Nonhyeon 73 Commercial Building: Maximizing Urban Visibility and Functional Design in Gangnam

Located in the vibrant Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea, the Nonhyeon 73 Commercial Building, designed by See Architects, exemplifies modern commercial architecture with a focus on visibility, functionality, and urban integration. Completed in 2023, this 600 m² mixed-use building responds to the challenges of a dense urban alley while enhancing the streetscape of Nonhyeon-dong.

Strategic Urban Placement and Enhanced Visibility

Situated northeast of Hakdong Station, the building takes advantage of its strategic location by extending forward beyond neighboring structures along the southern boundary. This positioning maximizes visibility from the main east-west road while creating an expansive first-floor retail frontage. Dual parking entrances on either side of the building improve accessibility and allow for an uninterrupted retail layout, offering convenience to both pedestrians and vehicle users.

Innovative Architectural Features

One of the building’s standout design elements is the party wall spanning above the entry and parking area. This architectural feature increases the sense of mass, frames the sky, and leads to an external staircase that ascends along the building’s zoning envelope. By locating the staircase outside the Floor Area Ratio (FAR), See Architects maximized the floor space available for retail use while providing visitors with panoramic views of the surrounding neighborhood.

The southern façade showcases an asymmetrical composition that combines windows, party walls, and the elevator core to obscure conventional floor divisions. This dynamic façade emphasizes both verticality and mass, creating a visually engaging streetscape. Meanwhile, the northern side reveals a three-dimensional structural rhythm, accentuated by folding planes and continuous band-shaped exterior walls surrounding the staircase.

Materiality and Urban Presence

The building’s exterior employs a mix of brick and glass, reinforcing its urban character while providing tactile warmth and visual depth. The folding planes and continuous bands create a sculptural effect, enhancing the architectural identity of the building. The southern façade, in particular, emphasizes mass and street presence, while the northern façade celebrates spatial depth and volume, contributing to the building’s distinctive profile.

The Nonhyeon 73 Commercial Building successfully merges functional design with a strong urban presence. By optimizing space, maximizing visibility, and employing thoughtful architectural strategies, See Architects created a structure that enriches the commercial streetscape of Nonhyeon-dong, supporting both retail activity and pedestrian experience in one of Seoul’s busiest districts.

All photographs are works of  Mongsang