- Project: Conan House
- Architect: Moon Hoon
- Location: South Korea, Bangdong
- Year: 2013
- Area: 105 m2
- Photography: Nam Goung Son
A “Toy House” Where Childhood Never Ends
Tucked beside a serene lake and backed by soft hills in the leisure district of Bangdong, the Conan House emerges as a bold and playful architectural statement. What might look from the outside like a simple compact home reveals, internally, a world of whimsy, display, and vertical adventure — perfectly tailored to a family that cherishes imagination and collection.
Moon Hoon’s design transforms the modest 105 m² footprint into a spatial manifesto of childhood delight and sculptural form. Rather than hide the complexity, the architecture celebrates it: dynamic floor shifts, a central vertical core, and even a red slide winding through the interior void. In Conan House, the house becomes a toy — and its residents, perpetual children.
Sculptural Form Meets Playful Program
Rather than adhering to conventional floor-by-floor logic, Conan House uses a skip-floored, spiral structure organized around a central void and staircase. Spaces — living, kitchen, bedrooms — are staggered vertically, creating a sense of journey and discovery as one moves through the home.
This zigzagging plan enables intimate pockets — a reading nook, a toy-display shelf, a loft — while maintaining a visual and spatial connection throughout the house. The void extends several levels, giving unexpected depths to a seemingly compact home.
The exterior reflects this inner energy: the facade is sliced, corners cut, volumes subtly shifted — abstracting the spiral logic into a sculptural “toy-box” shell that stands out against the natural backdrop.
Interior: Collection, Childhood, Family
The driving force behind Conan House was a client raised on collecting — both natural stones and miniature figures. The house’s central staircase becomes both circulation and exhibition: built-in niches and railings display cherished collectibles, making the home part gallery, part playground.
Upstairs, the children’s rooms debut a red slide descending through the void — an architectural toy rather than just a pragmatic stair. Meanwhile, large windows on all rotated façades capture daylight and views, counter-balancing the house’s compact footprint with openness and light.
Wood and concrete — honest materials — ground the playful concept in everyday life: timber floors and stairs add warmth, while concrete structure provides solidity. The house becomes both a sculpture and a home.
Why Conan House Endures as a Bold Residential Statement
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Spatial ingenuity on a small footprint: With just 105 m², the house delivers complex spatial layering and generous volumetric experience.
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Emotionally resonant architecture: The design reflects its owners — collectors, dreamers, lovers of play — and builds a home that resonates with memory, joy and identity.
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Architecture as narrative: Every design decision — rotation, void, slide, display niche — tells a part of a story. The architecture becomes a living allegory of childhood, collection, and domestic freedom.
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Balance of daring and calm: The sculptural form and playful plan don’t sacrifice comfort. Natural light, material honesty and functional clarity make the house livable as well as imaginative.
In Conan House, Moon Hoon reminds us that a home doesn’t have to be restrained — it can be exuberant, personal, sculptural and fun. For architecture lovers, design professionals, and anyone fascinated by homes that defy convention, Conan House remains a landmark of playful domestic architecture.
