Korea Development Bank Headquarters
Seoul, Korea
DMJM

This project derives its united presence from its many components

© Timothy Hursley

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The Korea Development Bank headquarters is located on a prominent site at the edge of a large public park (Yeouido Park) and along the thoroughfare leading to Korea’s most important government edifice, the National Assembly Building. Several elements combine to form the complex: the Ellipse (public banking hall), the Trapezoid (specialized office functions and meeting areas), the Bar (office areas), the Roof (executive offices), and the Atrium (a void formed by the composition of the other elements).

The Ellipse anchors the street corner. Sitting amid a pool of water, it recalls important and traditional Korean temple and landscape design. Its placement puts the bank’s public agenda at the forefront.

The glass Trapezoid contains office space and an oculus and is designed to complement its relationship to the park. The Trapezoid, like the Ellipse, is a floating object in the overall composition and as such, promotes interaction between the building and the surrounding park by allowing light and views to penetrate the interior.

The Bar defines the north edge of the project and addresses the density of the city rather than the openness of the park. It provides an efficient and flexible interior area for the majority of the bank’s typical, open-office workspace.

More than a "cap" to the composition, the Roof contains the executive floor and provides an effective sunshade for the interior Atrium below. It is a cantilevered volume supported on one column that rises up through the Ellipse building. The cantilevered plane is made up of a series of trusses that span from the Bar to the Trapezoid and cantilever toward Yeouido Park.

In designing this headquarters, the architect hoped to support the project’s context and to create a bridge between density and void, government and private sectors.

Formal name of Project:
Korea Development Bank Headquarters

Location:
Seoul, Korea

Gross square footage:
1,000,000 sq ft

Owner:
Korea Development Bank

Architect:
DMJM
515 South Flower, 8th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
213/593-8100
213/593-8604