Lotte World Tower

There has been a major upheaval in the list of the world’s top ten tallest buildings in 2017 – and it all points down to this 555-meter skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea.

Lotte World Tower is a 123-storey tower that contains a variety of program types, which include office floors, retail spaces, a 7-star luxury hotel, and an “officetel.” Commonly seen in South Korea, officetels are studio-style apartments for stay-in employees, showcasing hotel-like services such as front desk services, standard furnishings, and gym access.

With its never-before-seen height in South Korea, the building immediately joins the ranks of the world’s tallest buildings – steadily ranking at 5th place. However, its fair distance to other tall buildings encouraged the designers to go further beyond its goal of creating an enduring skyline icon, but also to provide a cultural symbol and well-integrated project within the urban grain.

In this regard, Lotte World Tower with its elegantly tapering form draws inspiration from the traditional art of Korean porcelain, ceramics, and calligraphy. Its sleek, modern aesthetic perfectly contrasts with the city’s mountainous topography – further highlighted by silver-insulated glass and filigrees of white lacquered metal, mimicking Korean artistry.

Aside from its height, the top ten storeys of Lotte World Tower also boast record-breaking components that transformed it into a well-beloved destination for both tourists and locals. At 500 meters high, it is home to the world’s highest glass-bottomed observation deck. Other record-breaking features include the world’s highest swimming pool at its 85th floor and the world’s fastest elevator with a one-minute travel time from bottom to top.

Given its towering height and record-breaking amenities, Lotte World Tower also hosts state-of-the-art structural and sustainable features that earned multiple certifications and awards. Its structural system is a combination of gravity-resistant and lateral force resistance systems, the former comprising of eight mega columns, core walls, and a deck slab structure with steel beams.

Instead of using traditional air-conditioning, the tower utilizes a displacement air and a radiant floor heating/cooling system. Outside air units are also equipped with energy recovery wheels that collect exhaust air.

To support the power needs of the facility, it involves a range of renewable sources such as photovoltaics, geothermal, and wind spire turbines – the entirety of its power usage controlled and monitored by a SCADA system.

As the world becomes increasingly denser and buildings continue to soar, the human experience shall remain at the forefront of architecture and design. Lotte World Tower as both a product and instigator of an urban paradigm shift defies traditions that surround the urban environment, even as it stands as one of the tallest in the world.