Zaha hadid spaceship lands in seol

Photo: CNN

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, commissioned by the South Korean city's government, will be open 24 hours a day, continuing the area's reputation for round-the-clock culture. Indeed, shops in the trendy Dongdaemun district are regularly open until 5am.

The curvaceous structure is, inevitably, designed by Zaha Hadid. The Iraqi-British designer's undulating architecture has graced cities around the world, including Tokyo's World Cup stadium and the London 2012 Olympics swimming pool.

The latest futuristic building is most reminiscent of a spaceship, and cost $451 million to build. Construction work began on the 85,000-square-metre edifice back in 2007 and was finished last year. It will open to public on 21st March 2014.

The DDP replaces an old stadium which stuck out like a Sore thumb in an increasingly cool neighbourhood full of active shoppers. It will host concerts, conventions and other events throughout the calendar year, beginning with the 2014 Seoul Fashion Week at the end of March 2014.

The new building and its adjacent park replace an outdated stadium that had long been an eyesore in an increasingly trendy neighborhood.

Admission to exhibitions contained within the building will be free until 1st April, when a fee of â‚©8,000 ($7) will be introduced.