'Year-End Submission' Plan Not Met
Design Revisions Underway, No Alternative for Tallest Floor Found
Change of GBC President Also Affects
Hyundai Motor Group's new design plan for the 'Global Business Complex (GBC)' in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, will be delayed beyond this year. The plan to finalize a new design within the year was postponed again due to conflicts with the Seoul city government over the maximum number of floors for the GBC. With no progress in negotiations with the city this year, construction is expected to be further delayed.
A bird's-eye view of the two 55-story towers of the 'Global Business Complex' (GBC) unveiled by Hyundai Motor Group last May. Photo by Hyundai Motor Group, Yonhap News Agency
According to the city and others on the 31st, Hyundai Motor recently informed the city that it would be difficult to submit a new GBC design plan this year. The plan will be disclosed only next year.
The delay in submitting the design proposal is expected to cause delays in the project and negotiations. Hyundai Motor stated that the design is still being refined. A Hyundai Motor official said, "We are still working on the design based on the recently revealed (55-floor) perspective drawing," adding, "At this point, we cannot specify a completion date." The GBC design is being handled by the famous British architect Norman Foster.
There are observations that Hyundai Motor has not found an alternative to resolve the controversy over the maximum number of floors for the GBC. In July, Hyundai Motor withdrew the 'GBC 55-floor construction plan' and announced that it would propose a new design plan within the year. Earlier, in February, they submitted a design change plan to reduce the GBC from one 105-floor tower to two 55-floor towers.
Industry insiders believe that the newly revealed design plan will not include a 'super-tall GBC.' Hyundai Motor has already made it clear that "the 105-floor plan is not under consideration." If the GBC is built over 260 meters high, Hyundai Motor would have to bear the multi-trillion won costs expected for military radar installation and management. The height of the 55-floor GBC is 242 meters.
Recent personnel changes at Hyundai Motor also appear to have affected the delay in revealing the design plan. The GBC project head was replaced last month from Kim Geol, former head of Hyundai Motor's Planning and Coordination Office, to Jang Jae-hoon, Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman. A Hyundai Motor official said, "The organizational restructuring has been extensive, creating a very chaotic atmosphere," and added, "There are many other approval matters, so it is possible that the GBC project has been postponed."
The city's consistent position is that additional negotiations, including public contributions, are necessary if the GBC is changed from the original 105 floors to 55 floors. A city official said, "(With Hyundai Motor's withdrawal of the 55-floor design plan) the existing 105-floor plan remains valid." Regarding project delays, the official explained, "Seoul city is not in a position to urge the submission of a new design plan," and added, "Public contribution projects such as the Jamsil Main Stadium remodeling are proceeding normally." The official emphasized, "Once the design plan is submitted (at any time), we plan to start preliminary negotiations with Hyundai Motor."
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