Getting off at Gubanpo Station on Seoul Subway Line 9, construction of a passageway connecting the station and the apartment complex was in full swing. Stepping out of Exit 3, a large complex of three five-story commercial buildings and 17 apartment buildings up to 35 stories high filled the view. This is 'Raemian Trinione' in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, which begins move-in on the 7th of next month. Redeveloped from the former Banpo Jugong Apartment Complex 3, the development is emerging as a new landmark in Banpo with its large-scale landscaping and high-end community. The underground passageway connecting the complex to Gubanpo Station is scheduled for completion by the end of this month.
Entering the complex, a scene rarely seen in the city unfolded, blending moss, ferns such as bracken, pine trees and maple trees. Mist was sprayed in various spots, giving off cool air and a subtle scent of wood as if one had entered a forest. Walking along the complex's trail, water features installed at a total of 12 locations came into view. They created an atmosphere as if a spring deep in the mountains had been transplanted there.
The landscaping concept is 'nature as it is.' The focus was on creating an experience where residents feel as if they are walking deep in a forest. A floor area ratio of 269.50% and a building coverage ratio of 21.82% were applied, and of the total site area of 102,930㎡, the landscaped area is 41,720㎡, accounting for about 40.5%. The forest at the center of the complex spans about 13,000㎡, the largest in the Banpo district. The complex's symbolic tree is a hackberry located at the entrance rotary. Brought in from Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, the tree is worth about 1 billion won.
"We actively used ferns such as moss to create the atmosphere of a forest one might find deep in the mountains of Jeju Island," a Samsung C&T official said. "Because mist is continuously sprayed, in the morning it creates a unique atmosphere as if clouds and fog have settled in."
Descending to the underground community space, a sunken area holding pine trees and water features came into view through the full-glass windows. Designed with glass on three sides centered around the sunken area, it allows the central landscaping to be viewed from inside. At the restaurant, diners can enjoy the landscaping while eating with the windows open through large sliding doors.
The entire community facility consists of a sky lounge, a Traverary (a library-style cultural space), a study room, a guesthouse, a seniors' club, a daycare center, a fitness center, a sauna, a residents' restaurant, the Trinione Cafe, a golf driving range, a small library, a kindergarten, and a children's library. Some facilities operate as spaces open to the public. These include the 32nd-floor sky lounge (Book Lounge and Senior Lounge), the women's study room, the daycare center, the Waterhouse Cafe in the seniors' club, and the children's library.
The 25m four-lane swimming pool has a separate children's pool, and it was designed so that the complex's landscaping can be viewed on the left. A media facade was installed at the front of the pool to play various video content. The sauna is equipped with a bade pool and dry and wet saunas. The fitness center has a GX room, a one-on-one PT room, and a three-person group Pilates room. All exercise equipment, including 20 treadmills, uses 'Artis,' the top-tier line of the Italian brand 'Technogym.' The golf driving range was created with a total of 33 bays, including two screen golf areas, and it was notable that it introduced the QED golf simulator for the first time among Raemian complexes.
At the Trinione Cafe, a 6.8m-high two-story space overwhelmed the view. On one wall, a large media facade measuring 9.6m wide and 5.4m high was installed, transmitting video. Applying 8K resolution, it delivered clear video even on the large screen. The cafe has a total of 256 seats, comprising 114 seats on the first basement level and 142 seats on the second basement level.
All furniture in the community was Italian-made, and a bread display stand was also set up to specialize in bakery. The cafe on the second basement level was designed so that residents can order and receive items from their vehicles through a window connected to the parking lot, maximizing resident convenience.
Entering the building lobby, a space reminiscent of a hotel unfolded. With a ceiling height of up to 3.8m at the coffered ceiling, unnecessary decorations were minimized and only lighting from the British luxury design brand 'Tom Dixon' was placed to maximize the sense of openness. Mailboxes and unmanned delivery boxes were moved underground to allow wider use of the lobby, and a robot delivery system is also planned for the future.
Building 101 features a two-story sky community on the 32nd to 33rd floors with a ceiling height of 6.8m. Wrapped in glass on all sides, it secures an open view stretching to Seodalsan, Dongjak Bridge, Umyeonsan and Cheonggyesan. In particular, the diagonal glass walls tilted outward further enhanced the sense of openness in the space. Sofas were placed on the outdoor terrace so residents can rest while enjoying the scenery. The sky community has a total of 131 seats (45 seats on the 32nd floor and 86 seats on the 33rd floor), and the 32nd-floor sky lounge is a facility open to the public. For the exterior, a 3D curtain wall look design was applied for the first time in a domestic apartment to emphasize the high-end image.
"We put a lot of thought into differentiating the complex, including the landscaping," a Samsung C&T official said. "As we created a large-scale forest so residents can enjoy nature up close even in the city, we expect resident satisfaction to be high."
