20 Jul 2016
MVRDV design gold-tinged Paradise City entertainment zone for South Korea's Winter Olympics
BY Kim Megson
MVRDV have revealed their design for Paradise City; a 9,800sq m (105,500sq ft) entertainment plaza in Seoul, South Korea.
Located close to Incheon Airport, the complex will feature a boutique hotel, food-court, galleries, a spa, retail space and a nightclub. It will open in time for the 2018 Winter Olympic games, and will act as a tourist hotspot for visitors to the city – with a mono-rail link connecting it directly with the airport.
Local studio Gansam Architects have designed the wider masterplan for the complex, while MVRDV have created two buildings – called the Sandbox and Nightclub – which will house the bulk of the amenities.
The windowless structures have been described by MVRDV as “fluid but monolithic,” with the flowing façades designed to emulate “draping curtains” that entice visitors inside.
The buildings share an architectural language with the surrounding urban landscape, with concrete castings that reflect the exteriors from the surrounding structures.
A golden spot floats over the Nightclub building and the plaza in front, creating “a blast of light before the contrasting dark interior.” MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas described this feature as “a sunbeam that makes its presence known even from the air and the landing planes at Incheon airport.”
Glass flooring inside the buildings will reveal the inner-workings of the site, including the underground service areas and car park.
Construction is expected to begin in September 2016.
An interview with MVRDV founders Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries and Winy Maas – in which they discuss their architectural philosophy and drive “to do things differently” – features in the newly released issue of CLADmag.
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