Following the offices in Gangnam, Gwanghwamun, and Bupyeong, the Busan headquarters required the establishment of a distinct identity under the common theme of “Stone Collection.”

To achieve this, the density of vertical elements on the facade was adjusted in stages, applying new facade designs that respond to the specific urban contexts of the building’s upper, middle, and lower sections. Starting with responses to urban environmental factors (e.g., noise) in the lower levels and extending to views of the sea and mountains in the upper levels, the density of the vertical elements varies according to location, giving the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Busan Headquarters a distinct status that sets it apart from other office buildings on Jungang-ro.

The key challenge of the design was the meticulous adjustment of these vertical elements. At the Gwanghwamun headquarters, the use of stone and glass can be viewed through a dichotomous lens of “filled” and “empty”; this emphasizes the weightiness of the stone, lending Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance a distinct sense of gravitas and status befitting Gwanghwamun-ro, a road of national symbolic significance.

However, the context of Jungang-ro in Busan is different. Considering that it is a typical, everyday central road in a regional city, the sense of weight from the Gwanghwamun headquarters had to be reinterpreted, and this is where “Stone Fabric” originated. While maintaining the fundamental sensibility of “stone”—which represents the trustworthiness and solidity of a financial institution—“Stone Fabric” is woven with varying densities and responds to the building’s functions and the city through distinct levels of transparency. These elements will establish a unique identity for the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Busan headquarters.