Set along the edge of Hangang Park overlooking the flowing Han River, Heatherwick Studio has revealed a bold new vision for the transformation of the Daegyo Apartments in Yeouido. The redevelopment reimagines the 1975 complex of 576 homes as a redefined, vibrant residential community of nearly 900 contemporary residences. The envisioned architecture does not merely replace the past but reshapes it by introducing sculptural forms and renewed connections to nature, light, and riverfront life, offering a fresh chapter for this historic Seoul neighborhood.
The Daegyo Apartments mark it as the first major residential project in South Korea by bringing an ambitious new vision to Seoul’s housing landscape. The architecture unfolds as four expressive buildings shaped by nature’s rhythms, which gently mirror the mountain silhouettes framing Seoul. At its heart, the design consists of a sky garden and an expansive ground-level plaza, creating space not only for residents but also for the community to gather and connect. From children’s play areas and sports facilities to dedicated welfare spaces for older residents, the redevelopment is designed as a living neighborhood blending architecture, landscape, and everyday life into a cohesive community.
In the reimagining of the Daegyo Apartments in Yeouido, Heatherwick Studio blurs the line between building and landscape. Stepped gardens climb skyward, sheltered walkways weave through the site, and sunken courtyards offer quiet pockets of pause and discovery. Portions of the ground plane gently lift to buffer the development from surrounding traffic, creating a calmer, more protected environment within.
More than redeveloping the structure, the proposal aims to rewrite the story of apartment living, replacing repetition and anonymity with homes shaped by character, shared spaces, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Thomas Heatherwick and Stuart Wood presented the first glimpses of the vision to the Residents’ Union; the intent was to create a place that feels human at every scale. Inspired by nature’s contours, the buildings rise with gently undulating rooflines that mirror the mountain silhouettes embracing Seoul, grounding the development in its landscape and giving it a distinct and welcoming identity.
Ms. Heesun Chung, Chairperson of the Yeouido Daegyo Apartment Redevelopment Association, says, “We’re excited about how this will improve the daily lives of residents. It reflects the contributions of more than 600 union members, and the design unveiled today is the result of all that collaborative effort.”
Daegyo Apartments Details
Project name: Daegyo Apartments
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Architect: Heatherwick Studio
Year: 2025 – 2026
Photography: Images – Devisual
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