John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
1461 E 4th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
213 253 4740
jfak.net
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c. JFAK, 2020
Set amidst the mountains near Pusan, South Korea, this 50,000 square-foot structure rejects the typical approach to the design of a golf clubhouse – one where traditional forms and imported materials are used to express power, money, and privilege. Instead, it utilizes a contemporary language that is informed by regional sensibilities and local materials.
Inspired by ancient fortresses located nearby, the building is composed of a number of limestone volumes that firmly anchor the building to the earth. These volumes are juxtaposed with several upwardly-tilting roofs clad in lead-coated copper. Large expanses of glass allow each of the public interior spaces to have sweeping views over the golf course to the mountains beyond. The generous use of skylights creates dramatic lighting effects.
Each of the three nine-hole segments on the golf course contains a “tee house,” a small pavilion offering restrooms and a café. Their overhanging roofs create shaded outdoor rooms and frame views of the surrounding topography. The abstract form and flat roofs of these structures suggest small tables floating among the hills, lakes, and sand pits of the golf course.