Foster + Partners has revealed designs for IOTA Seoul I, a mixed-use development on a landmark site between Seoul Station and Namsan, a 270-metre-high peak in Jung-Gu. Historically, the site acted as an important gateway to Seoul when arriving by train. The project creates a green oasis in the heart of the city – and restores the area’s historic connection with Namsan and its surrounding public park.
Luke Fox, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “We are extending the experience of the adjacent Namsan Park into the development and creating a welcoming new destination for the people of Seoul. Our scheme responds to this important site – where nature and the city converge – with a series of interventions that carefully balance both elements. New buildings are woven together by landscaping and green community spaces that bring a wealth of social and environmental benefits.”
Two new buildings – a six-star hotel and a 34-storey office tower – are positioned at an optimal distance apart from one another, restoring clear lines of sight from Seoullo 7017 to Namsan and the iconic N Seoul Tower. The design re-establishes lost connections with nature and greens 40 percent of the site for public use. A central park, pocket gardens, landscaped terraces, and roof terraces draw people into the development and provide new social spaces within the city. The site’s level changes are also resolved – and new pedestrian thoroughfares are established with escalators and stairs that improve access from the train station and Toegye-ro.
The office tower and its pavilion offer state of the art amenities tailored to tenants’ needs and a roof garden that offers spectacular views of Namsan and the city. The office building’s structural system provides 18-metre spans of column-free space for inherent flexibility and longevity. A third building – located alongside the hotel – will be the city’s new centre for tourism. It is publicly accessible with step-free access to a roof garden that overlooks the newly created public park. The practice’s design also celebrates the site’s architectural heritage by retaining the lobby space of an existing hotel, which was designed by the architect Kim Jong-sung.
47 percent of the development’s operational energy will be generated by photovoltaic panels, which are integrated into building facades and roofs, ground source heating and cooling, and the latest fuel cell technology.
Jeremy Kim, Partner, Foster + Partners, added: “We are delighted to be working on this exciting project that gives back to Seoul – by positively transforming this important piece of its urban fabric.”