Glamping
A radical take on the glamping concept has been launched in South Korea, offering guests the experience of being within a natural setting while enjoying the comfort of architecturally-designed, self-contained living spaces arranged around a communal facility.
Glamping is a portmanteau of glamorous and camping and describes a style of camping with amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with “traditional” camping. Glamping has become particularly popular with 21st-century tourists seeking the luxuries of hotel accommodation alongside the escapism and adventure recreation of camping.
This new ‘minimalist luxury’ resort – adjacent to the Seungju Country Club in Suncheon – consists of sixteen brightly-coloured living units with an associated reception/restaurant. Each unit offers guests approximately 50m² of living area, as well as two bedrooms and a kitchen and a bathroom manufactured as off-site units.
Situation
SJCC Glamping Resortis located some 300 kilometres south of Seoul within lush cypress forests and enjoys distant views over the Korean Strait. Drawing diverse references from natural elements such as the site’s dramatic topography, pebbles and fireflies, the resort offers guests a direct and vivid connection with their natural surroundings.
Careful orientation ensures that each unit is well-screened from surrounding units while offering guests dramatic views over Suncheon Ecological Bay. At night, the units – when illuminated from within – appear to form part of the forest’s natural organic layout.
Typology
Atelier Chang brings an innovative approach to the structural design of the glamping units. The light-weight steel frames, covered with an insulated tent-like fabric, create highly resilient structures which are capable of withstanding the region’s significant annual differences in climatic conditions.
The resort includes three principal types of glamping unit; ‘Mountain’, ‘Cutent’ and ‘Firefly’, each of which has a distinctive plan and colour scheme.
The striking restaurant/community facility forms the focal point of the resort. The restaurant and viewing terrace are screened by an elegant geometric arrangement of white steel louvres, mitigating solar ingress.
Construction
Key features of the project include:
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Light steel frames are covered with a bespoke fabric made by French manufacturer Serge Ferari. The material is weather and fire resistant and tensioned at the base of the frame to fit the shape of an individual unit
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Glazing elements are constructed from double layers of polycarbonate (for privacy), although glass can be used if required
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Plumbing and electricity infrastructure is connected to the mains supply although the structures can use natural resources (rain water harvesting and PVs)
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Foundations consist of concrete pillars with steel columns supporting the decking to which the structures are bolted.
SJCC Glamping Resort resort took three years to design and construct. The result is an architecturally spectacular resort for a growing target group – in a construction that is sophisticated right down to the last detail. The resort is able to withstand the demanding external conditions (-20 to +40° Celsius). The wait was worth it.
PROJECT DATA
Architect
Atelier Chang Ltd
Soohyun Chang, Carole Froidevaux, Jinman Choi, Ilia Varvaroussi
Client
POSTMATE / POSCO (SJCC Glamping)
Budget
1.560.000 €
Physical address
492–2 Songhak-ri
Byeollyang-myeon
Suncheon
Jeollanam-do
South Korea
Aerial view
Thank you, Google!
Opening
2018
Author
Johannes Bühlbecker
More Sports Media
Photos
Kyungsub Shin
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