‘harmony tower’ by studio daniel lieskind, seoul, south korea all images courtesy of studio daniel libeskind image © crystal

new york-based studio daniel libeskind‘s ‘dancing towers’ and ‘harmony tower’ will join the newly developing yongsan international business district in seoul, korea. one site will feature a singular building, the ‘harmony tower’ with a geometric profile. nearby, a second location contains the ‘dancing towers’, a cluster of three undulating buildings with 41-stories of residential program. a podium will interlock the base of the separate structures, giving a common ground to the complex which will host 834 individual housing units.

the gently rotating floor plates generate the illusion of motion, specifically representing the movements of the traditional korean buddhist dance, seung-moo and their long-sleeved costumes. alternating concrete fin walls cantilever from the central core to support the floor slabs allowing a column-free interior with panoramic views from the apartments.

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD harmony tower at dusk image © crystal

the design of the ‘harmony tower’ evokes the form of a yundeung, a korean paper lantern. comprised of large facets, the glazed panels reflect the sky and activity below, capturing the light at different angles. sculpted to the context, the tower tapers towards the pedestrian plaza below, marking a gateway to visitors at the western entrance. as the form ascends, the inclined faces culminate at a prominent peak.

vertical winter gardens along the south and west side of the site offer ventilation and vegetated settings for employees of the 38 office levels. buffering direct sunlight, the space minimizes solar heat gain.

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD aerial view of harmony tower and surrounding site image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD street level view of the tower image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD pedestrian approach image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD porte cochère vehicle entry image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD office space image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD at night images © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD dancing towers image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD aerial view of dancing towers, podium and surrounding site image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD approach to the three towers image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD view of dancing towers and podium image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD street level entry to the podium image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD podium image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD aerial view of podium at dusk image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD entry image © crystal

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD site plan / dancing towers

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD site plan / harmony tower

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD sketch of dancing towers

daniel libeskind: dancing + harmony tower schemes   YIBD sketch of harmony tower

project info:

project name: dancing towers location: seoul, south korea building size: 265,000 sq.m structure: concrete central core with cantilevered concrete fin walls and floor slabs client: dream hub, amc – yongsan development co., ltd. structural engineer: ARUP mechanical / electrical / plumbing engineer: ARUP landscape architect: martha schwartz partners lighting designers: focus lighting status: in design

project name: harmony tower location: seoul, south korea building size: 100,000 sq.m structure: concrete central core and floor slabs with steel columns and mega bracing client: dream hub, amc – yongsan development co., ltd. structural engineer: ARUP mechanical / electrical / plumbing engineer: ARUP landscape architect: martha schwartz partners lighting designers: focus lighting status: in design