In a story where we seek to highlight the differences between a high -class family (the Park) opposed with a lower class family (the Kim) was essential that every detail would exalt those differences. Therefore, the design of the set became a key piece of communication.
The great residence
In the film the great residence of the Park was built by a renowned architect, but in real life, it was the same Bong Joo Hon and Lee Ha Jun who were responsible for building it from scratch.
According to Lee, the set was built abroad so that they could use natural lighting during filming. They even followed the movement of the sun to know how the light would fall on the house before building it. “I am not an architect, and I think there is a difference in how an architect visualizes a space and how a production designer does. We prioritize the blockade and camera angles while architects build spaces for people to really live and, therefore, design around people. So I think the approach is very different, «he said.
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Each space in the mansion should respond not only to the characteristics of history but also reveal more about the complex relationship between families and how little by little the Kim cling, which parasites, to the advantages they obtain due to their proximity to the Park.
One of the most notorious differences between both homes beyond luxuries, is the lighting and disposition of space. While the Kim live in a kind of basement located in a little privileged area where they receive little light and share a bath of peculiar dimensions, Park enjoy a home bathed in sunlight with many windows and recreation spaces. «The poorer, the less access you will have to sunlight, and so it is also in real life: the poor have limited access to the windows,» said the director.