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.
Rendering: MVRDV. Click to enlarge.
Related Stories
Warehouses | Nov 9, 2020
Lowe’s rides ecommerce wave by expanding its distribution and delivery capacities
The retail giant will also open four more bulk warehouses, including a 1.2-million-sf DC in Alabama it is building with Clayco.
Retail Centers | Nov 2, 2020
Chick-fil-A introduces modular building program for rebuilding and remodeling existing restaurants
The first location to use this rebuild style reopens on Oct. 15 near Atlanta.
Adaptive Reuse | Oct 26, 2020
Mall property redevelopments could result in dramatic property value drops
Retail conversions to fulfillment centers, apartments, schools, or medical offices could cut values 60% to 90%.
Retail Centers | Sep 17, 2020
The Weekly show: Breaking the rules of retail, and the Household Model for assisted living facilities
This week on The Weekly, BD+C editors spoke with leaders from CallisonRTKL, MBH Architects, and McMillan Pazdan Smith on three topics: breaking the rules of retail, the Household Model for assisted living facility design, and designing labs to address the coronavirus and future health events.
Airports | Sep 10, 2020
The Weekly show: Curtis Fentress, FAIA, on airport design, and how P3s are keeping university projects alive
The September 10 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Coronavirus | Aug 25, 2020
Video: 5 building sectors to watch amid COVID-19
RCLCO's Brad Hunter reveals the winners and non-winners of the U.S. real estate market during the coronavirus pandemic.
Retail Centers | Aug 19, 2020
How has shopping changed over the past 100 years? A look at the evolution of retail
From malls and big-box stores to online delivery and mall redevelopment: Here’s how the retail landscape has evolved—and where it’s likely headed.
Retail Centers | Aug 12, 2020
Apple Central World welcomes first visitors in Bangkok
Foster + Partners designed the building.
Retail Centers | Jul 30, 2020
The future is a numbers game for retail and restaurants
Brick-and-mortar retailers, already gasping for air under pressure from ecommerce, were dealt a critical blow by the spread of the coronavirus that forced most stores and restaurants to close, or at best operate as carryout- or delivery-only providers.
