When Young Woo Seo first contacted Jean-Michel Wilmotte, he needed the French architect’s help in bringing his perfect home to life. “I wanted to build the kind of residence I want to live in,” he tells AD. An avid car and art collector and founder of Piot Robotics, he dreamed of a building that would combine all of his passions. In his vision, the complex would feature expansive and modern apartments, complete with smart home technology, first-rate amenities, and plenty of room to display cars and art inside the residences. As Wilmotte puts it: “He had many, many ideas.”
Creating space for art is one thing—and Seo largely had the smart tech handled—so the question came down to the garages. How could they get vehicles into the apartments in a way that was not just practical but thrilling too? As the 39-year-old chairman talked about his hopes for the development, the building began taking shape in Wilmotte’s head, with everything revolving around one distinct feature: an all-glass car elevator. “We imagined a very premium building, because we wanted to create a scenography for the car lift,” Wilmotte says. “That was the main element.”
Grazing the facade of the complex, named ORPENT, the transparent lift carries collector vehicles directly into their owners’ glass, in-unit garages (which could perhaps be better described as display cases). When complete, owners will be able to drive their vehicles directly into the elevator on the ground, after which robotic arms grip and place the car correctly, before carrying it to the owners floor. “If you want to bring your car into your apartment, but you do it behind a wall, it’s not very interesting and exciting,” Wilmotte says. “This is like a showcase, it goes all along the side of the building with the car inside. It is completely different.”
