Seoul Forest Tower

Our strategic guidelines help shaped the tower’s architectural identity, informing its emphasis on wellbeing, daylight, flexibility and the integration of nature throughout the workplace environment. The project reflects a broader shift within the Korean office market, moving beyond the value of floorspace alone towards a greater focus on the quality of space, user experience and long-term wellbeing as defining measures of value.

Positioned at a prominent junction in Seong Su, the development brings together premium workplace and flagship retail within one of Seoul’s most creative and rapidly evolving neighbourhoods. Known for its culture of experimentation, independent retail and adaptive reuse, Seong Su provides the context for a building designed to support interaction, openness and community. At the centre of the tower is an 18 metre-high social hub aligned with the height of the neighbouring railway, creating a dramatic light-filled volume that acts as a shared gathering space for tenants and visitors. This central space encourages collaboration, informal exchange and social activity across the building’s diverse community of users.

The architecture reinforces the district’s evolving identity while responding directly to the surrounding urban fabric. A glass block base creates a permeable and welcoming ground plane that softens the relationship to the street and helps buffer sound from the elevated rail line. Above, bronze and copper tones reinterpret Seong Su’s characteristic red-brick architecture through a contemporary material language that reflects the area’s industrial heritage.

Views towards Seoul Forest and the Han River connect the tower to its wider landscape setting. Terraces, planting and integrated greenery introduce a miniature “Seoul Forest” into the building, while rooftop photovoltaic panels support Seoul’s evolving sustainability ambitions and establish a forward-looking model for future workplace developments in the city.