SEOUL SEARCHING

Design-driven hotspots to visit in the Korean capital

DONGDAEMUN DESIGN PLAZA

The work of the la te architect Zaha Hadid and her epon ymous firm, the Neo-futuristic architecture of this building has made it a landmark in the Dongdaemun shopping district. The complex, which houses exhibition halls as well as dining and retail spaces, is the inaugural venue of Seoul Fashion Week. ddp.or.kr

KEB HANA BANK PLACE ONE

This newly renovated building in the Samsung-dong district has been designed to serve as a social centre for customers and visitors. Aside from banking facilities and offices, the building also includes a cafe, library and exhibition spaces spread across the floors. Designed by local practice The System Lab, its concrete facade features 179 art discs that flutter with the wind, with each panel displaying unique pieces by artists including Kwon Oh-sang, Jin & Park and Lee Sang-won. kebhana.com

LIE SANG BONG TOWER

Designed by local firm Unsangdong, the building is loca ted in the upscale Gangnam-gu neighbourhood; its distinctive ceramic cladding was inspired by a traditional Korean landscape painting. It’s built to house the boutiques of eminent fashion designer Lee Sang Bong and his son Lee Chung Chung as well as a cafe and lifestyle space and a penthouse apartment. liesangbong.com

SEOULLO 7017 SKY GARDEN

Located next to Seoul sta tion, a former highway has been converted into a pedestrian walkway by MVRDV. The Rotterdam-based firm has transformed the overpass into an extensive outdoor garden with 24,000 plants indigenous to Korea. The plants have also been arranged according to the Korean alphabet, separated by distinctive themed zones that connect to shops, restaurants as well as sa tellite gardens and greenhouses. seoullo7017.seoul.go.kr