Lotte World Tower
Lotte World Tower (Korean: 롯데월드타워), is a 123-story, 555 m (1,821 ft) supertall skyscraper, located in Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is the sixth-tallest building in the world, the tallest in OECD countries, and also the first in South Korea to be over 100 stories tall.
Not to be confused with Busan Lotte Town Tower.
Lotte World Tower
롯데월드타워
- Two Lotte World Tower
- Lotte World Premium Tower
Lotte Jamsil Super Tower
Completed
Observation, office, hotel, residential, retail
(Sincheon-dong) 300 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
May 2009[1]
January 22, 2010
December 22, 2016
April 3, 2017
555 m (1,821 ft)
486 m (1,594 ft)
123 and 6 below ground
304,081 m2 (3,273,100 sq ft)
61
Syska Hennessy Group (MEP)[2]
Leslie E. Robertson Associates[3]
It was the fourth-tallest in the world when completed in 2016. The tower opened to the public on April 3, 2017.[4] Haeundae LCT The Sharp in Busan is the second-tallest building in the country.[5]
A "Sky Bridge Tour" is located on the roof of Lotte World Tower at 541 m (1,775 ft),[6] which is the total height of One World Trade Center in New York City, the tallest building in the United States.
Design[edit]
On March 17, 2016, before the final phase of external construction, the Diagrid lantern-shaped roof structure was completed. The roof structure was constructed with steel counterparts that are each 12 m (39 ft) and weigh 20 tons. The counterparts were made up of bent metal panels that are 6 cm (2.4 in) thick. The roof structure itself is 120 m (390 ft) high and covers floors 107–123. Approximately 3,000 tons of steel parts, a high-precision 64t tower crane and GPS alignment systems, as well as welding technicians, were used in the construction of the roof.
The roof structure is engineered to withstand its weight without reinforcing pillars, endure earthquakes up to a magnitude of 9 under the Richter magnitude scale, and winds up to 80 m/s (260 ft/s).
The exterior of pale-coloured glass draws inspiration from Korean ceramics and features accents of metal filigree.[10]
Incidents and accidents[edit]
Safety issues[edit]
In 2013 and 2014, three construction workers died during the construction of the tower, and an executive director of Lotte's construction arm was given a suspended sentence of eight months in prison in 2016 for his role in neglecting safety measures at the site.[14] In December 2014, the Seoul city government ordered the mall and cinema complex at the base of the tower, which opened before completion of the tower, to be closed for five months after water was found leaking from an internal aquarium. Independent engineers who assessed the building found that the issues bore little relation to the overall structural integrity of the building and the mall and cinema complex reopened in 2015.[15]
Culture[edit]
Cherry Blossom Festival[edit]
Even when Lotte World Tower was under construction, there were many people who celebrated the cherry blossom festival on April 10–12, 2015, and it is still possible to celebrate after its completion. In 2017, the Seokchon Lake cherry blossom festival was held from April 1 to April 9. It was held at Seokchon Lake waterfront stages(East and West Lake), Seoul Playground, and Gallery Sue, and was free of charge. Recently, it was held from April 5–9 in 2023, and March 27–31 in 2024.[21]
Fireworks Festival[edit]
The World Tower was completed in December 2016, and the fireworks festival was held for the first time on April 2, 2017. The venue is in the Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake area and is free of charge. There was a K-POP concert from 7:30 pm to 9 pm, a Lotte World Tower fireworks show from 9 pm to 9:10 pm, and recreation and giveaways from 9:10 to 9:30 pm. The Lotte World Tower Fireworks Show was held again on May 4, 2019, and was accompanied by an eight-hour public broadcast event in collaboration with CBS Music FM.[22] From 2020 to 2022, it is not progressing due to COVID-19.
Evaluation[edit]
Citizen's evaluation[edit]
In 2014, Lotte held a 10-day pre- opening in the second week of September, commissioning experts to diagnose the structural safety of the building and offering preview tours to the public, which was generally well received, although it was pointed out that Lotte's actions were merely a publicity stunt for the building. The building under construction at the time received negative reviews for being dangerous and poorly constructed, but Lotte Engineering&Construction rehabilitated it, and in 2016 it received positive reviews for being safe and well designed for earthquake resistance. In 2017, Seoul residents rated the second Lotte World as safe and well designed.
October 2007
October 2011
December 2013
October 2015
April 2017
January 2023
Media related to Lotte World Tower at Wikimedia Commons