People will notice a big gold splotch when they are flying into Seoul.
The Dutch architecture firm MVRDV designed Paradise City, an entertainment district in the South Korean capital. Comprising two buildings with a plaza in between, the main entrance is colored with a giant golden circle. The firm says the spot will mark the entrance like a sunbeam and will even be visible to airplanes landing at and departing from the nearby Incheon Airport.
The 9,800-sm complex consists of two concrete buildings. The curved 3,600-sm Sandbox will be a retail center that connects to a new casino. Partygoers will flock to the rectangular, 6,200-sm Nightclub, which also has a water club and sky-garden on the upper floor.
The windowless buildings will welcome guests with glass entrances worked into the curtain-like façade.
“The buildings are opened by lifting them like a curtain, unravelling their interior,” MVRDV Co-founder Winy Maas said in a statement.
Construction will begin later this year and finish in 2018, in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
MVRDV worked with Gansam Architects, who designed the wider masterplan that includes a boutique hotel, food-court, spa, galleries, and convention facilities.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
| Aug 11, 2010
Call for entries: Building enclosure design awards
The Boston Society of Architects and the Boston chapter of the Building Enclosure Council (BEC-Boston) have announced a High Performance Building award that will assess building enclosure innovation through the demonstrated design, construction, and operation of the building enclosure.
| Aug 11, 2010
Portland Cement Association offers blast resistant design guide for reinforced concrete structures
Developed for designers and engineers, "Blast Resistant Design Guide for Reinforced Concrete Structures" provides a practical treatment of the design of cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures to resist the effects of blast loads. It explains the principles of blast-resistant design, and how to determine the kind and degree of resistance a structure needs as well as how to specify the required materials and details.
| Aug 11, 2010
New website highlights government tax incentives for large commercial buildings
Energy Retrofit Group (ERG), the subsidiary of 40-year-old, award-winning Adache Group Architects, Inc., has announced the creation of their new energy conservation web site: www.energy-rg.com.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gensler, HOK, HDR among the nation's leading reconstruction design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 100 Reconstruction Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Callison strengthens retail design presence with RYA acquisition
Callison LLC on June 1 acquired RYA Design Consultancy, a Dallas-based retail architecture and design firm with offices in New York City. The new “Callison RYA Studio” will merge staff and clients into Callison ’s existing retail practice at their Dallas and New York offices.
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE introduces building energy label prototype
Most of us know the fuel efficiency of our cars, but what about our buildings? ASHRAE is working to change that, moving one step closer today to introducing its building energy labeling program with release of a prototype label at its 2009 Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.
| Aug 11, 2010
10 tips for mitigating influenza in buildings
Adopting simple, common-sense measures and proper maintenance protocols can help mitigate the spread of influenza in buildings. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Trane Commercial Systems offers 10 tips to consider during the cold and flu season.