new spaces 10 EN

28 Thinking the Future III Rock It Suda, which was opened in 2009, soon became a mecca for people who love architecture and nature equally and are looking for a holiday that is well off the beaten track. According to the manager of the complex, the hip Kim Jae-il, most of the guests are Koreans, but a growing number of tourists from abroad are fi nding their way to this remote region because it’s been recommended to them by enthusiastic friends or architecture blogs on the Internet. The charm of Rock It Suda is due not only to the beautiful landscapes of Gangwon-do but also to the architectural concept behind the complex, which has the quality of sculpture. Moon Hoon, the planner, is not a traditional architect but an artist who creates video fi lms and installations. “At the moment I happen to be doing architecture,” he says. What all his works have in common is that they transport the viewer — or the inhabitant — into another world where he or she is allowed to defi ne even the laws of nature and aesthetic principles on his or her own. Moon Hoon calls his work “Space Tuning”. Rock It Suda is his masterpiece. The six houses have identical ground plans but completely individual shapes. The resort has been inspired equally by Western consumer icons such as Barbie and Ferrari and the Asian concept of building design, which involves a fusion of interior and exterior spaces. Of course not everyone will like these fl ashy and colourful buildings. Critics call these houses simply eccentric, nonsensical and illogical. But they’re being unfair to the builder, because Moon Hoon has a reason for everything he does. His motives may be diff erent from those of most other people, but he’s got a logic of his own — or, in this case, a specifi c commission. “Spain” was the key word the owner-builder of the complex, Kim Jae-il, said to his architect. That’s because he had lived there and was so impressed by it that he wanted to import its way of life to this province in southern Korea. “Bullfi ghting and Andalusia were the infl uences I wanted to see in these buildings,” says Kim. The eccentric Moon Hoon was the right man for the job. However, says Kim, all of the fi rst drafts looked alike. Together, the two men decided to add other designs: the Ferrari, the Stealth Owl and Barbie. In Rock It Suda, not only the houses’ outer appearance but also their interiors are unusual. The bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms correspond to the houses’ respective motifs. The walls are painted or wallpapered in an appropriate colour or pattern. Even the smallest details are correct. For example, the interior of the Ferrari house is 100 per cent red — right down to the air conditioner and the fridge — and the black-andwhite stripes along the outside are repeated on the fl oors. The small resort complex bears the same name as the rock band in which its owner, Kim Jae-il, plays bass, and the band rehearses in the small café that is part of the complex. Today, though, there’s no music in the air. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a drummer right now,” says Kim. His love of music matches the style of the houses. Rock It Suda rocks, even though none of the houses is based on musical motifs. The loud colours, the built-in technology, the craziness — all of it is pure rock ’n roll. The essence of Rock It Suda is the contrast between its ultramodern design and its rural surroundings. Jeongseon is a popular tourist region. People come here for skiing in the winter and for enjoying the landscape in the summer. But the main reason for building the complex so far from the capital was the aff ordable cost of land. South Korea has a long tradition of theme-oriented “love hotels” in which visitors can step into another world. Rock It Suda takes this trend to a new level. It’s always booked out at the weekend, says Kim Jae-il — and nowadays it’s not so easy to book a room during the week either. The houses were built from cast concrete and then painted with spray paint. The Ferrari house and the Stealth Bomber are covered with an enamelled metal coating. A bit lower down on the mountain, below these works of pop art, are four very simple houses built in the Korean style. They are also part of the complex, and in a certain way they form the foundation of the fi ghting bull and Ferrari structures. Here too, Moon Hoon has incorporated a quirky detail: in each of the downhill houses, a ladder concealed in a cupboard leads to the pop-art house directly above it. Guests can rent both houses and thus have room to accommodate an entire extended family. It’s no wonder that Rock It Suda is especially popular with kids. That’s due not only to the swimming pool that is part of the complex. Some of the houses have an extension — an accessible tunnel whose fl oor resembles a trampoline. A stay at Rock It Suda is comparable to a visit to an adventure park. “I hoped the buildings would also be entertaining,” says Kim. But Moon Hoon and Kim Jae-il are too smart and sensitive to simply lock up their guests in a colourful fantasy world. The stunning mountain landscapes that surround the complex are the real stars of this architecture. Moon Hoon has made sure that the mountains and forests are visible from inside the houses as well. On every side of these bright houses are huge windows that off er views of the river and the forest, mountaintops and meadows. From the bedrooms one can look directly at the starry sky. Moon Hoon realises the even the concept of Space Tuning cannot compete with the reality of outer space. ¤ Further information www.rockitsuda.com

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