Two Office and Accommodation Buildings, Retail Facilities, and Public Office Development
Securing a View Corridor from the North Side of Seoul Station to Namsan
Preserving Hilton Lobby and Connecting to Open Green Space
Two buildings for office and hotel, along with retail facilities and a public office, will be constructed on the site of the Seoul Hilton Hotel. The Hilton Hotel lobby, which has a 40-year history, will be preserved and connected to an open green space extending from Namsan, as well as to the low-rise retail facilities.
On the 3rd, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the 'Yangdong 4-2 and 7 District Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment Project' was approved at the 3rd Integrated Maintenance Project Deliberation Committee.
The Yangdong 4-2 and 7 District Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment Project (located at 395 Namdaemun-ro 5-ga, Jung-gu) is a project to build one office building, one lodging facility, retail facilities, and a public office on the site of the Hilton Hotel located between Seoul Station and Namsan.
Previously, to preserve the view of Namsan, Seoul City lowered the building height of the architectural plan, which had been spread like a barrier, by about 7 meters and rearranged the layout so that Namsan is visible from Seoul Station Plaza. The building height for the office, lodging, and retail facilities is 142.9 meters, with a floor area ratio of 1056.84% and a building coverage ratio of 47.02%.
Considering the Hanyangdoseong Fortress located to the east of the project site, the high-rise sections are positioned at a certain distance from the fortress walls. The plan secures a scenic axis extending from the north side of Seoul Station through Namdaemun Church to Namsan.
A large-scale open green space and resting area will be secured to create an urban green axis extending from Namsan. The preserved Hilton lobby will be connected to the open green space and the low-rise retail facilities. Seoul City explained, "It will provide citizens and visitors to Seoul with various experiences along with views of Namsan."
The Integrated Deliberation Committee suggested improvements such as enhancing the public nature of the open green space and ensuring a faithful preservation plan for the Hilton Hotel lobby. The Hilton Hotel lobby (atrium) is a symbol of Hilton, featuring a high ceiling on the upper floors, columns, stairs, and marble finishes. It was designed by Kim Jong-seong, a first-generation Korean architect.
Seoul City explained, "Considering the location characteristics close to Seoul Station and Namsan, lodging facilities and a public office (tentatively named Tourism Plaza) are planned, and escalators within the district will improve accessibility to Namsan, enabling the area around Seoul Station to be used as a tourism hub facility."
The Hilton Hotel, a five-star hotel completed in 1983, was operated by Daewoo Development but was sold to Singaporean company CDL after experiencing the IMF crisis. Due to deteriorating profitability caused by COVID-19 and other factors, it was sold to Aegis Asset Management in February 2022 and ceased operations at the end of that year. Aegis Asset Management plans to develop a complex consisting of office, lodging, and retail facilities.
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