Hanwha Headquarters with Building Exterior Covered in Solar Panels Selected as Excellent Architecture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Hanwha Group's headquarters building located on Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, was announced by Hanwha on the 14th to have won the Grand Prize in the Renovation category at the '2021 Tall + Urban Innovation' conference hosted by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Among the 29 category grand prizes selected by CTBUH this year, Hanwha Building is the only domestic architectural structure to receive the award. The judges highlighted the building's eco-friendly design incorporating solar panels. The remodeled Hanwha Building received high scores in evaluations of innovation, efficiency, and sustainability aspects including environment, human factors, and community.

Founded in the United States in 1969, CTBUH is the world's leading international organization on tall buildings and urban architecture. Global companies in the architecture field participate as members, and the organization holds conferences annually in major cities worldwide to select and announce outstanding architectural works. This year, due to COVID-19, the conference was held online over three days starting from the 18th of last month.

Constructed in 1987, Hanwha Group's headquarters underwent a 45-month remodeling from March 2016 to November 2019, reborn as an eco-friendly building utilizing solar power. The building-integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV) installed on the south and east facades, along with solar panels (PV) on the rooftop, produce approximately 300 KWh of electricity daily. The office lighting power used by Hanwha employees is replaced by solar power generation. Hanwha Q CELLS' solar power technology was applied in this project.

After remodeling, Hanwha Building transformed into an eco-friendly green building by obtaining the highest green building certification and Level 1 building energy efficiency rating. The building's safety was also secured through seismic reinforcement (Seismic Safety Facility Level 1).

At night, the exterior walls are illuminated with colorful lighting divided into pixel units, expressing nature, data processing, and energy flow, providing a unique visual experience to those passing by Cheonggyecheon.

Consideration was also given to communication with the local community and citizens. The ground parking lot was relocated underground, and a citizen rest area incorporating media content was created, including a media pavilion and a stepped performance hall suitable for various events.

The remodeling design of Hanwha Building was a collaborative effort between the Dutch architectural group UNStudio and Korea's leading architectural firm Gansam Architects.