Cheongna City Tower

Open international design competition for a 450 meter tall observation tower in Cheongna, Incheon, South Korea.

The design of the tower is inspired by hyperbolic geometry, elegant mathematical forms, and the dynamic yet infinitely balanced taegeuk. The result is an iconic sculptural form that is reminiscent of natural phenomenon. The lattice tower design removes the central core which is archetypical of tall observation towers and replaces it with a lightweight and transparent structure. Within the vast vertical interior space two spheroid volumes that contain the observation platform and educational / entertainment program are suspended in the void creating a tower that is both introvert and extrovert.

The Cheongna City Tower is to be a dramatic statement of design quality and technological innovation whilst also being of a form which is economic and practicable to build. We have attempted to create a dynamic tower proposal that will add an unique iconic element to the IFEZ Cheongna Central Lake Park development. This tower will surely become a symbol of economic growth in South Korea, a national landmark, and an international tourism destination.

We believe that our solution is unique to observation towers in that the tower functions are contained in volumes suspended on the inside of the structure, creating an opportunity for dramatic views both outside of, and inside the tower itself. In addition to high-speed inclined elevators on the tower interior we have also proposed a one-of-a-kind external panorama ride that would lift visitors to the top of the observation tower while slowly spiralling through 450 degrees of views.

This project has been designed to give an end result that is both sculptural, exciting, practical, and with economical use of material. Sculptural design sketches have been translated into circular and elliptical hyperboloids of revolution. These forms extend upwards to create a tower where the plan of the building is dynamic and changing in perfect balance about an invisible central point.