The Korea Times reports that Korea will become “No. 1 in the global skyscraper race” with some 12 skyscrapers of 100 stories or more under construction across the country.
Seoul will get six of those architectural phalloi. Busan will get four, and I believe Incheon (Songdo New City) will be getting the other two.
Not that I disapprove of any of this — far from it, I think it’s cool, and I guess there is something of a historical precedent for it — but I still find it a rather ironic development for a nation that for centuries has taken pride in the unpretentious, unobtrusive nature of its native architecture.
80 Comments
Wow, 6 impressively tall buildings… all waiting for the “VIP anma” to open shop there like the thousands of other half-empty “Built just cuz we can” buildings across the country.
“unpretentious, unobtrusive nature of its native architecture”
- I just thought it was a lack of architectural style. Maybe Gangnam has style so you Seoulites think differently, but apart from Seoul all Korean cities look the same to me.
Actually I am puzzled why apartments all seem to conform to the same style? I wonder if it is some government approved building plan?
Anyway anything that adds color and style to this country is surely needed. Black/white cars, white apartments! Wow, its colorblind.
I’m not one to discount advancement, but muscling up construction reeks of nothing more than a pissing contest. Have we taken a good hard look at all the shanty towns abound that always find themselves scrunched at the heels of these monolithic, phallic, balls out buildings? Isn’t it time we go a little greener, lads? Plant some damn trees that will stretch to the heavens! It’s one thing to scream full speed ahead, but it should come without neglecting the less fortunate and wiping the slate clean of tradition!
Two giant skyscrapers (not sure if they’re both 100 stories, but each will top the Daehan Life Building’s 63 stories) are going up in Yeoido as well, right next to each other: The AIG International Finance Center, and Parc One by Skylan Properties. They’re going to transform the district by adding new Class “A” (or better) office space, plus integrated shopping and some residential/hotel space as well. This is an expensive way to add capacity, sure, but nobody can say Seoul has “too much” office space. Vacancy rates are well below even the rates in Hong Kong that have driven commercial rents sky-high.
Where we really need more office space, however, and could use some skyscrapers, is the Kwanghwamun Central Business District where the building height has been constrained by regulations intended to “protect” the Blue House and Kwanghwamun. If the building-height limits could be re-thought to accommodate the actual demand for space, that area could see a surprising number of 50+ story towers popping up.
Actually, government-led mega construction projects have long been a favorite method of pumping money into economies and maintaining employment during recessions (we all know there’s a big one coming). Good planning and environmental sanity always take a back seat at such times, because speed and scale of response are the crucial factors. I don’t support this strategy, but there’s plenty of precedent across many countries.
I believe the plural for the latin ‘phallus’ is ‘phalli’? ‘phalloi’ looks like a greek-sounding distortion inspired by ‘hoi polloi’
Sky scrapper hub? These people need to focus more on canals.
Nice pipe dreams though!
“I’m not one to discount advancement, but muscling up construction reeks of nothing more than a pissing contest”
More like a dick-measuring contest. Am I the only one who reads this piece of news as a perfect example of the ever so famous Korean “small man complex” at work? The undertones of trying to make up for one’s own phallic inadequecies by trying to show the rest of the world how one is supposedly the “biggest” or “tallest” are hardly subtle.
about 4 or 5 years ago, the head honcho for the ministry of foreign affairs was in seattle speaking with a group of local business people. i remember him talking about how korea is striving to become the hub of asia economically because of its location. back then, i thought it was a worthy goal…before it strived to become hub of everything and falling short of becoming hub of anything (insert expat joke about korea did achieve becoming hub of massage parlors…). anyway, they really need to get rid of “hub” mentality and just focus on making the lives of individuals better.
#2. i agree, koreans are indeed colorblind.
#7. Just nailed it home there. When I read ‘Global Number 1′, I couldn’t help but doze off. I mean, shouldn’t such feats be measured AFTER the damn project nears completion?
Korea seems to be in love with 100-150 story buildings, despite never having any history of building such towers. The question is always financing and it is extremely dubious to think these can be financed in the traditional Korean way, which has been strata title. The developed country leasing model is equally difficult. Construction costs spike dramatically the higher you get and given the very low debt-to-equity ratios in Korea (another story for another day), it is puzzling to see how we can finance such towers.
The real story is that local mayors / governors like to cement their legacy and perhaps fund a run up the political ladder with such “iconic” buildings. The real estate landscape is littered with useless MOUs between said city / province and the so-called developers. Maybe Lotte has a chance and Yongsan possibly with Samsung leading the way. The others? Good luck!
Last point: why do “reporters” of major newspapers insist on printing these public relations missives as real news? They should be questioning the validity of such projects with even a cursory investigation. Ditto goes for these theme park MOUs.
pfffft, typical korean drivel making up yet another competitive race “to be the world’s #1″ in a completely non-existent realm.
coming up next: “Korea strives to be #1 supplier of Space Station approved kimchi”
Seoul needs more office space (per comment #4). There isn’t much land available. Going vertical is the logical way to go.
Anyone know why there were height restrictions of buildings in the first place?
@#12:
Beijing and Washington, DC, have height restrictions in certain areas to keep modern office towers from casting shadows over important historical and government buildings. In Beijing, there is also a secondary concern about espionage. West-facing windows on the upper floors of a hotel close to the Forbidden City were blocked off because guests in those rooms could see into Zhongnanhai, the new Forbidden City. I’m guessing there are the same reasons - aesthetics and security - behind the regulations in Seoul.
Each area differs in terms of restrictions, whether they be on height, setbacks on the land or other covenants. Typically, in downtown or major business areas of Seoul, you will see allowable height of 800% (floor area ratio
of the land area. There is also a height restriction around 145 metres. Land area ratios can be 50% or a little higher.
To get to 100 stories or more, the only way would be the city granting special provisions to allow a building to go up that high.
Seoul Finance Centre was originally designed and built to be hotel but had to change into an office building after the Asian crises of 1997.
It has been at full capacity since I can remember.
I’ve heard so many skytower pipe dreams in the Korean media for years…but nothing eventuates.
(Yongsan, Songdo, Gangnam, Songpa).
I was once told that the supertall building meant to be built in Songpa got nixed because its height would have interfered with takeoff/landing flight paths from a nearby army base. Don’t know about the other ones, though.
I like the idea of the dongdaemun shopping plaza more — go UNDER the ground instead of way above it.
For one, to avoid making great symbolic targets for Nork missiles … like NYC’s WTC towers proved to be … a caution that is now apparantly no longer considered.
ooops, that was Re: #12.
Brendon:
The projects you mention are 50s, not 100s. Most of the 100s will never be built; only one or two.
# 16,
North Korea is not Al Qaeda.
We all know the address to send missiles and bombs to if Kim Jong Il is ever foolish enough to ram planes into buildings.
Unfortunately, we don’t know which sh*t hole of a cave in Northern Pakistan that Bin Laden lives in…
Didn’t a Korean construction firm build the 100+ floor Petrayas? Towers in Malaysia? As well as the 100+ story skyscraper in Dubai? If tall skyscrapers are a sign of insecurity as earlier posters have maintained, Korean firms wouldn’t have built them for foreigners first.
A question for the engineers out there - with modern building materials, given perfect conditions (little threat of earthquake or hurricain) theoretically what is upper height limit for a modern skyscraper? It seems they keep getting taller and taller.
# 5,
“[We]… all know there’s a big… [recession] coming.”
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say we are gonna miss one (in the U.S.) by the skin of our chinny chin chin. Negative GDP growth in Q2. Slight positive, but anemic growth in Q3.
Link back to this comment if I’m proven wrong…
“Where we really need more office space, however, and could use some skyscrapers, is the Kwanghwamun Central Business District where the building height has been constrained by regulations intended to “protect” the Blue House and Kwanghwamun.”
Bad idea.
What Seoul needs in that area is more low rise single family and
shared family homes and townhouses. If you want a vibrant community
you have to live in it. What is lacking most in the “downtown area” is a sense of residence at ground level.
We don’t get a sense of Koreans living until we branch out into
areas like, maybe, Sookmyung. Does anyone live in Insa-dong? Where are the residents? How do the residents of Insa-dong shape its character?
This is part of the core problem of Korean tourism in my opinion; the Korean government thinks it can create interesting Korean communities.
But, if people do not live in an area how can it be interesting or Korean? What does Korea offer at its heart? The stream restoration. Where are the Koreans? It’s just an empty space. A fancy streamlined civil engineerig project that displaced hundreds of interesting shops and dwellings.
Here’s a link to the Dubai Tower - 2,600 feet high!!
built by Samsung
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai
#20, “Didn’t a Korean construction firm build the 100+ floor Petrayas? “Towers in Malaysia? As well as the 100+ story skyscraper in Dubai?”
Samsung Engineering & Construction has been a major player in the 88-floor Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the 101-floor Taipei 101 in Taiwan, and the 162-floor Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.....d_Projects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronas_Twin_Towers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai
“If tall skyscrapers are a sign of insecurity as earlier posters have maintained, Korean firms wouldn’t have built them for foreigners first.”
Interesting idea. Maybe it’s like the successful plastic surgeon who suddenly realized he enhanced everybody’s manhood but his own.
“I’ve heard so many skytower pipe dreams in the Korean media for years…but nothing eventuates.
(Yongsan, Songdo, Gangnam, Songpa).”
I was thinking the same thing, with Incheon and Busan also being mentioned occasionally. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went ahead with a few of these, but a lot of these projects seem to be announced as done deals before they really are.
Would I be wrong to think that it’s simply oneupmanship by the construction companies and that the ground will be broken on few of these projects because nobody wants to invest in building the 2nd, 3rd, or 12th tallest building?
#7 - Before Asian and Arab countries competed for the “tallest building” title, were there no other countries that did? UK/US for example?
PS Canada still holds the title for the tallest phallic structure? (CN Tower)
BTW The 63 Building isn’t the tallest in Korea, check Wikipedia
for “Samsung Tower Palace 3 - Tower G” (73 floors), though it’s merely a residential building.
“After losing its 32-year-old world record for being the tallest freestanding structure on the planet, Toronto’s famed CN Tower is looking to set a new benchmark…”
http://www.thestar.com/article/412944
Koehler is the new Isaac
I’ve read that Mokdong tower is taller than tower palace…will find a source shortly
Nope…I stand corrected. Tower Palace wins.
Gee, this seems just like an article about how Korea will have 6 of the worlds tallest buildings from May of 2006:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blo.....Towers.jpg
I guess it’s doubled to 12 since then.
As for the projects in Yeouido, Parc 1’s towers will be 59 and 72 floors, and will be taller than the Tower Palace in Dogok-dong, currently the tallest building in Korea (at only 264 meters). The IFC’s tallest tower will also be taller than the tower palace. Seeing as most of these other projects are not moving ahead, this will likely be the best Korea can hope for for now.
As for the Lotte tower in Seoul, the military has complained about it’s location in the flight path of Seongnam airport, but Lotte has been ignoring them, as far as I know.
the article says the koreans are out racing other countries????
excuse me but i think some of the other countries have had skyscrapers for decades
so the race has been over for sometime
sounds more like the astronaut crap to me
just something to make them feel good
and like others have said build the damn things first and yes seoul could use a better skyline instead of high rise apartments
“the article says the koreans are out racing other countries????
excuse me but i think some of the other countries have had skyscrapers for decades so the race has been over for sometime”
Not skyscrapers over 100 stories. That’s what the article is talking about.
“Korea is expected to outrun other nations in terms of number of skyscrapers with over 100 stories if all these towers are completed. Currently, the United Arab Emirates has six skyscrapers of a similar scale, followed by the United States with four and China with one.”
Korea needs interesting buildings, not tall ones. If the interesting buildings are tall, fine, but I’d prefer buildings like the Petronas Towers, which will be interesting to look at even after they are dwarfs.
#37
A different construction company was hired for each of the Petronas Twin Towers. Although Tower 1 was successfully completed by Hazama Corporation(Japan), the builder of Tower 2, Samsung Constructions ran into problems when they discovered the structure was 25 millimeters off from vertical.
Tower 1 is fully occupied by the Petronas Company and its subsidiaries. They had difficulties in finding the tenants.
continued: the tenants for Tower 2.
That’s because the construction companies in order to cut costs simply copy/reuse the drawings from previous apartment projects.
dude
100 story skyscrapers have existed in the US for decades
other places caught on lets say in the 90’s
and now korea says it is out racing other countries
okay whatever floats your boat
Korean apartments have gotten a little better lately. The roofs are a little more stylish now - not just the one room jutting up above the stairwell for the hot water tank. But they’re still pretty basic - Soviet-esque, compared to modern apartments in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and other international cities.
I had an idea the other day while waiting forever for an empty elevator at Hyundai Dept Store - isn’t it a waste to only run one ‘box’ up and down a single elevator shaft? A better way would be to have two tracks, one going up, another down, with more than one box, sort of similar to this concept..
the paternoster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster
The idea would be to have empty boxes on a track on each floor - you get in one, hit the floor you want to go to, it slides over and engages with the track going up or down and takes you to the floor you want, then slides off.. no waiting.
Insightful analysis on the appearance of apartments in Korea. Now, it makes total sense why and how Koreans are totally obsessed with height to the point where even if a person has a face that looks like a diseased bulldog, as long as he/she is above 180cm, then Koreans think of that person as being “beautiful.”
Now, I also understand why Koreans like to brag about themselves or strangely enough ridicule other Asians for being short. However, I really don’t think they realize that to the rest of the world, an Asian country making fun of other Asian countries for being short looks like a pig making fun of a dog for being dirty. LOL.
*sarcasm on* That innocuous little analogy is sure to be misconstrued as a racist remark. *sarcasm off*
#42,
It’s rather obvious that Korean apartment buildings were originally inspired by Soviet Utilitarian apartments. But, if it fits the needs…
On a slightly related topic, which office buildings have the best restaurants?
I rode the one pictured in that article hundreds of times as a student at the Univ. of Vienna. I loved it, always a thrill.
Of course, you could not have one in the U.S. due to liability concerns.
“Of course, you could not have one in the U.S. due to liability concerns.”
Access for the disabled would also be a problem, wouldn’t it? I guess that would constitute concerns about legal liability.
Stephen Roach discusses WangKon’s limb (#24):
Every financial crisis is different, but at some point, they all end. It is hard to know if the end of this one is at hand, but there are grounds to believe the worst of the fire-storm may be burning itself out…However, there is far more to the macro end-game. This crisis has been big enough to have triggered a host of feedback effects that should endure long after financial markets begin to heal…corporate profits should fall well below expectations, especially for the non-financial component of the S&P 500…as is typically the case with erosion on the demand side of the real economy, a cyclical deterioration in loan quality for households and businesses is coming…do not confuse [easing of the financial crisis] with an all-clear sign for the real economy, stock markets or the political cycle. As the US slips into recession, a chain of increasingly powerful feedback effects is likely to follow. The after-shocks of this crisis will shape the landscape for years to come….
‘However, I really don’t think they realize that to the rest of the world, an Asian country making fun of other Asian countries for being short looks like a pig making fun of a dog for being dirty. LOL.’ bbundoogi
‘However, I really don’t think they realize that, to the rest of the world, an expat in a asian country making fun of a asian man using prostitutes looks like a pig making fun of a dog for being dirty. LOL.’* pawikirogi
* ‘*sarcasm on* The above innocuous little analogy is sure to be misconstrued as a racist remark. *sarcasm off*’ pawikirogi
I saw a really interesting documentary on the Discovery Channel about the Petronas Towers. Apparently their frames are not made of steel, like most other tall buildings, but reinforced concrete. Also, they’re not anchored to bedrock — the towers are suspended over soft earth by surface tension from an array of barrettes (think small pins sunk into the dirt) also made of reinforced concrete. Really, a lot of engineering problem-solving went into those two!
No wonder no one wants to buy or lease space in ‘em.
@#50:
You do grasp that I actually found the remarks offensive, hence the sarcasm.
@53:
Pow Pow
&
sarcasm or any other trope that presumes a modicum of wit
#%*&!!!
DOES NOT COMPUTE: DOES NOT COMPUTE: DOES NOT COMPUTE
*&^%$#@!!!
Well, I don’t know that they are necessarily unsafe. The Western supervisory engineers reported, in interviews on the Discovery Channel program, that the geodetic survey was incorrect (which is why their construction site was off the bedrock shelf) and that the Malaysian government directed a lot of conditions without regard for what was “correct”. I certainly recognized in the Petronas experience a lot of so-called “Korean” behavior observed in disputes our offices have handled.
“Apparently their frames are not made of steel, like most other tall buildings, but reinforced concrete.”
Brendon, it’s my understanding that reinforced concrete is a lot cheaper then steel. One is just sand and aggregates mixed in with cast iron rebar, the other is high-tinsel steel, a lot more expensive. Personally, I’d feel a lot safer in a steel framed building instead of a concrete and cast iron rebar building, but that’s just me. Hey, if the engineers got away with it, then more power to them (I think…)
# 49,
I got my info from this.
http://www.today.ucla.edu/news/080311_economy/
UCLA’s Anderson School got it right in the two past recessions, despite what a majority of economists said. This isn’t an economy post, so I don’t feel as if I need to get into much detail beyond that. I hope the Anderson School is right!
I know there’s a GDP-based definition of recession (2 quarters of negative growth). Roach was just pointing out that that doesn’t always correlate with how fucked-up the general public feels things are during ‘bad times’. You could both be right. The construction industry, its workers and suppliers will certainly welcome gov’t-sponsored mega-orders, regardless.
you did get i was being sarcastic too, right?
btw, here’s an intersing article from the heritage foundation of lmb’s visit to the us.
oops!
http://www.heritage.org/Resear.....wm1889.cfm
Is that avatar showing some new Asian kink? Going down with fireflies in the mouth instead of ice cubes?
#60,
I read your explanation of your avatar…Made me laugh because I saw something else in there… something very Korean.
http://images.google.com/image.....rch+Images
Sensible boy!. Years ago I had an office on the 50th Floor of 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza where I used to spend a good part of my weekends. One Sunday it was particularly windy, and I heard a noise. Looking up I saw my office door slowly moving back and forth. I turned around and looked out the window and saw 120 Broadway swaying about 3-4 feet to the left and right, and simultaneously realized that 1 Chase was similarly in play. Turned out that it wasn’t just wind sheer, but a mild earthquake somewhere upstate. Anyway, I was glad to have been in a building whose high tensile (tinsel wouldn’t have cut it) steel was specifically engineered for such stress, and not a rigid rebar & concrete shell ready to snap. I guess the Samsung Petronas engineers forgot all about the flexibility of sonamu known to “the ancestors”.
Actually, contrary to the above the tallest building in Korea is in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Tower Palace - Tower G seems to be the tallest in South Korea.
Actually, contrary to the above the tallest building in Korea is in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Tower Palace - Tower G seems to be the tallest in South Korea.
#4 (Brendon) & #21 (Sperwer).
The Yeouido projects as noted by Sperwer come nowhere near 100 floors, however they will come in amongst the tallest in South Korea at completion. These are not speculative, contracts are signed and construction is underway.
Parc 1 (not Parc One) by Skylan has two towers one at least just over 70 floors which depending upon completion time may make it the tallest in South Korea for a short time and is currently under construction by Samsung.
AIG International Finance Centre (not Center) by AIG has four towers approx 55F, 32F, 33F Office Towers & Hotel at 38F. The tallest though only 55 floors (62 floors if you use the 63 building counting system of including the basement levels) will actually be taller than the 63 Building since floor to floor heights are generally greater now than in the past (raised data floors etc…)and is currently under construction by a consortium of GS, Daelim, POSCO & Hyundai Development.
In addition, well under construction in Songdo is the approx 70 floor NEATT Tower (North East Asia Trade Tower in Songdo) by New Sondo City (Gale International) and constructed by Daewoo.
“Apparently their frames are not made of steel, like most other tall buildings, but reinforced concrete.”
Typcally skyscrapers can be steel framed, or reinforced concrete, whichever is considered best value at the time given their characteristics and costs. Reinforced concrete is considered safer by some, because in fire steel has a relatively low melting and therefore collapse point. However modern design with firebreaks and seals etc has vastly reduced this risk.
However, taller towers are often known to switch to SRC (Steel Reinforced Concrete)construction. A comination of steel frame, encased with reinforced concrete for superior construction characteristics.
“I guess the Samsung Petronas engineers forgot all about the flexibility of sonamu…”
Engineers don’t forget stuff like that. It’s likely other considerations that force that decision like budget or environment.
Well then, forgetfulness is excusable (if deplorable); but willfully ignoring what you know to be not only better but indispensable, is indictable.
suddenly sperwer is smarter than engineers. how many skyscrapers have fallen down because of flawed engineering?
suddenly sperwer is smarter than engineers. how many skyscrapers have fallen down because of flawed engineering?
Well in Korea, it doesn’t have to be that big to fall down because of faulty engineering and construction techniques, e.g., Songsu Bridge and Sampoong Dept Store.
PS: I suspect that I am smarter than many (most?) engineers, precisely because I am acutely and carefully aware of the limits of both my intelligence and my knowledge
Well the tallest UNFINISHED building, maybe. But my definition of building would be less all-encompassing, and include only structures that are finished, and, possibly in use…
Arghaeri — Anyway, Parc 1 and the AIG Finance Center (I hadn’t seen any drawings for the AIG project — four 40-story towers?) will be dropping a whole lot of first-class office space onto the same few blocks of the Yeoido market in a short period of time. It will be interesting to see what that does to the Class-B and Class-C rents on Yeoido, and whether they are able to pull some finance-related companies away from Kwanghwamun and Teheran-no. I think they will definitely be successful, because the modern economy demands more flexibility than older Korean buildings (even those built up to 1998) are able to deliver — like more than one electrical outlet, and phone wiring that isn’t cast into the concrete floor.
Sperwer — Only one of the Petronas Towers was built by Samsung Engineering. The other was put up by a Japanese construction company. And don’t forget, the construction company is not responsible for the design — that’s the architect Cesar Pelli’s job. I know it’s fun to bash the Koreans, but in the case of Petronas you’re off target.
Reinforced-concrete is a lot stiffer than steel-frame construction. I don’t imagine that the Petronas Towers sway much at all. And the Klang Valley is not seismically active so earthquake seems a far-fetched risk anyway.
It may very well be that concrete rebar is better then steel construction in certain situations. As I remember, the World Trade Centers were in all steel frame and when the fire got hot enough, it stressed the steel frame where it fell apart. Concrete rebar may have given people exiting more time.
With the proper management and funding I think Korean civil engineering can be world class. The unfortunate failures of Songsu and Sampoong was largely due to corruption and negligence at the top, not bad engineering.
Okay, correction. I mean it was bad engineering DUE to corruption and negligence at the top.
#75 Brendon,
Agreed, however the plan is to phase completion of the towers so they won’t drop on the market simultaneously.
If you’re interested in the plans, artists impressions etc. go to http://www.ifcseoul.com
Tower 1 is 32 storey & 186m high
Tower 2 is 29 storey & 176m high
Tower 3 is 55 storey & 279m high
Hotel is 38 storey & 199m high
In addition there is the IFC Mall - Mixed Leisure, Shopping, Cinema etc at B1, B2 & B3
and fourlevel of Parking etc at levels B4-B7 and an underground connection to the subway at Yeouido Station.
WangKon,
True, Songsu and Sampoong not shining examples, but they were some time ago, and it was these incidents which prompted new regulations in korean construction. For example it is now law in korea for a Construction Supervisor to be appointed who is legally liable for ensuring designs are followed by the Contractors and safety maintained.
How well they do this is up for debate, however the situation is clearly much improved over the time of Songsu and Sampoong.
@73 Interesting implication there. I wonder who else you are smarter than, and hope you comment here more often so we can learn from You.