BIG architects: cross # towers, seoul, korea

‘cross # towers’ by BIG architects, seoul, korea all images courtesy of BIG architects

international architecture practice BIG has developed ‘cross # towers’, a 21 000 m2 proposal positioned next to the existing urban fabric of the future development zones of the yongsan master plan, designed by studio liebeskind for the korean development group dreamhub. the design includes two elegant towers with a height of 214 and 204m. to meet the vertical requirements of the site, the exceeding building mass is transformed into an upper and lower horizontal bar, which bridge the two structures at 140m and 70 m elevation. the two edifices are additionally connected through the arrival areas at the ground level and a courtyard below ground.

view from park

‘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 three-dimensional space of the city.’  – bjarke ingels, founding partner, BIG

view from street level

both the upper and lower bridge introduce rooftop sky gardens accessible to residents, allowing for outdoor activities, while a courtyard at the heart of the development is an integral part of the overall architectural design. dramatic views towards the neighboring towers and visual connections across the space from the retail zone creates an exciting area for the inhabitants and visitors. the exterior landscape draws from the traditional terraces which blend together with the modernity of the design. pedestrians at the arrival deck connects the towers at ground level can enjoy impressive views of the links above and the submerged plaza below.

the development will offer over 600 high-end residences and amenities, including a library, gallery space and a kindergarten. the design ensures that the tower apartments have optimal conditions of the sun and landscape. the bar units are given value through their spectacular views and direct access to the roofscapes, activating the outdoor space. the exterior facades are developed to correspond to the different orientations and solar conditions.

roof top gardens

garden and facade views

upper level open spaces

courtyard

interior perspective

model renderings

diagram of optimized plan

(left) view to south west (right) view to south east

green parks diagram

model

project info:

client: dreamhub architect: BIG bjarke ingels group partner in charge: bjarke ingels & thomas christoffersen project director: a. schmidt project leader: kamilla heskje, cat huang project team: buster christensen, jeppe ecklon, tobias hjortdal, jakob sand, mikkel marcker stubgaard, camila luise de andrade stadler, lorenzoboddi, karol borkowski, igor brozyna, eduard champelle, erik de haan, shun ping liu, enea michelesio, daram park, lucian racovitan, teresa fernandez rojo, julian salazar, laura youf, seung hyun yuh & paolo venturella

engineers: arup dublin & amsterdam project director: rory mcgowan project manager: aidan madden structural team: peter flynn, aidan madden, salam al-sabah, conor hayes,barry cullen, michael day & cathal quinn nevin keane MEP team: susan cormican, luke stewart, alborada delgado, tadhg o broin, paul collins, daniel roe, chris behan, gerry banks, stephen kendal & carol o’riordan facades: pat duffy, javier iribarren lighting: simone collon, mieke van der velden, ewelina schraven & siegrid siderius

landscape architect: martha schwarz partners (MSP) principal: martha schwartz design director: markus jatsch project manager: nigel koch lead landscape architect: aigars lauzis project team: ceylan belek, salvatore tabone & nicola albertin

local architect: SIAPLAN project manager: yun sang bang project architect: sang min lee project team: jimin lee, kyungmo yang, kyungmin yue & sangsuck park