Timelessness and material choice take Korea's Hong Tae-sun to top of architecture world

Only 3 percent of candidates are able to become a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), and among them this year is Hong Tae-sun, the 59-year-old CEO of architecture firm YKH Associates.

Architect Hong Tae-sun poses with his Fellow of the American Institute of Architects certification at the YKH Associates Headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 17. [JOONGANG ILBO]

[Interview]

In the architecture world, becoming a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is arguably the greatest honor an architect could ask for. Only 3 percent of candidates are able to become an FAIA, and among them this year is Hong Tae-sun, the 59-year-old CEO of architecture firm YKH Associates.

After skimming through the long list of awards, honors and recognitions that Hong's firm has earned over the past 24 years, one may find sufficient evidence for the recognition. But digging a little deeper reveals Hong’s innovative approach — one that is worth the applause.

Hong works as an architect, but is a maestro at heart. He makes it obvious with the grand piano nicely situated in the corner of his office where he practices as often as he can, and the way he coherently explains the similarities that architecture and classical music both share.

Beauty can be found in the two art forms through repetition — one of the many examples Hong gave when he spoke to the Korea JoongAng Daily in a recent interview at the YKH Associates Headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

The inside of YKH Associates Headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [YKH ASSOCIATES]

Like how repeated sounds ultimately create melody and rhythm, the repetition of windows, terraces, slabs or vertical forms in Hong’s designed structures also create harmony. In 2013, Hong made it his goal to make sure that his redesign of the Buphwajung Temple in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, would make it a hub for traditional Buddhist art and practices.

The answer lies in repetition. He went to the extent of installing thousands of lotus lanterns and Buddha statue casings for the interior. For the exterior, 1,800 panels inscribed with Buddhist scriptures covered the stone wall facade.

Absence is another common element in architecture and classical music. Usually the musical rest signs do the job of indicating silence. In terms of architecture, absence is interpreted as the void, or space — like the expansive plaza that Hong adopted for the Lotte Premium Outlet in Paju, Gyeonggi.

It’s these correlations that inspired Hong to agree with German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's statement: “Architecture is frozen music.”

Hong understands the system of both arts because he’s had a versatile background apart from architecture. As a child, he was talented at playing the piano and making art, but later majored in pre-med and minored in fine arts at Oberlin College in Ohio. He then made up his mind to explore architecture after attending a Career Discovery program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. And the rest was history.

The exterior of YKH Associates Headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [YKH ASSOCIATES]

Looking back, the change in his career path wasn’t that out of the blue; rather, Hong was destined to become an architect.

“The building that I played piano in at Oberlin, before I even considered studying architecture, had been designed by Yamasaki,” he said, referring to the late Japanese American architect Minoru Yamasaki (1912-1986), who is best known for designing the original twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. Hong would later establish an autonomous branch of Yamasaki’s architecture firm in Seoul in 2000, which is now YKH Associates, to continue Yamasaki’s philosophies of practicality.

“It’s crucial in architecture to get the greatest output with the smallest expense,” Hong said. The Hillmaru Country Club & Golf Hotel in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, is a successful example of both cost-effectiveness and uniqueness. The secret lies in putting more emphasis on the areas that people frequent more often, like the entrance of Hillmaru, which especially stands out with its whale-inspired roof structure.

The exterior of Hillmaru Country Club & Golf Hotel in Pocheon, Gyeonggi [YKH ASSOCIATES]

The interior of Hillmaru Country Club & Golf Hotel in Pocheon, Gyeonggi [YKH ASSOCIATES]

After about 600 projects over 24 years, Hong says that YKH Associates values timelessness and materiality above anything else.

“A timeless building stands the test of time and should age like fine wine,” Hong said. “Maintenance should never be an issue. To achieve this, I try to find novelty through materials.”

For Sebyeol Brewery in Paju, Gyeonggi, which won the AIA San Francisco Chapter Architecture Honor Award in 2021, Hong debuted a new technique in which he created deciduous tree bark molds and incorporated them with blue-pigmented concrete on the brewery’s exterior. This gave the building a raw yet luxurious atmosphere, the texture of which would blend well with its natural surroundings.

Nowadays, YKH Associates has been taking on more resort projects and is eyeing some in the Asian region, like in Vietnam. With an average of 20 projects per year, Hong’s typical day begins with taking some time alone to peacefully plan out his day and meditate. The key to uncluttering his mind before another busy day is to just simply forget everything that’s happened the day before.

The exterior of Sebyeol Brewery in Paju, Gyeonggi [YKH ASSOCIATES]

The interior of Sebyeol Brewery in Paju, Gyeonggi [YKH ASSOCIATES]

“I’ve had a professor tell me during my years at Yale that true architecture begins at the age of 60. Everything before that was just practice — and they’re right,” he continued. Sometimes his projects didn’t turn out the way he initially pictured them, or designs would get outdated later on due to changing trends. After ceaseless trial and error, Hong and his firm landed the idea of going for minimalism in projects.

But does that mean he’s finally closer to unlocking the ultimate key to perfect architecture, especially now that he’s inching closer to 60?

“No,” he chuckled. “That’s the thing with ideas; they don't discriminate according to age. Sometimes the best idea comes from the youngest employee. It’s fun working in an environment where we can all have equal discussions.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]