Dongdaemun Design Plaza – The most daunting task of contemporary architecture is finding the link between the past and present to produce a welcoming design. Inculcating the richness of the place’s history with the geographic, cultural, and local urban fabric. While the former conventional styles involved straight lines, sharp corners, and acute angles, the primacy of parametric architecture focuses on free-form. The inclusion of elements like curves, sweeping lines, and irregular form provides each structure with a unique character.
“I don’t think that architecture is only about shelter; it is only about a very simple enclosure. It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think.” – Zaha Hadid.
“A Complexity must be constant in architecture, and it must correspond in form and function. The Complexity of the program alone breeds a formalism of false simplicity; The Complexity of expression alone tends toward formalism of multiplicity – an over-simplification rather than simplicity on the one hand – a mere picturesqueness rather than Complexity on the other. We no longer argue the primacy of form or function; we cannot ignore their interdependence, however.” – Robert Venturi (Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, 1965).
Parametric architecture involves blending Complexity and variety while rejecting homogenous utilitarianism. The complex nature of the structures based on this architectural style is not just lawless pastiches but rather a result inspired by nature. Despite the evident lack of symmetrical uniformity, it fosters a sense of individualism within the structure and its environment.
An Introduction to SAMOO Architects & Engineers
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, ‘SAMOO Architects and Engineers is one of the world’s largest architectural firms that provide professional services and expertise in Architectural Design, Urban Design/Planning, Interior Design, Sustainable Design & Engineering. Established in 1976, the firm has dedicated the last four decades to proving its superiority in design to the world by completing over 8,000 innovative projects.
The firm has raked in over 100 awards highlighting its level of design competency, which has not only contributed to the economic development of South Korea but also catered to the needs and vision of its clients as well as creating a “legacy for future generations”. With their services ranging from diverse domains like residential, office, mixed-use, sports, and healthcare to aviation and transportation, the firm is also a proud achiever of the three prestigious awards in the field of design, i.e., Red Dot, iF, and IDEA Design Awards.
A Beautiful yet Chaotic Design
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza was the fruitful result of a collaborative effort by SAMOO Architects and Engineers and the world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects. Completed in 2014, the structure is considered one of the most prominent contemporary icons of the country. Designed as a cultural hub in the heart of the historic Dongdaemun district, it acts as a medium for the instigation and exchange of ideas. It houses art/exhibitions halls, media centres, seminar halls and designer’s lounges etc.
Inspired by the flow of the river Han through the city, the design of the structure portrays an attempt to encapsulate the flow of the water in the form of a frozen-like wave structure allowing the city and landscape to combine in both form and spatial experience. The concept of ‘Green Roof‘ in the structure was incorporated to induce the element of nature and to project the image of lush greenery running along the banks of the river.
The vision of SAMOO Architects and Engineers for the project was to create a mobile learning resource for designers and the public. A seamless design pertaining to continual cultural change, it is a place for leisure and calming relaxation, a fusion of architecture and nature in a continuous fluidic landscape. This concept of fluid architecture compliments the public program and the contemporary design agenda of the city. While the exterior envelope of the smooth fluid structure is made up of concrete, aluminium, steel, and stone, the interior of the cultural hub is finished with plaster reinforced with synthetic fibre, acoustic tiles, stainless steel, acrylic resin, and polished stone.
Breaking the Monotony
This one-of-a-kind project by SAMOO is the largest and the first atypical project created with the help of a 3D modelling technique. With over 45,000 4-mm thick aluminium panels (14,000 flat and 31,000 curved panels) having different sizes and curvature, it emanates a different perspective from every perceivable angle.
The panels create a reflective pixelated pattern across the entire façade of the structure, which creates striking visual effects, mirroring the nightlife of the city. It also consists of built-in lighting, which is used to create specific patterns, depending on external factors like lighting and seasonal conditions, blending with the urban fabric as part of a complete ensemble of the city.
The plain white walls and white roof and the constant motion and shift in the mass of the interior make it nearly impossible to find out where the wall ends, and the ceiling begins. With walls having no defined edges and a never-ending curved surface, the interior of the structure is in the form of a frozen wave.
From a unique yet monumental form of staircase, spaces where the flow of the curved surfaces from the ceiling drops down to a horizontal platform to sculptured walls with elements of seating carved into them. This unobstructed illusion of a cave made of frozen waves is like a surreal canvas, where the individual steps into an entirely different dimension.
Being one of the country’s most innovative and technologically advanced construction to date, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza continues to enrich the architectural heritage of Korea. The voids and folds of the structure let the public step into a different realm of life, offering a glimpse into the future of design.
Reference List
- SAMOO Architects & Engineers (2016). About SAMOO. [online]. Available at: https://www.samoo.com/home/about/samoo.do [Accessed 27 September 2022]
- SAMOO Architects & Engineers (2016). Dongdaemun Design Plaza. [online]. Available at: https://www.samoo.com/home/works/view.do?cntntsSn=38&locale=en&mainYn=&beginYear=&endYear=&lcCode=&wnpzCode=&viewType=&kwrdContents= [Accessed 27 September 2022]
- Architect Magazine (2015). Dongdaemun Design Plaza. [online]. Available at: https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/dongdaemun-design-plaza-ddp [Accessed 28 September 2022]
- World Architecture | Silviya Masani (2022). In The Memory Of Zaha Hadid: The Dongdaemun Design Plaza. [online]. Available at: https://worldarchitecture.org/article-links/emenn/in-the-memory-of-zaha-hadid-the-dongdaemun-design-plaza.html [Accessed 28 September 2022]
- Zaha Hadid Architects (2014). Dongdaemun Design Plaza – Zaha Hadid Architects. [online]. Available at: https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/dongdaemun-design-park-plaza/ [Accessed 28 September 2022]
- Archdaily (2015). Dongdaemun Design Plaza / Zaha Hadid Architects. [online]. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/489604/dongdaemun-design-plaza-zaha-hadid-architects [Accessed 29 September 2022]
- Autodesk Inc. | Emily Suzuki (2020). What Is Parametric Design in Architecture, and How Is It Shaping the Industry?. [online]. [Accessed 30 September 2022]. Available at:
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/parametric-design-architecture-shaping-industry/#:~:text=The%20following%20elements%20define%20parametric,elements%20are%20interdependent%20and%20adaptable
