Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, abbreviated as DDP, is a major urban development landmark in Seoul, South Korea designed by Zaha Hadid and Samoo, with a distinctively neofuturistic design characterized by the "powerful, curving forms of elongated structures". The landmark is the centerpiece of South Korea's fashion hub and popular tourist destination, Dongdaemun, featuring a walkable park on its roofs, large global exhibition spaces, futuristic retail stores and restored parts of the Seoul fortress.

The DDP has been one of the main reasons for Seoul's designation as World Design Capital in 2010. Construction started in 2009 and it was officially inaugurated on March 21, 2014.

The DDP has 3 underground levels and 4 above-ground levels, and the main building is 280 meters long. The building is equipped with diverse public spaces including exhibition hall, conference hall, design museum, the design lab, the academy hall, media center, seminar room, Dongdaemun History and Culture Park, the designer's lounge, and the design market. Diversity of spaces allows the DDP to provide the widest range of events spaces possible to help to bring fresh vigor and cultural vitality in the city.

The art hall works as a launching platform for the Korean creative and cultural industry and operates as a key space for conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, fashion shows, concerts, and performances. The museum hall consists of five sections and allows many artists to engage in the design industry and exchange their ideas. The design playground, Design Dulle-gil (trail), the design museum, the design exhibition hall, and the design rest area are located inside the museum hall.

The design lab operates as an incubator for budding product designers from the inside and outside of the country. The design market is a multipurpose space for cultural event and shopping, and it opens 24 hours a day to provide a public space for visitors and residents of Dongdaemun Market, the town that never sleeps.

In addition, the DDP has parking areas, dispensaries, a feeding room, a coatroom, a cafe, and other facilities and they are operated and managed by the Seoul Design Foundation of the city of Seoul.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on Map

Sight Name: Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
Sight Location: Seoul, South Korea (See walking tours in Seoul)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

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