A central element in the redevelopment of the 1993 Expo Science Park, the mixed-use Daejeon Shinsegae Expo Tower is a landmark destination that provides a new entertainment center for the city, its rational massing responding to spectacular views and the urban context.
The podium is expressed as a series of simple volumes, which vary in opacity and transparency to clearly define different programmatic uses. At the lower levels, the department store and specialty store are separated by an arcade offering direct views out to both river and mountains. Above the retail floors, amenity spaces are housed in a floating glass box, shifted to provide a cantilevered form that shelters the entrance. A landscaped roof terrace above the podium is accessible to the public and provides a venue for events and activities. Internally, a large atrium brings natural light into the heart of the building while several terraces provide opportunities to view the river.
The tower itself is a simple prism. The varying size of its floor plates accommodate the different area requirements of its multiple uses, including office space, hotel and observation deck. The building is designed to create internal synergies between these uses. At the sixth floor, for example, a skybridge links the hotel lobby with the amenity spaces, allowing guests to access facilities without leaving the building.
