Tree Trunk-Inspired Buildings Connect Underground

The best architectural designs don't need to look overcomplicated, they just need to be effective. This sleek pair of 17-story office buildings in Seoul by South Korean firm BCHO architects is a perfect example.

The architects took inspiration from an old Korean birch tree trunk, organic and sculpted as if molded by flowing water. The design allows the structures to efficiently utilize the irregular site conditions, which are composed of vaguely acute angles.

With a heavy amount of pedestrian activity in the area, a space was intentionally placed between the buildings to minimize above-ground disruptions. What's really extraordinary, that you wouldn't know by just looking at them, is that the two buildings share seven basement levels below-ground, and there is a linear pathway that connects them!















BCHO architects' website
via [Designboom]