CJ Blossom Park by Cannon Design
Location: Suwon-Si South Korea
Status: Completed

Expanding an “Only One” culture of health and happiness for researchers
A typical day-in-the-life for a researcher at CJ Blossom Park might look like this: Drop off children at the on-site daycare; have breakfast at the first-floor café; take an afternoon meditation break in the “living forest”; exercise in the on-site gym; catch a quick nap in a sleeping pod; conduct intensive R&D work in an environment named the best new laboratory in the world in 2018.

As one of Korea’s largest holding companies with numerous businesses in various industries of food and food service, pharmaceutics and biotechnology, CJ Corporation sought to create a world-class scientific discovery center reflecting the company’s “Only One” philosophy and its desire to be the “first, best and different” in all aspects of business. The result is a new research and development headquarters that consolidates CJ Corporation’s previously disparate pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and food products businesses into a single location, enabling it to create industry-defining product strategies and increase its global competitiveness.

The design locates the full spectrum of research and development facilities in three high-rise towers-modeled after CJ’s three-petal logo-around a bright, dynamic central atrium. The design team implemented a universal bench design that changes the traditional 6′ wide x 2.5′ deep bench to 5′ x 2.5′ so it is non-directional and can be configured in parallel or perpendicular. These are used throughout the building for both instrumentation and desk activities, providing greater flexibility and encouraging more open teaming spaces.

Above and beyond the state-of-the-art laboratories, the building is designed to attract and retain top next-generation scientists. With 50 different types of spaces (cafés, gym, living forest, sleeping pods) that respond to different types of human behaviors, researchers who are doing intensive, focused work have moments of balance in their lives so they can push discoveries and progress forward.

CannonDesign has created a seamless collaborative environment where innovation transcends boundaries and reinforces the ‘Only One’ brand experience. It will be a consistently high performing engaging, workplace for scientist that stimulates entrepreneurialism, creative discovery and product improvement across all aspects of our business. – Nicholas (Keunsoo) Jin, Team Leader, Manager, CJ Corporation

more. www.cannondesign.com