Founded as an architectural design firm in 1967, Junglim Architecture has successfully carried out more than 1,000 large-scale projects in and out of the country. Their proposition of spatial environment reflects on history, corresponds to the present, and looks out to the future, transcending the needs of clients. Its mission is to go beyond the creation of buildings towards contributing to society by making a sound spatial environment together with clients. The founding philosophy of Junglim Architecture Research Center is based on righteousness and sincerity. They aim at corresponding to the needs of present-day society and contribute to the national development and environmental amelioration with future-oriented activities of creation. They perform technological innovation and complete total design through systematic and total activities of creation. They aim at elevating our technological level to international standards by ceaselessly developing technology and accumulating its advancement, and pursuing the enhancement of national prestige and the saving and earning of foreign currency.
History
Co-founded by two honorary chairmen, Jeongcheol Kim and Jeongsik Kim, Junglim Architecture set out under the name of Junglim Architecture Research Center in 1967. Moving to Smok Building located at Bukchang-dong, the firm progressed with such important projects as Seoul National University Gwanak Campus Main Building (1973), Korea Exchange Bank Headquarters Design Competition Winner (1973), and Samyangsa Corporation Headquarters (1974). With the KEB Headquarters Design Competition Winner as momentum, Junglim established a solid foothold in Korean architecture society in 1973. Following years various branches were established in different parts of the world: Saudi Arabia, New York, Dubai, etc.
Integration
When the company was founded in 1967, Junglim Architecture brought a new awareness to the industry which had revolved around the nestled by famous architects. It was because Junglim pursued not so much an architectural group of distinct characters, but a whole design system focusing on organization and collaboration as well as emphasizing individual architects’ identities. In 1984, the company invested as much as 200 million won in introducing the CAD system first among Korean architectural firms, and when designing the National Museum of Korea, Incheon International Airport Passenger Terminal, and SK-T Tower. Also, the company started to apply Building Information Modelling (BIM) in earnest for building the database and performing practical projects, becoming ranked No. 1 in BIM application amongst Korean architectural firms in 2012.
Philosophy
In the background of making Junglim Architecture into what it is today have been ceaseless interest and affection, enthusiasm for architecture, and several invisible helping hands, any of which has been indispensable to make the company sustain to date. With the mission of making a sound spatial environment for the world where all live together, the company is endeavoring to become a happy workplace where individuals can elicit their best abilities, a healthy architectural group that creates and shares a sound spatial environment, and an imitable company which is socially honored with sound business ethics.
Core Values
Human: “We Take Care of Human Beings. We are architects for the people.” Junglim Architecture ponders on and considers both humans and buildings, where they honor each other and make architecture for human beings. Trust: “We Keep Building Trust. We practice responsible architecture based on trust.” The clients with a long relationship with the company rely only on Junglim Architecture. Teamwork: “We Work in Collaboration. We collaborate with clear communication.” The driving force of embodying the needs of clients and society in the best works is the teamwork and collaboration of the company members.
Excellence: “We Pursue What Excels. We create the highest quality architecture for our clients and society.” Junglim Architecture has been ranked No. 16 in the world and No. 1 in Korea as an architectural practice on the World Largest Architectural Practice 100 2017 list and won more than 200 architectural awards. Sustainability: “We Keep Innovating. We continually grow and expand into the next century.” Junglim Architecture introduced the CAD system in Korea. They published Architectural Details with CAD drawings for the development of Korean architecture. This is also the case with BIM. The research on environmentally friendly architecture is also at the center of Junglim’s innovation.
Projects and Awards
Junglim Architecture is a global architecture practice that was ranked No.1 in Korea and No. 16 in the world on the WA100 (World Largest Architecture Practice 100) 2017 list compiled by the UK architecture newspaper Building Design. Since its foundation, it has performed more than 1,000 large-scale projects in and out of the country, winning more than 200 domestic and foreign awards in architectural design and building technology. In 2017, the company was selected as the top architectural firm in Korea by The World Architecture, a British architecture magazine.
First Work: 1973- Wins the Design Competition for Korea Exchange Bank Headquarters
Junglim designed this building whose tower and podium parts were made separately for the first time as a symbolic building that hinted at a prelude to the skyscraper era. Also, the company designed the outdoor space for the users, efficiently resolving the task of reflecting the corporate values as well as the urban context. With the KEB Headquarters Design Competition Winner as momentum, Junglim established a solid foundation in Korean architecture society.
Latest Work: Samil Building Remodeling
This project is a new research institute of SFC BIO, and it is a space brand & design project that analyzes the brand value of SFC BIO before the building plan and tries to capture the space as well. There was a need for a symbolic structure to be promoted. Chemical reaction, reaction with the surrounding environment, sympathetic reaction with people, precise reaction, the reaction of mutual trust, reaction to change. The long and symbolic glass concourse that runs through the entire building is the “HEART SPACE” and functions as the central circulation and communicates with all rooms. The wide side of the glass curtain wall is advantageous for light, and visitors experience the SFC BIO space through a pure geometric symbolic space in this space. Scenes of various reactions such as actions of people, interactions between functional rooms, and the surrounding natural environment can be captured in this concourse. Along with the wide glass curtain wall of the Concourse, the symbolic void axis captures changes, but it will become a strong conceptual space that expresses the unique identity of SFC BIO as a frame of a clean space that does not always change.
The company has an identity that they follow for all their buildings,”We believe in a sound spatial environment that can change the world.” Their motive is such that they embody evidence-based design through rational thinking and new suggestions on human life. They realize more creativity every day based on universal rationality established in the process.
References:
- http://www.junglim.co.kr/
- http://www.junglim.co.kr/about/history?lang=en
- http://www.junglim.co.kr/works/award/1358/view
- http://www.junglim.co.kr/identity/life/1/view?lang=en
- http://www.junglim.co.kr/identity/integration/10/view?lang=en
