"From now on, the key theme in architecture and design is "adaptation." When creating a space, don't assume it will be used for only one purpose; give it the flexibility to be used for other purposes as time passes."
Phil Kim, who has worked for 38 years at the U.S.-based global architecture firm group JERDE Partnership, said this at the 70th Seoul Real Estate Forum breakfast seminar held in the morning on the third floor of the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul in Banpo.
Phil Kim explained that, in step with an era of rapid change, the flow of architectural design is also shifting so that spaces can adapt and evolve in line with trends. He cited as examples a project that converted a small, old school in Singapore into a hotel to draw more visitors, and a shop that turns clothes you no longer wear into handbags.
He said, "Spaces created for a specific use used to be used only for that purpose, but now they are often used for different purposes over time," and added, "We are devising designs that can adapt in diverse ways to fast-changing trends."
Founded in 1977, JERDE Partnership marks its 48th anniversary this year. Launched in Los Angeles, the firm has expanded across the world to places including Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Mexico.
In Las Vegas, the firm has handled more than 10 projects, including hotels such as the Bellagio and Wynn, as well as casino integrated resorts. In Japan, it designed large-scale mixed-use complexes including Roppongi Hills, Namba Parks and Canal City.
In Korea, JERDE Partnership has carried out about 60 projects, including Mecenatpolis, D-Cube City and Shinsegae Department Store. Regarding domestic reconstruction and maintenance projects, it has undertaken more than 20 projects over about nine years, according to Ahn Sang-hyun, head of JERDE Partnership's Korea office.
Phil Kim stressed that, unlike in the past when attention was focused on the design of a single building, the current focus is on designing so that entire urban areas can evolve.
He said, "In the past, we paid a lot of attention to a single building and devoted great care to its design," and added, "Now we design with an eye to enabling evolution centered not on one building but on the city and the entire area."
He added, "For example, about 20 years ago, when Roppongi Hills opened, it emerged as a project symbolizing Tokyo, Japan, but today it is hard to regard it as a symbolic building to the same degree," and "Now it is becoming important to design carefully to regenerate deteriorated urban areas, such as the back alleys of Shibuya in Tokyo, to revitalize entire districts."