Care and Wellness Center for the Elderly and Disabled / sol89

The South Korean city of Paju has grown through high-density residential developments, resulting in a generic periphery often lacking quality public spaces. It is within this context that the new Care and Wellness Center for the elderly and people with disabilities is situated. Instead of the two separate buildings requested in the competition, we opted for a unified, compact, and porous design that allows the adjacent metropolitan park to flow through the building. This creates an internal public void that reinterprets the Korean madang, a kind of courtyard with a communal purpose, as a place for meeting and relaxation. It naturally separates the various programs, reinforces the connection with the park, and creates an environmental oasis within the dense urban fabric.