Summer is in full swing and with it comes summer travel with camping being a long-standing favorite. Magnificent Monday brings you a new twist to traditional camping. A new “glamping resort” has opened in South Korea offering tourists a luxury camping experience on a cypress-covered mountain near the South Korean city of Suncheon. The 16 brightly colored pods are oriented to enjoy views over the Suncheon Ecological Bay, which is located south of Seoul on the southern coast.
The Suncheon resort is managed by SJCCglamping, a subsidiary of the Korean company POSCO, one of the largest steel manufacturers in the world. In partnership with the contractor, Mind Glampers, the tents were developed over a three-year period. Atelier Chang developed a new, patented technology to achieve both the comfort and lightness which the space and design concept demanded. This technology uses double layers of fabric with insulation between layers to keep the glamping units sustainable and viable in a climate where annual temperatures can range from as low as minus 5 degrees to as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit. With proper maintenance, the units are expected to have a lifespan of at least 10-15 years.
Inside, the 50-square-metre floorplan has space for two beds in a mezzanine arrangement, as well as an open-plan lounge and kitchen, and a bathroom. The community facility makes use of the same steel and fabric construction techniques, and has a zig-zagged facade of white steel louvres that open onto a terrace facing down the mountainside.
ArchDaily reports, “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 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.”
Atelier Chang uniquely designed units – Cutent, Mountain and Firefly
Other features include:
• Light steel frames covered with a weather and fire resistant fabric made by French manufacturer Serge Ferrari and tensioned at the base of the frame to fit the shape of an individual unit
• Glazing elements are constructed from double layers of polycarbonate (for privacy), although glass can be used if required
• Plumbing and electricity infrastructure is connected to the mains supply although the structures can use natural resources (rain water harvesting and PVs)
• Foundations consist of concrete pillars with steel columns supporting the decking to which the structures are bolted
https://www.dezeen.com/2018/06/22/sjcc-glamping-resort-south-korean-architecture/