Day Nine: Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Today our group went to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a world-renowned building designed by a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Zara Hadid. The famous building was opened in 2014, replacing the Dongdaemun baseball stadium. It is the third largest atypical structure in the world, and as previously stated, was designed the first female to win the Pritzker Prize. When first viewing the DDP, I immediately noticed that most of the area, including the building, was mainly impervious cover. I was curious to see how and if this building and its surrounding area provided water runoff and stormwater mitigation actions. I was also curious to see how efficient the infrastructure was regarding energy consumption and cooling since most of the building was covered in over 45,000 panels of aluminum (a metal that easily attracts heat) with no windows.

During our group's tour, I was surprised to learn of the environmental efforts the DDP took to become more sustainable and resilient. For one, there are holes strategically designed on the aluminum panels that allow the sun to enter the building since there is glass beneath the aluminum panels. In addition, amidst the silver aluminum panels reside darker-colored panels (435 to be exact). These darker-colored panels are solar panels that blend with the other panels and aid in converting the sun's light into energy for the building. When walking through the DDP, it was noted that air vents were intentionally placed on the floor as well as the ceiling of the building which aids in the reduction of energy consumption and provides more efficient cooling and heating within the building. Our group also toured parts of the outside of the DDP and saw some green spaces to aid in water runoff mitigation. In addition, the DDP planted sedum plants that cover 40% of the roof of the DDP. Sedum plants were specifically chosen due to their thick leaves, which are extremely useful in water absorption and aid in overall flooding mitigation.

The DDP also collects water runoff and uses it for landscaping and facilities within the building. After touring the DDP, I was shocked to learn about the steps the DDP took to become more sustainable and resilient. I was a little concerned at first when viewing the building, but I am impressed to see the efforts taken by the DDP.

Below is a photo showing a model of the DDP.

Below is a photo of my peers and I sitting and enjoying one of the green spaces on the rooftop of the DDP.