Hak Sik Son was approached by 5 parents who wanted a private space in which their musical children could rehearse and perform. Located in a busy, retail area of Seoul, he designed OPUS Concert Hall that accommodates a 150-seat underground concert hall 6 m high, a restaurant and bar on the first and second floors, a leasable office space at the third floors which now owned by a graphic design studio for a company that serves the music recording industry, and the remaining top three floors contain 5 music studios for the clients who are music teachers and performers.

The below-grade level for concert hall placement is to insulate from the external street noise. Clad in natural finish wood and in plaster, the concert hall was formed by both acoustic and visual (sight-line) considerations resulting in a simple, straightforward shape. A restaurant is set in the first and second floors, which the formal dining on the first floor and the casual dining on the second. The glass facades on these floors display the activity within the building for passing pedestrians, also respond to activities on the street and reflect the commercial landscape, so there is no need for a noticeable sign.

It is contradiction to the surrounding buildings. Although the formal aim of OPUS Concert Hall was to create an overall impression of lightness as well as a sense of upward motion, the boundaries established by Seoul’s allowable zoning envelope were the primary factor in the creation of the exterior execution. The regulations led to an odd shape which steps away from the street, a result of the desire to maximize the views, natural lighting, and building area, and also to improve the acoustics. The need for parking and entrance spaces meant that the northeast corner of the site was left open. OPUS Concert Hall thus performs a civic role, giving back as developed space what it takes away as resources.

The L-shaped layout of the main spaces is supported from the inner side by the service areas, freeing the outer walls to relate directly to the street. The OPUS Concert Hall is structured by a concrete-frame with glass curtain walls, shielded by curved and angular planes of corrugated metal. The metal planes morph around the building, deflecting sunlight and sound both on the inside and out. The mixture of these materials, its small size and exuberance explain why this project is described as, “shaking up Seoul’s bland corporate architecture”.

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