Imagine a building awash in treacle. Thick, golden ribbons oozing along the facade, dripping down staircases in a river of amber. Mighty unpleasant if you are waiting outside, but otherwise, a pretty sweet view.
An entertainment development in Incheon, a city outside Seoul, has managed to capture some of this complex idea. &lsquoThe Imprint&rsquo, a building designed by Danish firm MVRDV, has used fluid architecture and an alternative perspective to imprint the design of nearby buildings on its walls. Dominated by a golden, layered entrance, its two white buildings house a nightclub and an indoor theme park. Both these areas can be windowless, which gave MVRDV room for some theatrics.
&ldquoThe virgin building has received a splash of gold. This makes it as if the entrance is also illuminated at night by a ray of sunlight,&rdquo says Winy Maas, one of MVRDV&rsquos founders. &ldquoPassengers in the incoming aircraft can already see this &lsquosun&rsquo from above the ocean, as a kind of welcome to South Korea.&rdquo The complex&rsquos actual name is Chroma, and it is part of the Paradise City hub that has sprung up near Incheon International Airport.
The windows, doorways and facades of existing buildings in Paradise City have been fused into Chroma&rsquos look for a sense of coherence. &ldquoParadise City is not a collection of individual objects such as Las Vegas,&rdquo says Maas, &ldquobut a real city&rdquo, and the pastiched design ought to tie all the areas together. Individual panels were made using glass-fibre reinforced concrete, with a touch of 3D modelling.
Read Great Cities Seoul
Chroma has four floors of facilities. The first is a music lounge, the second an EDM-based dance floor and multi-genre substage, the third a luxe VIP zone, and the fourth a beach club with cabanas for year-round pool parties.
To know more about pricing and amenities, you can see the official website.