STATUS
IDEA
CLIENT
Dreamhub
TYPOLOGY
Residential
SIZE M2/FT2
96,543 / 1,039,189
SHARE
Situated at the south-east edge of the Yongsan masterplan designed by Studio Liebeskind, BIG’s # Towers contribute to the developing skyline of Seoul as a recognizable marker of the new cultural and commercial center in the city.
The 21 000 m2 site is positioned next to the existing urban fabric in the future development zones of the Yongsan masterplan. BIG’s design includes two elegant towers with a height of 214 and 204 m. To meet the height requirements of the site, the exceeding building mass is transformed into an upper and lower horizontal bar, which bridge the two towers at 140 m and 70 m height. The two towers are additionally connected through the arrival bar at the ground level – and a courtyard below ground.
OPTIMIZED PLAN
— 73% of the program is one size, which is why BIG focused on designing for the base condition. Doing so allowed to create ideal plans where each unit can have a surplus of light and views and at the same time allow for repeatable floor plates.
VIEW TO THE SOUTH EAST
— Higher altitudes create better views. The taller tower takes advantage of this value by placing its excess program in an optimally oriented
southeast facing bar high in the sky.
PUSH
— While still maintaining critical distance, the two towers move towards each other to facilitate structure - this results in a performance bonus in terms of egress and apartment depth.
GREEN PARKS
— With the introduction of the sky gardens, outdoor activities suddenly become accessible. Direct connections from the bar floors help to activate the spaces. Amenity floors are located so they can feed directly out onto the roof top parks.
“The typical tower inherently removes life from the city it occupies. Circulation is linear and social interactions occur only in lobbies or elevator rides. We propose a building that triples the amount of ground floor – triples the amount of social interaction and reintroduces the idea of neighborhood within the tower complex."
Both the upper and lower bridge introduce rooftop sky gardens accessible to residents, allowing for outdoor activities, while a courtyard at the heart of the development is an integral part of the overall architectural design. Dramatic views towards the neighboring towers and visual connections across the courtyard from the retail zone create an exciting space for the residents and visitors.
The outdoor landscape is envisioned to draw from the charm of traditional courtyards combined with the modernity of the project. Pedestrians Can enjoy impressive views to the bridges above and to the submerged courtyard below.
The development would offer over 600 high-end residences and amenities, including a library, gallery space and a kindergarten.
BIG’s design ensures that the tower apartments have optimal conditions towards sun and views. The bar units are given value through their spectacular views and direct access to the roofscapes, activating the outdoor realm. The exterior facades are developed to correspond to the different orientations and solar conditions, creating a diverse façade which varies from the viewer’s vantage point and the position of the sun.
“The # Towers constitute a three-dimensional urban community of interlocking horizontal and vertical towers. Three public bridges connect two slender towers at different levels – underground, at the street and in the sky. Catering to the demands and desires of different residents, age groups and cultures the bridges are landscaped and equipped for a variety of activities traditionally restricted to the ground. The resultant volume forms a distinct figure on the new skyline of Seoul – a “#” that serves as a gateway to the new Yongsan Business District signaling a radical departure from the crude repetition of disconnected towers towards a new urban community that populates the three-dimensional space of the city.”
Bjarke Ingels Thomas Christoffersen Finn Nørkjær Jakob Sand Catherine Huang Julian Ocampo Salazar Brandon Cappellari Buster Christensen Enea Michelesio Jan Magasanik Kamilla Heskje Lorenzo Boddi Lucian Mihail Racovitan Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard Tiago Sá Tobias Hjortdal Brandon Cook Anders Hjortnæs Andre Schmidt Andre Schmidt Camila Luise de Andrade Stadler Daram Park Edouard Champelle Erik de Haan Igor Brozyna Jeppe Ecklon Karol Bogdan Borkowski Laura Youf Maria Teresa Fernandez Rojo Paolo Venturella Seung Hyun Yuh Shun-Ping Liu Yang Du
COLLABORATORS
SIAPLAN
Martha Schwarz Partners
Arup Dublin
Amsterdam
