Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park, Design plaza and park in Dongdaemun, Seoul, South Korea
Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park is a curved metal building in Dongdaemun district, Seoul, South Korea. The facade consists of thousands of aluminum panels stretched over a walkable rooftop terrace and multiple exhibition rooms inside.
The building replaced the old Dongdaemun Stadium from 2014 and integrated archaeological finds from the ancient Seoul fortress into its cultural park. It was designed by architect Zaha Hadid and stands as the first public building in Korea realized entirely with digital construction methods.
The hall lights up each evening from the outside, drawing locals who walk along the curved pathways, take selfies, or sit on the park steps. The interior serves as a meeting point for design students and as exhibition space where Korean and international works appear side by side.
You reach the site directly through Dongdaemun History & Culture Park subway station on lines 2, 4, and 5, which runs beneath the building. Access is barrier-free and opening hours vary by event, so checking ahead is worthwhile.
The rooftop park sits on a structure 280 metres long, and the building has no interior columns, so the exhibition halls below are open spans. The exterior mixes concrete, aluminium, steel and stone, with a double-skin facade, solar panels and a water recycling system.
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