Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), which stands for Dream, Design, and Play, is a complex cultural space located in Dongdaemun, Seoul. Since its opening on March 21, 2014, it has hosted major exhibitions, fashion shows, new product launches, forums, and conferences. It is divided into the Notification Hall, Learning Hall, Living Hall, DDP Design Museum, Design Market and Harmony Plaza, and Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. The Notification Hall has hosted Seoul Fashion Week, MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards), Van Cleef & Arpels exhibitions, and BMW new car launch events, and is equipped with international conference facilities that serve as multipurpose banquet spaces. From the Learning Hall, which hosted BTS themed exhibitions and the Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale, to the Living Hall—which encompasses the citizen lounge 'D-Forest' opened in 2019 with the theme of everyone becoming a designer, and the DDP Design Store showcasing DDP-related merchandise—the facilities match their scale with substantial content that heightens visitors' interest. The Design Market, featuring restaurants, a bakery, and cafes, is also a walking course that will more than satisfy families or couples seeking emotional refreshment. There is a reason why photographs of DDP's night views flood social media. Architect Zaha Hadid, in designing Dongdaemun Design Plaza, stated: "I focused on the dynamism of Dongdaemun, which changes ceaselessly from early dawn until nightfall, and created a space where natural and artificial elements seamlessly connect through a distinctive architectural language of curves, curved surfaces, diagonals, and slanted planes." When the lighting turns on at dusk and one's attention concentrates entirely on the structure, the true power of the dynamism conveyed by the curves is revealed. The best vantage point for night photography is the entrance to Harmony Plaza, where one can capture the grandeur of the interior and the mysterious atmosphere created by the building's materials. The area in front of the Living Hall door that divides the Notification Hall and Learning Hall is where the brilliant curves and lighting of both interior and exterior reach their peak.