SEOUL: DONGDAEMUN DESIGN PLAZA

"Woah"

My Architect friend Paolo said in awe as he basked in the glorious presence of the beauty before us.

For an Architect, Interior Designer, or any design enthusiast, there's always this unexplainable feeling when you step foot on an iconic structure. In my previous entry, I gave you a glimpse of the structures that we've seen around Bukchon and Samcheongdong wherein we got to appreciate both traditional architecture and modern ones. From my experience in this trip, I can very much attest to the fact that Seoul is definitely one of the best places to visit in Asia if you wish to get a glimpse of buildings made my some of the most notable names in design and architecture. 

I have been seeing the Dongdaemun Design Plaza on design blogs for the past year and I have always wanted to see the Zaha Hadid masterpiece face to face. Being with Architects on this trip was indeed the best decision because they understood the feeling of being in awe and being appreciative of the art standing in front of us.

Globally acclaimed for its neo-futuristic design, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza stands at the heart of the fashion district of Dongdaemun with a sumptuous 83,000 sq. meter footprint. Designed by Iraqi-British Architect Zaha Hadid, DDP was sculpted to serve as a hub for local and international designers to showcase their products for the public to patronize and enjoy. The plaza also hosts the annual Seoul Fashion week as well as other notable events such as concerts and awards night.

  One would not miss the DDP, especially at night. It is the perfect time to appreciate the finishes and textures of the structure. To the locals and even most of the people who see it, it immortalizes the idea of being in a science fiction film. For most of us, the form of the building is indeed one of a kind. The design process behind this magnificent structure took a lot of research, coding, form-finding, and material experiment.

This building's structure can be described as amorphous or simply put, free-flowing without a definite shape or form. For such a complex design, structural integrity is very important. What makes Zaha Hadid stand out at this time and age is her wide use of Parametric Design. You may view the design process behind the DDP here.

The much-photographed stairwell is indeed gorgeous and sleek.

Ended my DDP visit by capturing a photo of this family who had a date at the museum as well. This is what I would like to call: good parenting. Start your kids young when it comes to art and design appreciation and help them find themselves with it!