For my first work trip of 2023 I was recently in South Korea covering a few assignments in Seoul and Busan, with several free days in between jobs. It was my first time back in the country since the pandemic so I was quite happy to roam around the streets of Seoul, which is one of my favorite cities in Asia, and capture some busy urban frames of this very cool looking megacity.
Architecture & Interior Photographer in Seoul, South Korea: AmorePacific Headquarters
South Korea’s largest beauty company AmorePacific recently relocated their headquarters to a new mixed-use building designed by starchitect David Chipperfield in Yongsan district, Seoul.
In their quest of perfection for this new flagship building which won many architecture awards, AmorePacific commissioned Danish textile company Kvadrat to install their signature Soft Cells acoustic sound-absorbing wall panels throughout the entire space including corridors, offices, meeting rooms, research labs, retails etc. Kvadrat also provided high-end designer fabrics for much of the seating and curtains of the building, making AmorePacific Headquarters the most heavily Kvadrat equiped project in the world unpon its completion.
The final outcome is a stunning piece of architecture with extreme care for detail and spectacular interiors with opera-like acoustical qualities, which I was fortunate enough to document for Kvadrat’s booklet and general communication material.
Raphael Olivier is a commercial photographer based in Asia for over a decade, working from Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore on assignments all around the region including corporate, industrial, architecture, interior, lifestyle and hospitality.
Architecture & Interior Photography - French Embassy, Seoul, South Korea
Over the past months, I have been working in collaboration with publishing house "Editions Internationales du Patrimoine" on documenting the architecture, interiors and general history of French Embassies around Asia to make dedicated hard-cover coffee table books about each Residence. The first project in this series was done in Seoul, South Korea, in the beautiful brutalist-style building by architect Kim Joong-up.
Raphael Olivier is a professional photographer based in Singapore covering architecture, interiors, lifestyle, hospitality, luxury retail and travel assignments across Asia and beyond.
Hyundai Motorstudio, Seoul - Korea Architecture Photographer
I was recently commissioned to photograph the new Hyundai Motorstudio building in Seoul, South Korea, designed by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects.
Raphael Olivier is a commercial photographer based in Asia for about 10 years, currently living between Hong Kong and Singapore, and available to shoot architecture, interiors, hospitality, retail and advertising campaigns all around Asia and beyond.
Seoul Brutalist Revival - Korea Architecture Photographer
I was recently in South Korea for a commercial architectural assignment, so I decided to arrive a few days early to take some time for myself and walk around Seoul, a city I always love to explore.
Seoul has been developping very fast since its recovery from the Korean war, yet in the 21st century the city has actually turned into a new phase where it's moving away from a boring industrial center and rapidly becoming one of the most trendy cities in Asia.
One of the most visually obvious aspect of this new era is the super-modern architecture poping up everywhere. The city's skyline is turning into a massive futuristic landscape out of science fiction film, and amidst this construction frenzy brutalist architecture is making a huge come-back, with a modern twist. Whether for residential, commercial, institutional or religious buildings, the use of raw concrete, bold shapes and sharp angles is becoming predominant all around the city.
Through this personal study about Neo-Brutalism, I aim to give a small glimpse into the booming architectural scene of Seoul, one of the world's fastest developping city and Asia's rising stars.
Raphael Olivier is a commercial photographer based in Asia for about 10 years, currently living between Hong Kong and Singapore, and available to shoot architecture, interiors, hospitality, retail and advertising campaigns all around Asia and beyond.