The new South CapeOwners Club, nestled along the rugged coastline of Namhae Island in southeast Korea, was inaugurated in November 2013.
Designed by internationally acclaimed golf architect Kyle Phillips, South Cape’s dramatic setting and ocean views on all 18 holes have positioned it to become the premier golf course in the country and one of the most significant new golf courses in the world.
South Cape includes a sophisticated boutique hotel (40 suites) and spa, as well as 130 privately owned luxury sea-view villas and an Clubhouse designed by Mass Studies, with curved forms embrace the landscape allowing at the building to integrate with its surroundings.
Cho Minsuk, Principal, Mass Studies : “The defining characteristic of the Southcape Clubhouse is in its reaction to its extremely three-dimensional surroundings.
I chose the eave system in response to the extraordinary landscape on all four sides of the building. the roof is not representational or excessively gestural. At the same time, it is a geometric system, relating to the structure led by the unique plan.
The project offers a sensual experience, but this is an outcome of an elaborate systematic logic. the attributes of an East Asian traditional wooden architecture is to be cited in the free plan module and the roofing system.
The roof was an architectural element that has been a mountainous challenge in the East Asian countries, which involuntarily absorbed modern architecture. the obsession of the roof was abolished, transitioning to the ‘era of boxes’.
The language that existed on roofs has recently shifted to the so-called atypical digital architecture or excessive gestures of the parametric-type. the surface of Southscape is seamless, continuous, and complete.
It has a blatant centrality as alpha and omega. Furthermore, the quasi-perfect symmetry is an architectural concept that we have never dealt with in our practice so far.”
Private spa facilities are housed at the eastern edge of the site, while more public areas – such as restaurant and event facilities – are found to the west and this public spaces are glazed with extended terraces offering a sense of openness towards the surrounding landscape.
Location: Namhae, Korea Architect: Mass studies Project Team: Minsuk Cho, Kisu Park, Junkoo Kang, Younkyoung Shin, Bumhyun Chun, Wonbang Kim, Yuseok Heo, Sungpil Won, Junghye Bae, Minho Hong, Changwoo Choi, Eunju Choi, Kyungsik Kim, Joshua Ovenden, Nickolas Urano, Joungwon Lee, Vin Kim, Taehoon Hwang, Sangkyu Jeon, Joonhee Lee, Soohyun Jin, Sojung Lee, Sangjoon Kwak, Songmin Lee, Dongwon Yoon, Kyenyong Kwak, Z-U Kim, Kyungmok Park, Suzan Babaa, Irene Matteini, Ji Soo Han, Guo Xiang Structural Engineer: Thekujo Mep Engineer: Hana Consulting & Engineers Civil/Geotechnical Engineer: Korean Geo-Consultants Co. Ltd. Lighting Engineer: Newlite Landscape Design: Seo Ahn Landscape Construction: Hanmiglobal Co. Ltd. Site area: 23,066.16 sqm Total area: 15,101.56 sqm Year: 2013 Client: Handsome corp . Photo: Yong-Kwan Kim