new spaces 10 EN

Korea’s most unusual guest houses lie amidst breathtaking nature. Like a robot army from outer space, a Barbie house, a Stealth Owl 27 building and a Ferrari cube watch over the valley. A surprise is waiting for the traveller at the end of a narrow, bumpy road that twists and turns through the mountainous landscape of Gangwon-do in South Korea. Or perhaps one should say “a shock to the eyeballs”! It almost feels as though you’ve passed through a hidden gate and landed on a strange planet — maybe during the last long leftward curve of the road? On top of a hill stand six garishly painted bungalows, staring down boldly at the traveller with their lighted windows. Thanks to their shrill colours and sharp edges, the houses look like an army of robots from outer space that have set up camp on the ridge of the hill or are waiting to be picked up by the mother spaceship. However, the complex, which is called Rock It Suda, poses no danger whatsoever to travellers. On the contrary, it’s meant to be an oasis of calm and relaxation. It’s the most unusual holiday resort in the world. The buildings’ architect, Moon Hoon, and their owner, Kim Jae-il, modestly call them “guest houses” — as though these creations were not an architectural sensation. Rock It Suda lies in the midst of a forest on top of a mountain. On one side is a dry riverbed, and on the other are an evergreen forest and small cultivated fi elds. But the complex bears no resemblance to the traditional farms and forest huts of this region, which lies between the East Sea and the city of Jeongseon, about a four-hour drive from Seoul. The houses, which bear names like Spain, Ferrari and Stealth, look like a mix of Lego blocks and comic book fi gures. There’s a futuristic sports car you can live in, an owl, a house with horns and a red-and-yellow construction that visitors simply lack the words to describe.

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