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A new mountain inspired makeover for seoul
Architecture

A New Mountain-Inspired Makeover for Seoul

Architecture

Heatherwick Studio has shared a fresh vision for the Daegyo Apartments in Yeouido, Seoul.

A modern skyline featuring four tall, architecturally unique buildings surrounded by a city landscape and mountains in the background, with greenery and a waterfront park in the foreground.

The plan would replace a 1975-era complex with four new residential towers along the Han River, shaped with soft, rolling rooflines that nod to the mountains around the city.  

A landscaped area with a pathway made of stone tiles, surrounded by lush greenery and flowering plants. People are walking, sitting, and enjoying the outdoor space near modern architectural structures.

Instead of the usual straight, repeatable high rise look, the proposal leans into curves and texture, aiming for something that feels more warm and lived-in.

A modern city skyline featuring tall, reflective buildings next to a river, with low morning fog and a curved road populated by cyclists and vehicles.

The redevelopment would grow the site from 576 homes to about 900, with design input gathered from hundreds of resident union members.  

Aerial view of a modern urban park surrounded by tall buildings, featuring pathways, trees with autumn foliage, and people walking along the paths.

At street level, the idea is to make the place calmer and more walkable. Portions of the site edge are lifted to help block traffic and create sheltered paths, plus sunken courtyards that feel like little breaks from the city.

A generous ground floor is planned to be open to residents and the public, with community facilities like play areas and welfare services woven in.  

A modern architectural space featuring large, curved columns, green landscaping, and pathways with people walking through a garden area.

More Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio on Moss and Fog

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A beautiful new soundscape for seoul
Garden

A Beautiful New Soundscape for Seoul

Garden

On the Han River, Nodeul Island is being reimagined as a cultural landscape devoted to music, art and nature. Heatherwick Studio’s new project, called Soundscape, recently broke ground and is set to open in 2028.

A modern architectural design featuring multiple structures with green rooftops, surrounded by trees and pathways. People are walking and gathering around the buildings with a scenic river and mountains in the background.

The centerpiece is a 1.25-kilometre elevated walkway that moves like a soundwave across the island. Floating platforms create lookouts, resting spots and moments of quiet above the water.

Below, the island retains its natural shoreline with soft planting, a small beach and open public paths.

A modern outdoor park scene featuring unique architectural structures resembling large petals. People of diverse backgrounds are engaged in various activities, sitting on the grass and enjoying the surroundings under a clear blue sky.

Cultural spaces are woven in rather than imposed: recording studios, a waterfront amphitheater, cafés and a K-Pop experience center become part of the terrain rather than standalone buildings.

The design encourages wandering and listening, inviting people to experience the city at a slower pace.

A panoramic view of a modern, vibrant cityscape featuring a bridge over a river, with greenery and innovative architecture in the background against a clear blue sky.

What stands out is the restraint. Instead of building a single spectacle, the project creates a place to gather, listen and breathe.

It treats public space not as a backdrop, but as something people genuinely use.

A vibrant public space featuring a large crowd gathered for an outdoor event beneath a uniquely designed, reflective roof supported by tall columns, with greenery and urban scenery in the background.

A city gives much to its river, and every so often, the river gives something back. Soundscape feels like one of those moments.

Aerial view of a modern architectural design featuring multi-level structures with lush greenery and pathways, overlooking a body of water.
A modern architectural structure with a reflective, wavy ceiling supported by large pillars. Below, people gather for a performance surrounded by greenery and decorative lanterns.
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Architecture

Heatherwick Studio Unveils Rippled Hourglass Overhaul for Seoul’s Hanwha Galleria

Architecture

Heatherwick Studio has proposed a striking renovation of the famous Hanwha Galleria shopping space in Seoul. The design calls for two symmetrically opposed twin buildings, which have a dramatic hourglass shape, with a rippling glass texture.

Topped with trees and plants, and framed by copper beams, the spaces are sure to make a big impact on the South Korean capital. We especially like the glass form, and the way it resembles flowing water. It certainly creates a dynamic new design language that we’ve not seen before.

Via Metalocus:

“Traditionally, department stores are quite inward-facing, seeming closed off to the surrounding streets. But here we have a major intersection in Apgujeong with two buildings, east and west, which seemed like an opportunity to bring people together.

Combined with Hanwha’s ambition to bring more activity into the buildings, we wanted to provide a strong overall silhouette that would create a gateway, but also offer Seoulites new garden-like spaces to gather, shop and enjoy their city.”

Neil Hubbard, Partner and Group Leader at Heatherwick Studio.

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Architecture

Heatherwick Studio Unveils Bright, Vibrant Building in Bogotá

Architecture

In the group’s first building in South America, Heatherwick Studio embraced Colombia’s love of color and craft in an expressive new building design.

With a beautifully vibrant design that features undulating columns, strategic lighting, and a plethora of plantings, the seven story building will surely become a landmark in the city when completed.

The expressive design is refreshing, especially in the era of sleek glass. It shows that intricate forms, generous use of color, and a sense of cultural tie-in can create something special.

If you even get inspiration vibes from Disney’s Encanto, you’re not alone.

The seven-story building features columns that reference ancient traditions and aesthetics that are important to Colombian culture.

“The design pays homage to the local craft traditions including Werregue basketry, a form of weaving unique to Colombia’s Wounaan indigenous community”

Set to break ground in 2025, we’re excited by architecture like this that creates new design ideas, while incorporating important cultural ideas.

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Architecture

Impressive New ‘Planted Pergola’ in Tokyo by Heatherwick Studio

Architecture

Heatherwick Studio is known for impressive architectural achievements, designing Vessel and Little Island in NYC, 1000 Trees in Shanghai, and the list goes on and on.

Another stunning project that’s underway in the Toranomon-Azabudai district of Tokyo, near the base of Japan’s tallest new building, is what the studio calls a planted pergola, a building that curves and angles as it rises.

And though it’s dwarfed by the soaring towers behind it, the attractive shape and form feels hugely distinctive, especially in such a mega-city like Tokyo. The addition of ample plants and trees help bring a sense of calm and relief in this new business district.

Set to open in 2023, it will be Heatherwick’s first project in Japan.

Read more on Dezeen:

“As a way of combining an architectural construction system with significant amounts of nature we developed the idea of a garden pergola scaled up to district size,” he continued.

“This concept has allowed us to bring an overarching logic to an eight-hectare piece of Tokyo whilst also making space for facilities such as housing, shops, hotels, spas, a school and a temple within the sections framed by the grid.”

 

-Thomas Heatherwick

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Architecture

Airo, the Smog Cleaning Electric Car Designed by an Architecture Studio

Architecture

If you think that everyone and their 2nd cousin seem to be dipping their toes into the electric car game, you wouldn’t be too far off.

From major players like Tesla and Rivian, to newcomers Lucid, Xpeng, and even failed efforts by Dyson, we see more and more groups wanting a piece of the future transportation pie.

We’ve not seen an electric car designed by an architecture firm until now, however. Heatherwick Studio, known for some iconic buildings and bridges around the world, has unveiled the Airo this week, in partnership with newly formed IM Motors in China.

To be fair, Heatherwick Studio is more design firm than architecture firm, and have experience with vehicles with the redesign of London’s classic red busses, the New Routemaster.

Even still, it’s clear that the Airo concept is unique, both from a design and operation standpoint.

With a sculpted, textured exterior and a playful, almost toy-like demeanor, it’s pretty evident this isn’t the work coming out of design shops from Ford or Volkswagen.

With airy doors that slide open on either side and an airy cabin with seats that swivel, it’s clear this vehicle is meant for autonomy.

What’s more, the car claims to be more than just a zero emissions ride. Using advanced HEPA filtration, the car aims to actively clean the air from other cars around it, almost like a vacuum.

 

“Airo isn’t simply another electric car that doesn’t pollute the air,” said Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio.”Instead, using the latest HEPA-filter technology, it goes further by also vacuuming up pollutants from other cars as it drives along.”

The car’s interior is meant to be as flexible as possible, with seats that fold down flat to create a bed, and a glass roof with privacy mode that instantly becomes opaque.

“Designed to simultaneously address the global space shortage, Airo is also a multi-functional room with extra space for dining, working, gaming or even sleeping,” said Heatherwick.

“As a new room for our lives, with a changing view, Airo is  a car intended to transport us to a cleaner and better future.”

In addition, Heatherwick has designed unique charging stations for the Airo, also full of character and decidedly different.

Set for production in 2023, we will be curious to see if IM Motors produces this car as is, or changes the design to something more generic and expected.

Regardless, it’s fascinating to see the future of transport take on so many different shapes and configurations.

Via Dezeen:

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