Lotte World Tower
Lotte World Tower is a 123-floor, 555.7-metre (1,823 ft) skyscraper located in Seoul, South Korea. It opened to the public on April 11, 2017 and is currently the tallest building in South Korea, and is the 6th tallest building in the world. After 13 years of planning and site preparation, the tower gained final approval to start construction by the government in November 2010 and the first groundbreaking activities of piling and frame assembly were observed at the construction site in March. On April 2, 2017, Lotte shot off fireworks to celebrate its official opening. On Jan 1, 2018, Lotte shot off fireworks with LED laser show for 7 minutes to celebrate New Year's Day and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Design
In 1989, the first design was made and there was a plan. Design changed again in 1994, 1995 and 1997. The design that came out of the second Lotte World in 2002 was similar to that of France, which literally copied the Eiffel Tower. Following the revision of the bird's eye view from 2004 to 2006, the bird's eye view was changed seven times in 2008 and the design was changed in 2009 and the Lotte World Tower began to break ground.
The Shard of England is said to be similar in design. The Shard, the design of renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, was launched in 2008 and completed in 2012 and opened in 2013. Its interior and elevator atmosphere are similar. In addition, space externally on the roof tower is similar.
Characteristics
Lotte World Tower is a landmark in Seoul. It is the first 100-story building in Korea. As of its completion, it was the second-highest tower in the world, following the Shanghai Tower (located 546 meters high and 118 stories) in Shanghai, China, and the highest in the OECD countries. The conceptual design calls for a slender cone with convex, gently curved sides. An exterior of pale-coloured glass draws inspiration from Korean ceramics and features accents of metal filigree.
About the Architect
James von Klemperer is a New York-based American architect. He is president of the architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). He is known for his contributions to the designs of new cities, urban mixed-use clusters, and super tall buildings, including the Lotte World Tower, currently the world's fifth tallest building, and One Vanderbilt, currently under construction next to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. He also played a primary role in establishing KPF's practice in Asia in the early 1990s.
In his 35-year career, von Klemperer has designed buildings in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He trained at KPF under the firm's founders, Bill Pedersen and Gene Kohn, and senior Principal Bill Louie.
In the area of city planning, he led the design of New Songdo City in Korea, Meixi Lake in the Hunan province of China, and the Boston Seaport. Songdo is a 1,500 acre mixed-use community that received the first Green City award from the Urban Land Institute in 2004.
One of the building types on which von Klemperer as focused, and for which KPF is best known, is the mixed-use, high rise urban cluster. Examples include Jing An Kerry Centre, which was recognized by ULI in 2015 with its Global Award for Excellence, and Plaza 66 in Shanghai, KPF's first major China project, which he undertook in partnership with Princeton classmate and fellow KPF Principal Paul Katz.