Korean architect Moon Hoon is perhaps king of the world's wealth of playful architecture. But for all his nutty ideas and flashy exterior tweaks, Moon Hoon's distinctive art-meets-architecture style is also technically innovative. His buildings don't fit into their surroundings, but they rarely irritate their surroundings either. Design Boom recently spoke to Moon Hoon, uncovering some factoids about the man whose professional motto is "enjoy life and do your fantasy, it can become a reality!!!" Below, the most interesting tidbits about the architect, culled from the interview and other features on the guy.
12. He designed a ski chalet in South Korea with gold bull horns and a tail on the exterior. Other chalets have all-fuchsia interiors (inspired by Barbie) or all-glossy red interiors (inspired by Ferrari).
11. His primary design influences are Tadao Ando's stairs and Lebbeus Woods' aged metal forms.
10. When one Googles Moon Hoon's architecture firm, the official site has as its subtext the words "MOONHOON THE HAPPY DESTROYER!!!" three times.
9. He once created a staircase that is also a bookshelf and a slide.
8. His firm, Moonbalsso's, previous office had the theme of a "Korean shaman house," and everyone sat on the floor. There was a lot of red.
7. He grew up in a mining town in Korea, and is inspired by the special qualities of light found in abandoned mines.
6. His "Lollipop House," with its red and tan circular swirls, sits next to a bunch of houses that are white, grey, and brown.
5. He keeps a visual diary—he even draws his lunch in minute detail.
4. One of his buildings was inspired by K-Pop (Korean pop music). It has shimmery mosaic hallways.
3. He loves driving fast, and recently zoomed around Germany's Autobahn, which has no speed limit.
2. His most normal looking house is shaped exactly like a cruise liner.
1. He considers himself a hybrid artist-architect. Forty drawings of his are being exhibited in the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which won this year's Golden Lion prize.
· Moon Hoon [official site]
· Interview with Architect Moon Hoon [Designboom]
· All Moon Hoon coverage [Curbed National]
· All Architectural Craziness posts [Curbed National]