Scandinavians draw Seoul's skyline (a BIG project)

The Danish practice BIG has just won the commission for a residential complex in Seoul, the "Cross # Towers". It will rise in the district masterplanned by Daniel Libeskind, just a few metres from MVRDV's Cloud, a scheme that caused a stir across the Atlantic, where many saw in it the Twin Towers with their plume of smoke. Bjarke Ingels's practice won the competition against 19 teams, among them MVRDV once again and the French architect Dominique Perrault.

The scheme is made up of two towers linked by two seven-storey bridges, at heights of 70 and 140 metres. One tower is 214 metres tall with 52 storeys, the other 204 metres with 48 storeys. The whole totals 96,534 m². The terraces on the two bridges are treated as private gardens for the residents, and will also offer prime views over the district. The complex targets the same clientele as its neighbour and will comprise 627 apartments, an exhibition space, a library and a nursery.

BIG's founder, Bjarke Ingels, says: “The Cross # Towers constitute a three-dimensional urban community of interlocking horizontal and vertical towers. Three public bridges connect two slender towers at different levels – underground, at the street and in the sky. Catering to the demands and desires of different residents, age groups and cultures the bridges are landscaped and equipped for a variety of activities traditionally restricted to the ground. The resultant volume forms a distinct figure on the new skyline of Seoul – a “#” that serves as a gateway to the new Yongsan Business District signaling a radical departure from the crude repetition of disconnected towers towards a new urban community that populates the three-dimensional space of the city.”

Thomas Christoffersen, associate partner, goes on: “The typical tower inherently removes life from the city it occupies. Circulation is linear and social interactions occur only in lobbies or awkward elevator rides. We propose a building that triples the amount of ground floor – triples the amount of social interaction and reintroduces the idea of neighborhood within the tower complex.”

In this district taking shape at breakneck speed, colonised by towers each taller than the last, every architect responds with a technical flourish designed to impress the jury. The concerns here are a long way from those of European clients, for whom environmental awareness runs high; here arrogance and provocation reign, and height alone is no longer enough. I am not convinced that this skyline will be as bright as the renderings claim, whether in its structures or in its quality of life.