HOK’s team joined South Korea President Park Geun-hye, LG Group chairman and executives, and hundreds of guests to unveil the design and break ground for a new 11.8 million-sf research and science campus in Seoul.
This will be the largest research complex in western Seoul and the center for LG’s next-generation research and development. Located in Seoul’s Magok District, the LG Science Park provides facilities to support innovative research and industrial prototyping.
When it is complete, employees from 10 different LG business groups will move to the landscaped urban campus. HOK designed phase one of the master plan and six of the laboratory and office buildings totaling 8 million sf.
“Based on the wide range of science accommodated and the emphasis on sustainable design, the new LG Science Park will be a unique campus in the global research community,” said Larry Malcic, HOK’s Director of Design in London. “The architecture, planning, and landscaping reflect the LG brand by being innovative and rational, elegantly simple and beautifully detailed.”
Planned around the company’s vision for highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research, LG Science Park provides flexible buildings and laboratories for virtually every type of science. HOK’s design provides high-quality facilities that will attract and retain leading research scientists from across the world. The design encourages communication and collaboration among LG’s business units.
A public greenway bisects the site from north to south, connecting the campus to a public park. The master plan also creates a new linear park running east to west through the site, forming extensive swaths of greenery and encouraging public access to the parks.
Intersecting the parks at the heart of the campus is an Integrated Support Center (ISC) housing shared campus facilities. Designed for LEED Platinum certification, the ISC features a welcome center, LG exhibition and conference spaces, sports and recreation facilities, a children’s nursery, a VIP suite, and offices.
Each LG business unit has its own main entrance and lobby. Building elevations are framed with natural stone and in-filled with glass and stainless steel panels to create a variety of facade treatments that provide views to the parks and minimize solar gain. In the lower ground level, under the linear park, a dining facility accommodating 11,000 people links buildings and shared facilities. A three-level basement provides a connecting service corridor, support spaces, a central utility plant and parking for 4,200 cars.
Sustainable design strategies for the LG Science Park include self-shading facade treatments and the use of innovative technologies, such as algae panels and footfall harvesting to generate power. Flat roof surfaces accommodate photovoltaic panels and vegetated roofs, while ground-source heat pumps provide heating and cooling.
HOK provided architecture, interior design, laboratory planning, landscape architecture, master planning and urban design services. HOK worked in association with Korean practices Gansam Architects, Chang-Jo Architecture and LG Toyo Engineering; engineering consultants WSP (structural and civil engineering); and Vanderweil Engineers (mechanical, electrical and plumbing services).
Related Stories
| Feb 24, 2022
Signs of ‘Antiwork’ appear in the architecture industry
Reddit's r/Antiwork forum highlights the mounting pressures everyday workers face in a purely capitalistic society. AEC industry professionals are not immune to these pressures.
Office Buildings | Feb 23, 2022
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building tops out
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building, topped out on Feb. 10, 2022.
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022
More bad news on sea level rise for U.S. coastal areas
A new government report predicts sea levels in the U.S. of 10 to 12 inches higher by 2050, with some major cities on the East and Gulf coasts experiencing damaging floods even on sunny days.
Wood | Feb 18, 2022
$2 million mass timber design competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon (entries due March 30!)
To promote construction of tall mass timber buildings in the U.S., the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service (USDA) have joined forces on a competition to showcase mass timber’s application, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution.
University Buildings | Feb 18, 2022
On-campus performing arts centers and museums can be talent magnets for universities
Cultural facilities are changing the way prospective students and parents view higher education campuses.
University Buildings | Feb 17, 2022
A vacated school in St. Louis is turned into a center where suppliers exchange ideas
In 1871, The Carondelet School, designed by Frederick William Raeder, opened to educate more than 400 children of laborers and manufacturers in St. Louis. The building is getting a second lease on life, as it has undergone a $2 million renovation by goBRANDgo!, a marketing firm for the manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Feb 17, 2022
Metal roofing trends
New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.
Data Centers | Feb 15, 2022
Data center boom: How two AEC firms plan to meet unprecedented demand for data center facilities
Ramboll's Jim Fox and EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Rick Einhorn discuss the recent joining of their companies at a time of unprecedented data center demand. BD+C's John Caulfield leads the discussion with Fox, Ramboll's Managing Director for the Americas, and Einhorn, EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Managing Director.
Architects | Feb 15, 2022
Binkley Garcia Architecture and Goodwyn Mills Cawood join forces in Nashville
Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) is pleased to announce the acquisition of architecture and interior design firm Binkley Garcia Architecture in Nashville.
Resiliency | Feb 15, 2022
Design strategies for resilient buildings
LEO A DALY's National Director of Engineering Kim Cowman takes a building-level look at resilient design.