Designed by Foster + Partners; 25 visitors join tour

Sculptural installation built around visual connectivity concept

Open house runs through Sunday

Hankook & Company Group opens its Pangyo headquarters, Technoplex, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to the public Saturday as part of an architectural tour program called Open House. [Hankook & Company Group]
Hankook & Company Group opens its Pangyo headquarters, Technoplex, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to the public Saturday as part of an architectural tour program called Open House. [Hankook & Company Group]

Hankook & Company Group opened its Pangyo headquarters, Technoplex, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to the public Saturday through an architectural tour program called Open House, the company announced Monday.

Open House Seoul is an urban architecture festival that opens landmark buildings in Seoul and surrounding areas so residents can experience the spaces firsthand. This year's event runs through Nov. 8. Hankook & Company Group participated for the second consecutive year, introducing Technoplex's architectural features and the corporate philosophy embedded in its design.

Completed in 2020, Technoplex was built in collaboration with Foster + Partners, the firm founded by Sir Norman Foster. The building spans 10 above-ground floors and six below-ground floors, with a total floor area of 47,919 square meters, and serves as the group's global control tower for long-term strategy and future vision. The tour was led by Baek Cho-rong, an associate partner at Foster + Partners, and 25 visitors explored the building's spatial design and work environment.

Hankook & Company Group said Technoplex embodies Chairman Cho Hyun-bum's philosophy on space — the idea that an open work environment can transform how employees think and operate. "Visual connectivity" is the building's core concept: spaces are organically linked to encourage spontaneous communication and collaboration, and the design was intended to foster a "proactive culture" in which employees drive change themselves. A large central atrium connects each floor in three dimensions to maximize openness, while a flexibly arranged workspace reduces physical barriers tied to rank.

An installation called Oculus stands near the escalator connecting the first-floor lobby to the third floor. Crafted from steel cables and triangular LCD and LED modules, the sculpture evokes the vines and leaves of a plant. Controlled by computer, it reflects the building's interior lighting and natural light, shifting in color and atmosphere with the time of day and the season.

The same philosophy shapes how people work inside the building. Employees choose their own seats each day using a kiosk or mobile app, and no fixed desks or private offices are set aside for executives or team leaders.

"Technoplex is a core piece of infrastructure driving high-tech advancement and corporate culture innovation, reflecting the group's management philosophy and forward-looking values," a Hankook & Company Group official said. "We are honored to have shared the meaning behind this space with the public and introduced Hankook & Company Group's philosophy of innovation through this open house."

Beyond Technoplex, Hankook & Company Group also operates Hankook Techno Dome, a research and development hub, and Hankook Techno Ring, Asia's largest tire test track.


eyre@heraldcorp.com