Dezeen Magazine

Kia car outside Muuun hotel

Dezeen video profiles hanok-inspired Muuun Hotel in partnership with Kia

Muuun Hotel is the latest building to feature in Dezeen and Kia's video series highlighting contemporary South Korean architecture.

Dezeen teamed up with the Korean car brand to create a video reel showcasing the hotel alongside Kia's EV3 car model.


Dezeen video profiles hanok-inspired Muuun Hotel

Designed by local architecture studios Nomal and Onjium Housing Studio, the Muuun hotel draws from traditional Korean hanok housing, which is characterised by the use of wood and natural elements.

Nomal and Onjium Housing Studio wanted to re-interpret the hanok vernacular by blending contemporary and historic elements.

Interior of Muuun Hotel living space
The interiors combine Korean and Western elements. Photography by Choi Yong Joon

The hotel is made up of two buildings on one site, which are arranged in an L-shaped formation. An open courtyard connects the two volumes.

Each suite makes use of openings to let in natural light and to give residents views over a private garden.

Muuun Hotel is located in Gyeongu, a coastal city in the south of the country, with the materials used picked to reference the surrounding environment.

Traditional paper sliding doors were updated with hemp cloth, intending to reference the mist of the nearby Samreung forest, while clay plaster and bean oil linoleum were used for the flooring throughout.

Dark wood and a muted colour palette dominate, with rooms featuring a mix of traditional low-slung Korean furniture, alongside Western-style design pieces.

Kia EV3 car situated in mountain landscape
The EV3 follows on from Kia's previous models the EV6 and EV9

Dezeen's collaborative video series with Kia situates the Kia Design Team's electric car models alongside examples of contemporary South Korean architecture.

Dezeen paired Muuun Hotel with Kia's EV3, an all-electric compact SUV, which features in the video alongside the building.

The Kia EV3 sports a minimal compact appearance at its front and rear, with headlights that emerge from vertical slits and linear tail lights.

Kia EV3 car situated near Muuun Hotel
The Kia EV3 is an all-electric compact SUV which sports a minimal appearance at its front and rear

The minimal design extends into the car's interior, which prioritises cabin space, whilst keeping an agile overall silhouette to the vehicle. The car's 19 inch wheels are patterned with geometric patterns and graphics.

In the first instalment of the series, Dezeen profiled the Sayuwon arboretum and architecture park in Daegu, South Korea.

Partnership content

This video series was produced by Dezeen in partnership with Kia. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.