ddp_‘52 must-visit world attractions’

Jooyun Kim's 

Spacebranding vol.09

 

"Space should be original of 'being vanguard' not just 'better'."

<DDP Dongdaemun Design Plaza>

A place in Seoul, South Korea, was listed as one of the ‘52 must-visit places in the world’ by the New York Times in 2015. It is Dongdaemun Design Plaza DDP. Similar to the controversy caused by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, DDP faced many objections during design selection and construction. Even after the opening of the DDP, there were many negative articles about the building.

Provided by Seoul Design Foundation ⓒSeoul Design Foundation

For me, born in the 1960s, Dongdaemun Stadium is remembered as ‘Dongdaemun Skating Rink’ and as ‘Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium’ in high school. Historically, the site was renamed "Seoul Stadium" from "Byeolgi-gun Training Center" in the 1880s to "Gyeongseong Stadium" in the 1920s. The DDP was created in 2007 with the start of the International Design Competition for Nominating Invitation.

The purpose of architecture was to become a DDP as a landmark that can foster the design and creative industry as a growth engine for the urban economy and function as a global source of the design and creative industry in the depressed urban area. 

At that time, controversy began over the design-winning design of a world-famous female architect named Zaha Hadid. First of all, an architecture that has nothing to do with history. Second, it was reminiscent of a spacecraft that aliens came in. 

The DDP produced many controversies from the architectural design contest to the world's attention, the desire of Korean architects, and political understanding. Eventually, the DDP was completed in 2014 and after its opening, the DDP became a place loved and admired by not only Seoulites but also people all over the world.

<The power of space_"The equivalent of visitors to the Leuvre Museum in a year">

International designers who are friends with me visit Seoul's DDP even when they have work outside of Seoul or transfer flights from Incheon. The international power is created by a single architectural space.

According to the Seoul Design Foundation, within one year of its opening, the number of visitors equivalent to one year at the Leuvre Museum in Paris has come. With the opening of DDP, the number of subway passengers at Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station has significantly increased compared to 2013, and the surrounding commercial facilities have been activated. It is the positive power of a space that gives new experiences.

The DDP space is currently being used the most as an exhibition hall and conference hall for citizens, and there is a question as to whether the architecture is functionally suitable for the needs. When Zaha Hadid was designing, I was on a design consultant committee. Hadid had been asked to propose an exhibition system suitable for organic spaces with curves and sloping walls.

Provided by Seoul Design Foundation ⓒChung Chuha

Unfortunately, a design that reflected the request in the detailed design was not submitted. Perhaps it was because the Seoul Metropolitan Government had not decided how to use the DDP building in the changing political situation at the time. Clearly, it is a space that is inherently problematic in function.

<The positive experience value of DDP architecture>

Nevertheless, I see DDP architecture very positively. The positive reason is that first, citizens experience a new sense of space. An organic architectural space was created for the first time in Korea. Children who experience the feeling of the new space and remember it in their brains will be able to have creative ideas that are different from those of the older generation.

Provided by Seoul Design Foundation ⓒSeoul Design Foundation

In this era when creativity becomes competitive between cities and countries, I think the experience of DDP space for new generations has a great meaning in the future of Korea. The functional problems of DDP are more than offset by the value of this influence towards the future.

Provided by Seoul Design Foundation ⓒSeoul Design Foundation

Is it possible to have the 'experiential future value' that DDP can give to children now by spending the cost of building DDP in the Korean regular curriculum? It is time for a country or city or business to have the wisdom to read and think the code of value inherent in space. 

Second, the positive reason for DDP is that Seoul is being branded as a city with international competitiveness through a new space. The fact that it was designed by Zaha Hadid alone is a must-visit place for people who are related to design around the world or who are interested in design, as mentioned in the New York Times article earlier.

<The reason for 'Chanel Cruise Fashion Show Seoul' is 'Zaha Hadid's architecture', and the beneficiary is 'Seoul City'>

After the establishment of DDP in Seoul, the number of luxury brands holding exhibitions in Seoul has increased rapidly. Among them, a fashion show event for Chanel's "Chanel Cruise Collection" was held in Seoul in 2015. "Cruise Collection" refers to lightweight clothes that wealthy customers wear on a cruise to warm places like the Mediterranean Sea in winter, and these days, it means a fashion show for "customers who buy autumn clothes and are about to go on vacation."1)

The reason why the Chanel fashion show was called an event was that it was the first fashion show held by Chanel in Korea and the second fashion show in Asia after Singapore. Seoul has been selected as the second special fashion show host city for Chanel in Asia, overtook Tokyo, Beijing, or Shanghai.

A Chanel official told me the background of Seoul's selection, and Chanel's Seoul fashion show was a very simple answer, "Because Seoul has Zaha Hadid's architecture, DDP." That's why Chanel chose Seoul for a one-day event that costs more than 10 billion won.

'CHANEL CRUISE IN SEOUL' from http://luxury.designhouse.co.kr/in_magazine

It is believed that fashion shows held in the space of architects with international reputations have ripple and synergy. Chanel's decision on the venue for the Asian tour was made because of the DDP, but Seoul gained international attention due to the hosting of the DDP by Chanel Cruise. The city of Seoul and DDP were promoted through SNS and YouTube of people who are involved in fashion around the world, as well as reports and promotional materials produced by Chanel.

The fact that there is a building called DDP, Seoul does not spend any money, and it has been promoted while receiving rental fees. In particular, Chanel reflected the cultural background and context of the venue in the cruise fashion show outfits, which also boosted the image of the Korean nation.

<Public Architecture 'being vanguard' Planning its impact and intangible cyclical value.>

The lesson we can learn from this is that when a country or city builds public facilities, it must check and plan the intangible circulation value that will be created after the construction is completed. In budgeting, the cost should not be simply the cost of building.

ⓒSeoul Design Foundation

It is necessary to plan and operate the intangible cyclical value that will appear after the construction is completed, and to account for the budget that includes the cost of expanding the value. Only then will the ripple effect and utility value of public architecture increase in terms of national or city competitiveness.

If the Seoul Metropolitan Government had carried out the DDP project from the perspective of space branding, despite this positive impact, there is one regret in the selection process of DDP design. The regret is that Zaha Hadid's organic design is not the only architecture as a DDP in Seoul.

There are Hadid's buildings similar to DDP all over the world. If Hadid's architectural design was not the only one, how would it have been if there was a distinction that DDP was the first organic design designed by Hadid? It's a shame about 'being vanguard'.

If the building that immediately comes to mind when you think of Zaha Hadid is DDP, then the decision at the time would have been the best strategic choice. Architecture or space design for space branding should be ‘being vanguard’ with differentiation. Anyone can see that you need to have a "being vanguard" image to "preoccupy" the image and increase the propagation power or ripple effect of the space.

Space should be original of 'being vanguard' not just 'better'. For leading differentiation, the focus should be on 'what to not do' rather than 'how to do'.3) That's a way to avoid trending to follow.

<5 Summaries>

"Space should be original of 'being vanguard' not just 'better'."

"The reason for the 'Chanel Cruise Collection's Fashion Show in Seoul is the DDP Architecture."

"Public architecture should be planned along with the intangible value after completion."

"Public architecture must be determined at the level of competitiveness of the national or city."

"Seoul is being branded as a competitive international city through DDP."

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruise_collection
2) Jack Trout, jack trout on strategy, McGraw-Hill Education, 2004, pp. 16
3) Jack Trout, jack trout on strategy, McGraw-Hill Education, 2004, pp. 60

Jooyun Kim

jykim@hongik.ac.kr