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Architects: Todot Architects and Partners
- Area: 299 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Byun Jongseok
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Lead Architects: Cho Byung Kyu, Mo Seungmin
**Studio Zera (A Photography Studio that Remembers the Forest)** - Jeju, known for its frequent winds, is home to an abundance of cedar trees. The reason for this is painful. During the Japanese occupation, indiscriminate logging occurred, and Japanese cedars were planted as compensation, continuing to thrive until today. However, thanks to the cedar trees, Jeju's barren mountains and fields were filled, and the trees provided protection for the golden, ripening tangerines from the wind.
"Kyungheung Farm," located in Shinheung-ri and Sumang-ri in Namwon-eup, Seogwipo, is a historic farm that pioneered tangerine farming in Namwon. Cedars were planted around the tangerine fields and along the paths when the farm was established. Over 50 years later, the cedar forest has become an irreplaceable and central figure of Kyungheung Farm. The land where Studio Zera is being built was once a Kiwi farm surrounded by cedar trees as a natural fence.
In the 1970s and 80s, the farm was the main source of income for the villagers. The farm was operated by local labor, and the profits were reinvested into the farm, planting camellias and cultivating the forest. To the client, who inherited the farm from his late father, the cedar and camellia trees are as precious as his father's. Preserving, protecting, and further cultivating them is how he remembers and honors his father, making the forest the rightful protagonist of this place.
What could be a better way to preserve, enjoy, and remember the beauty of Kyungheung Farm's forest than through photography? The client wisely planned a photo studio, utilizing the farm's camellia forest, which has already become a popular outdoor photography destination for newlyweds. The programs set to be built on this roughly 700-pyeong (approximately 2,310 square meters) land are as follows:
An indoor studio equipped with a horizon backdrop, along with separate powder rooms for men and women, and fitting rooms in the main building. A separate building will house the office and a reception area. Outside, adjacent to the separate building, will be a 14m x 14m square courtyard, prepared for small weddings, photo shoots, or events. The rear of the building will serve as a parking space for visitors, while the front garden will act as a natural studio for photography.
The single-story studio, just under 300㎡ is designed to exist subtly rather than stand out. The idea was that the studio is a place for taking photos, not a subject to be photographed itself. The design lacked the confidence to make the building a backdrop worthy of commemorating a new beginning, so it was kept in the simplest form, discreetly nestled in the forest. Even the simple mass was concealed with mirror stainless steel up to eye level to avoid drawing attention. As a result, the mirrored surface reflects the forest, creating a sense of infinite depth, allowing visitors to experience a unique moment of seeing both themselves and their reflection in the forest.
The 14m x 14m courtyard is perfectly concealed from the outside, thanks to the mirror stainless steel. This hidden space is an abstract forest within the real forest, with the contrast between the blue sky and the red volcanic tuff creating a strikingly empty space. The inner walls of the courtyard are finished with red cedar, symbolizing the vertical cedar forest and representing a connection between the sky and the ground. Above the deck, which can be used as a platform for events or small weddings, a wagon wheel is installed like a canopy. On sunny days, the shadows of the wagon wheel roll across the ground and climb the walls.
In the studio, where the forest is the true master, the newly planned landscaping harmonizes with the original inhabitants, such as the cedar and camellia trees while being designed to respond to all four seasons. The main garden at the front of the studio features a Japanese snowbell tree, known as summer camellia, as its focal point. Magnolia and viburnum are planted to herald early spring, while perennials like panicum and daylilies are arranged to endure the summer. The basalt stone wall, similar to the field boundaries surrounding the land, is used to define the inner courtyard's space and create a sense of place. The stone wall is reflected on the mirror stainless steel, creating a visual texture on the metal surface and an expanded sense of space.
