The urban environment of Seoul is about to get quite a bit visually louder as UNStudio has returned to the South Korean capital with a new headquarters for the expanding K-Pop label YG Entertainment.

The building is meant to encapsulate “the industrious spirit of this production house’s business and the music industry as a whole.”

Its sleek interior is a play on the ‘black in black’ concept inside the neighboring YG Building, offering a brightly-lit, tree-lined atrium with a host of white tones and geometric lines that improve wayfinding and are enhanced by an influx of natural sunlight directed through its roof. 

Above the atrium, a sectional concept unfolds based on function starting with four stories of capsule-like collaborative spaces supporting several recording studios and seven additional floors of offices with a stage-like presence that can also be used as a “living room” by visitors and the public. 

Outside, the building resembles a large urban boombox or stereo system thanks to a separation of semi- and fully-glazed areas, the latter of which are located along the park and central zone of the structure and outfitted BIPV solar cells and balconies that provide shading and break lounges for its users. This effect establishes YG as a shining light in a mixed-density neighborhood in Seoul, something the design team sought to highlight with a special luminescent feature.

Per the architects: “During the day, the ‘urban speaker’ is designed to provide the best possible working environment for its employees from the inside out, whilst at night, this workplace begins to glow and become an identifiable part of the city’s skyline. In the evenings, the illumination concept of the various interior zones employs the facade lines and perforated hues to reveal a glimpse of various layers within the building, accentuating the quality of performance inherent to the entertainment and music industry.”