Yongsan Gate

Another residential tower in the Yongsan International Business District designed by BIG revitalize the Han riverfront into a new commercial and residential center for the citizens of Seoul. Since in this location is not permitted to erect too high-rise buildings, the architects have found another way of increasing the floor space of equal area at the base. They offered to staple the two towers by two additional horizontal blocks (bars), resulting in the structure began to resemble the form of a symbol of “# “.

Situated at the south-east edge of the Yongsan master plan designed by for the Korean development group Dreamhub, BIG’s Cross # Towers will contribute to the developing skyline of Seoul and become a recognizable marker of the new cultural and commercial center of the city. BIG’s design includes two elegant towers with a height of 214 and 204m. To meet the height requirements of the site, the exceeding building mass is transformed into an upper and lower horizontal bars, which bridge the two towers at 140m and 70 m height. The two towers are additionally connected through the arrival bar at the ground level - and a courtyard below ground. The Cross # Towers constitute a three-dimensional urban community of interlocking horizontal and vertical towers.

Three public bridges connect two slender towers at different levels – underground, at the street and in the sky. Catering to the demands and desires of different residents, age groups and cultures the bridges are landscaped and equipped for a variety of activities traditionally restricted to the ground. The resultant volume forms a distinct figure on the new skyline of Seoul – a “#” that serves as a gateway to the new Yongsan Business District signaling a radical departure from the crude repetition of disconnected towers towards a new urban community that populates the threedimensional space of the city.” Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG.

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Materials provided by BIG