IOTA Seoul I development to include 34-storey office tower
Foster & Partners has unveiled its designs for a major mixed-use scheme in central Seoul.
The IOTA Seoul I development in the South Korean capital spans three new buildings including a 34-storey office tower.
It will also contain a luxury six-star hotel, a tourism centre and a new public park which links to the neighbouring Namsan Park.
The practice describes the scheme as a “green oasis in the heart of the city”, with greening covering 40% of the site with a series of connected gardens, landscaped terraces and roof terraces.
The site’s level changes will also be resolved with new escalators and stairs which improve public access from the nearby Seoul Station and the Toegye-ro road, a popular tourist hotspot.
Fosters head of studio Luke Fox said: “We are extending the experience of the adjacent Namsan Park into the development and creating a welcoming new destination for the people of Seoul.
“Our scheme responds to this important site – where nature and the city converge – with a series of interventions that carefully balance both elements.
“New buildings are woven together by landscaping and green community spaces that bring a wealth of social and environmental benefits.”
Just under half of the scheme’s operational energy will be generated by photovoltaic panels integrated into the buildings’ facades and roofs, along with ground source heating and fuel cell technology.
The lobby of an existing hotel on the site designed by architect Kim Jong-sung will be retained under the plans.
Foster & Partners opened a new office in Seoul’s Jongno District in November last year. The firm’s other projects in the city include two Apple stores completed in 2018 and 2022 and an office development on the outskirts of the capital completed in 2020.
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