KYWC Architects

Raphael Center

Raphael Center
© KIM Jaekyung

RAPHAEL CENTER

Kim Seunghoy (Seoul National University) + KYWC Architects

ARCHITECTS
Kywc Architects, Kim Seunghoy (Seoul National University)

PHOTOGRAPHS
Kim Jaekyung

AREA
1177 m²

YEAR
2014

LOCATION
South Korea

CATEGORY
Medical Facilities

SPACE FOR SHARED LIFE AND SERVICE

The Raphael Center is a free medical facility for foreign workers. The task for the architect was to renovate the poorer building used as accommodation for the examination into a medical facility for foreign workers and a complex cultural space for local people.

Aside from the limited budget, the biggest problem was the narrow space of the space.

Raphael Center
© KIM Jaekyung
Raphael Center
© KIM Jaekyung

Most of all, we planned empty spaces without defined layouts as much as possible, in order to enable many people to stay there, designing the flow line as the form of track in order to avoid interrupting patient’s circulation.

We also planned flexible space which can be used as medical treatment space at weekends and complex cultural space for local people at weekdays.

Raphael Center
© KIM Jaekyung
Raphael Center
© KIM Jaekyung

On the first floor level, a canopy has been installed along the alleyway to form a continuous urban street.

The Raphael Center, aiming to become both a healing space and a cultural space, works of architecture that is part of the city, communicating with and open to the city by holding architectural pose required for public building.

Raphael Center
© KIM Jaekyung
Raphael Center
East Elevation

The performance and overall class of the building has been improved by adding insulation to the existing wall and finishing by face bricks.

The complex shape of the existing building is transformed into a simple mass and irregular windows have been replaced by square ones.

Raphael Center
North Elevation
Raphael Center

Protruding eaves have been added to the windows, and the inside of the eaves have been painted in various colours standing for all people of the world. I hoped this building could present foreign workers with a cheerful look.


Raphael Center
Concept Diagram


Raphael Center
Basement Plan
Raphael Center
First Floor Plan
Raphael Center
Second Floor Plan
Raphael Center
Third Floor Plan
Raphael Center
Fourth Floor Plan
Raphael Center
Fifth Floor Plan

KYWC Architects
T +82 2 25924128 F +82 2 25924129
KYWC Architects
13 Duteopbawiro-31, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea