vibrant steel facade links Dokkaebi Market and Seoul’s city fabric
The Dokkaebi Market Customer Support Center, designed by YZA, is a public complex supporting the traditional Dokkaebi (Goblin) Market in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Positioned at the entrance to the market, the building occupies a transitional site, where a quiet residential alley to the south meets the dense commercial activity of the market to the north. Within this dual context, the project was developed as an architectural gateway connecting two distinct urban conditions.
The program integrates several public functions, including a parking tower for market visitors, a customer support office, public restrooms, a community space, and a neighborhood café. These functions are organized along the site’s length: the parking structure to the south, market-related facilities to the north, and a vertical circulation core positioned centrally as a mediator between them. The design also utilizes the site’s east–west elevation change to create a pilotis space on the ground floor, enhancing permeability and pedestrian access. Above, a series of stepped terraces offers views toward the marketplace and provides outdoor rest areas for visitors. The building’s facade employs a multicolored steel screen that references the symbolic palette of the Dokkaebi Market. Acting both as a visual marker and a privacy filter, the screen softens views from surrounding residential streets while projecting a shifting play of color and light.
all images by Kyungsub Shin
Colorful facade symbolizes transformation and playfulness
The facade unifies the different programmatic elements, like parking, public facilities, and circulation, into a cohesive volume. Fabricated from PosMAC® steel louver panels, the facade system was developed through digital manufacturing processes that eliminate the need for welding. Techniques such as precision bending, automated folding, and full-scale mock-up testing informed the design’s structural performance and finish quality. This approach reflects design studio YZA’s interest in material experimentation and the potential of industrial fabrication in public architecture.
The project draws conceptual inspiration from the dokkaebi, a figure from Korean folklore associated with transformation and playfulness. Through its translucent facade, adaptable spatial layout, and integration of public amenities, the building translates this spirit into a contemporary architectural form. Situated at the intersection of city and market, it functions as both infrastructure and urban landmark, reinterpreting the identity of the Goblin Market within Seoul’s evolving neighborhood landscape.
Dokkaebi Market Customer Support Center by YZA stands at the entrance to Seoul’s traditional Goblin Market
the project occupies a transitional site between a quiet residential alley and the bustling market streets
a multicolored steel facade references the symbolic hues of the Dokkaebi Market
shifting tones of color and light animate the facade throughout the day