South Korea has long been a desert of modern architecture. Most of the buildings have been constructed to maximize space and profit with no regard to aesthetics whatsoever. It was especially true for small scale buildings whose owners have less capital than large building owners.
Things begin to change recently. I start to see more buildings not by a 'house seller' but by an architect on the small streets of Seoul. It will be interesting to know why some landlords finally recognized the need to beautify paying more for construction and sacrificing profitable space to rent.
'트랜스포머' 상가주택 … 동네명물 됐네 (A "Transformer" Building Becomes a Neighborhood Landmark.)
http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=025&aid=0002261434
