting production and programming areas. This broadcasting centre was to occupy a focal position within the new Mok-Dong area of Seoul, located on the northern boundary of Omok Park. Initially a twin-tower scheme, RRP subsequently modified the design to provide a single, 82,000 sqm 24-storey tower with five levels of basement which is separated from the seven-storey studio building by a transparent 13-storey atrium. An underground station at the south-eastern corner of the site provides links to the city centre.
The design provided the client with a distinct identity in the world of media business and television production. RRP’s scheme is light, open and sufficiently flexible to respond to the needs of the constantly changing world of television. The tower houses the administrative and transmission functions of SBS while the studio accommodates productions and the operation of the television station. In order to articulate these disparate functions, the atrium introduces light and provides a public face for the organisation.
A high level of acoustic separation is required for the studio, necessitating additional slabs, ceilings and walls. The roof and walls of the atrium are clad in planar glazing and supported by a system of trusses fabricated from steel tie rods and pipe sections. In technical production areas of the building, the proximity of noise-sensitive / production areas required high performance sound insulating structures for the walls, ceiling and floors. Service areas are located outside the confines of the studio, facilitating easier access and maintenance.
Following the evolution of the scheme design, the project was executed by Ilkun C & C Architects and completed in 2003.
