What is a Korean officetel? Case study on Bundang New Town

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify a little-known element in Korea׳s housing typology: the officetel. A portmanteau of the English office and hotel, the officetel was originally a work facility with adjunct basic living amenities. It was introduced in the 1980s and became widespread in the 1990s and 2000s. Under heavy real estate pressure, its housing component was reinforced at the expense of polyvalent use. Legally ambiguous, the officetel converts urban zones that are officially dedicated to business activities into housing, and this conversion raises questions about the zoning system underlying Korea׳s land management. Bundang is a satellite new town of Seoul, and its development coincides with that of the officetel. With this town as a case study, we clarify the concept of the officetel and analyze the different architectural forms it has generated. We use 12 representative cases to analyze the internal structure of the officetel and its relation to the city. We demonstrate that the officetel is a unique housing type, and its peculiar characteristics are related to its origin in office buildings. Such characteristics as high density, compactness, urban compatibility, and versatility should be valorized in the search for new urban housing forms in Korea.

Keywords

• South Korea
• Officetel
• Housing typology
• Multi-purpose
• Zoning