Seoul

This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "A Once-Maligned Concrete Megastructure in Seoul is Revitalized - Sans Gentrification".

Upon its completion in 1966, Sewoon Sangga, designed by prominent South Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun, was a groundbreaking residential and commercial megastructure consisting of eight multistory buildings covering a full kilometer in the heart of Seoul. Like other futuristic projects of the decade, it was conceived as a self-contained city, complete with amenities that included a park, an atrium, and a pedestrian deck. But construction realities crippled Kim’s utopian vision, compromising those features. By the late 1970s, Sewoon Sangga had shed residents and anchor retail outlets to newer, shinier developments in the wealthy Gangnam district across the river. Between Sewoon’s central location and plunging rents, the building became a hub for light industry—as well as illicit activity.

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• Architects

  Davide Macullo Architects

• Location

  Seoul, South Korea

• Principal Architect

  Davide Macullo

• Project Architect

  Lorenza Tallarini

• Area

  3150.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Yousub Song – Studio Worlderful

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• Architects

  KPF

• Location

  Seoul, South Korea

• Area

  239000.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Jae Seong Lee

+ 36

• Architects

  Selective-Amplification

• Location

  81-3 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• General Contractor

  Herb ID

• Lighting Design

  Mavericks

• Area

  230.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Woojae Sung

Designers Studio Ohk have released details of their architecturally-inspired “Urban Soaps” range, reflecting built fragments of the South Korean capital Seoul. The four designs reference traditional and modern architectural elements in Seoul through their shapes and colors, “curated and blended by the team to highlight the city’s personality.”

The products began with an idea of “delivering regional stories, images, and experiences through an accessible medium” with soap chosen ultimately for its flexibility, and its appeal to multiple senses, such as sight, scent, and touch.

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The downtown skyline of a city is perhaps its most symbolic feature. The iconic cityscapes that we know and love are typically formed by skyscrapers, but much of the surrounding context is made up of other high-rise buildings. Yes, there is a difference between a skyscraper and a high-rise. Research company Emporis defines a high-rise as a building at least 35 meters (115 feet) or 12 stories tall. These high-rise buildings play a major role in the more sprawled urban context of larger cities today.

Read on for Emporis' list of the 20 cities in the world with the most high-rises. You might be surprised by which cities made the cut.

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• Architects

  URCODE Architecture

• Location

  895-13 Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Lead Architects

  Hoon, Shin

• Area

  1820.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  DISTINTO

+ 27

• Architects

  Farming Architecture

• Location

  Seoul, South Korea

• Lead Architects

  Jangwon Choi

• Area

  90.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Kyungsub Shin

Built before the 1988 Summer Olympics, the Seoul Olympic Stadium in the Korean capital city’s Songpa District remains an active and treasured institution. Designed by Kim Swoo-geun, the stadium represents a significant moment in Korea’s modern history and remains a venue for large concerts and the home of Seoul E-Land FC.

While the Olympic Stadium itself will stand visibly intact in its original form, this spring the Korea National Urban Planning Association staged a competition for a new design of the Jamsil Sports Complex, which includes several sporting venues and buildings adjacent to the stadium, as well as almost 160,000 square meters of total area. Following the deadline earlier this month, the jury has announced NOW Architects in collaboration with NBBJ and SAMOO, as the winners of the competition.

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Colombian professor Francisco Sanin and South Korean architect Lim Jaeyong were appointed as co-directors for the 2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. The announcement is followed by an inaugural edition held in 2017 with 460,000 visitors in total.

Born in Medellin, Colombia, Sanin earned his degree at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. He had a crucial role in Medellin's urban transformation, working alongside former governor of Antioquia Sergio Fajardo, and was co-commissioner of the Korean Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennale. Currently, Sanin is an architecture professor at Syracuse University School of Architecture. Also, a practicing architect with works in Colombia, South Korea, and China.

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• Architects

  LABOTORY

• Location

  166-31 Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Area

  120.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Yongjoon Choi

In the bustling streets of Seoul, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza by Zaha Hadid Architects has become a landmark for its atypical architecture. A complex yet effortless building, the Design Plaza encapsulates the energy of the cultural hub in Dongdaemun, an area that has itself earned the nickname of the "town that never sleeps" thanks to its late-night fashion market.

Investigating the building's twists and turns, Andres Gallardo has photographed the structure's fluid compositions. Although his photographs display little human presence, the building itself expresses the activity that occurs throughout day and night. Beneath the walkable park on the roof, Dongdaemun Design Plaza includes large global exhibition spaces, a design museum, 24-hour retail stores and a media center, among many other facilities that intertwine across the levels.

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+ 48

• Architects

  YKH Associates

• Location

  55-2 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Lead Architect

  Tae Sun Hong

• Team

  Soyeon Kim, Jaeho Shin, Daejung Sang, Seho Lee, Jongmin Lee, Yeongmuk Bak, Yongki Kim

• Area

  556.26 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Jeongkyu Lee, Jaechul Yu

+ 37

• Architects

  MMKM associates

• Location

  1 Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Architect in Charge

  Seohong Min

• Design Team

  Arnold Ghil

• Area

  2941.97 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Hanul Lee

+ 39

• Architects

  DESIGN GROUP COLLABO

• Location

  Seoul, South Korea

• Architect in Charge

  JOUNG MoonChul

• Area

  270.07 m2

• Project Year

  2015

• Photographs

  Yoon Joonhwan