White Cliff (2024 Beautiful Architecture Award)

Photo: ⓒ 노경

White Cliff, the headquarters of an IT company, was conceived as a dream workplace where play and work coexist—a place where creative potential and teamwork among employees are paramount. The limitation of a small urban building, where programs must be stacked vertically, was turned into an advantage: a 'Category Mixing Zone' lounge on the first floor engages with the street and allows different domains to intersect. As an office in a residential area, the motif of a massive white cliff expresses both privacy protection and the character of the space.

Employing the technique of dépaysement, White Cliff rises above the transparent glass windows of the first-floor lounge, becoming a mysterious objet that starkly contrasts with the narrow streets and busy alleyways. A real White Cliff exists in Dover, southeastern England—a major historic port and symbol of hope. The aspiration is that this building will carry similar meaning for the startup company standing before the vast ocean of future possibilities.