Lotte World Tower – Discover Korea’s Tallest Building

The Lotte World Tower is the tallest building in Seoul and a stunning piece of architecture that incorporates traditional Korean elements. In this article, we will examine the Lotte Tower in Seoul while considering its history, the architecture of the structure itself, its height, and the significance of the structure as a whole. Keep reading to learn more about the Lotte World Tower and what makes it such a gorgeous and notable structure in the world!

A Look at the Lotte World Tower

The Lotte World Tower is situated in Seoul in South Korea. It is a supertall skyscraper and one of the tallest in the world. This skyscraper is relatively young in terms of its completion as it was only finished in 2016. This means that the history of the Lotte Tower in Seoul is not a particularly lengthy one. However, the reason that this South Korean skyscraper immediately rose to prominence upon its completion is because it is the sixth-tallest building in the world at the time of writing.

Han River and Lotte World Tower (2018); mauveine.kim, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aside from being in the top ten tallest structures in the world, it is also the tallest building in any of the OECD countries. The OECD, or the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, is an intergovernmental initiative to foster international trade and growth and is made up of 38 countries around the world. Some of the countries in the OECD include the United States and several major European countries. All of this has contributed to the Lotte World Tower being one of the most notable structures of the last decade.

In addition to the Lotte World Tower’s height, which tends to be the focus of a structure when it becomes one of the tallest in the world, the Lotte World Tower is also a stunning piece of contemporary architecture.

The History of the Lotte World Tower

The Lotte World Tower does not necessarily have a particularly lengthy history as it is less than a decade old at the time of writing. The planning of the structure may have taken over a decade, and there was much negotiation with the government to allow the construction of the building in the first place, but groundbreaking did eventually occur in 2010, and construction started shortly thereafter. The construction mostly went ahead without much issue, but there were incidents in both 2013 and 2014, in which construction workers died. One of the executives at the construction company received several months of prison time because of negligent safety practices. After this, there were no further issues, and the site eventually opened in 2016.

Fireworks at Lotte World Tower (2017); HyunJae Park, PDM-owner, via Wikimedia Commons

As soon as the Lotte World Tower was open to the world, there was a fireworks display to commemorate the occasion and it was attended by many people in the city. After this, the building continued without much of a hitch and performed its functions without causing any issues. It has remained a mixed-use building ever since and includes elements like a ten-story shopping mall, various offices, a hotel, and numerous observation decks.

The Lotte World Tower only really experienced one other notable event, and that was when two urban explorers, named Vadim Makhorov and Vitaly Raskalov, decided to illegally climb the building. They reached the top and posted a video of their exploits and gained significant media attention. The Lotte World Tower made use of the event to show off these urban explorers and then banned them from ever coming near the building again.

The history of the Lotte World Tower is not a lengthy one, and aside from the tragedies that occurred during construction, there has been little to be said about the tallest building in Seoul. It has continued in its functions without any issues, and it will likely continue to be that way well into the future.

The Architecture of the Lotte World Tower

The Lotte World Tower was always designed with the intention for the construction to be elegant in its overall design. For this reason, the architects in charge of the structure, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, got to work on combining contemporary elegant design with traditional Korean artistic elements. The ultimate design led to the use of various Korean artistic fields, namely calligraphy, porcelain crafting, and ceramic construction, as influences in the final design. These were combined into the sleek and curved shape of the building as a whole. It makes use of a tapered form the like of which is quite unique. Additionally, there is an architectural seam along the side of the structure that travels from the base to the very top of the building.

Lotte World Tower Grand Opening Press Tour (2017); Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Photographer name), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This is one of the most notable elements of the architectural design of the Lotte World Tower. Additionally, the use of more traditional elements as inspiration for the structure as a whole meant that the building did not follow a specific style, but instead combined contemporary aesthetics with traditional Korean artforms. These elements together turn the Lotte Tower in Seoul into one of the most unique structures of the last decade.

The roof structure alone stands at 120 m (or 390 ft) and is essentially the size of a high-rise building all on its own. It is constructed out of steel and required intensive planning and even the use of GPS systems to ensure that it was being installed correctly. It does not have any reinforcing pillars, and so it needed to be very precisely designed to ensure that it would not collapse in the event of an earthquake (which is fairly common in the region). Additionally, the building was designed to be sustainable with various elements added to the architecture of the building, such as solar panels, wind turbines, water collection devices, and also the use of exterior devices intended to reduce internal heat buildup to reduce the need for air conditioning systems.

This led the Lotte World Tower to attain a LEED Gold certificate, which is awarded for sustainable development and design.

The Lotte World Tower’s Height

The Lotte World Tower is the tallest building in Seoul, and there are no other buildings currently in construction in the country that could jeopardize that particular record. So, just how tall is it then? The Lotte Tower in Seoul is 555 m (or 1,821 ft) in height. It is the sixth tallest in the world as has been mentioned, but when it was created, it was actually the fifth tallest. It has since lost one of those spots after being knocked down, but it still remains firmly situated within the top ten. Aside from standard height, the number of Lotte World Tower floors is significant too. The building was the first in the country to include over 100 stories with a total floor count of 123 stories. The Lotte World Tower certainly is one of the tallest in the world, and there are few skyscrapers that include a larger number of floors.

The tallest building in the world (2020); Phoenix CZE, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At present, this tower is taller than the One World Trade Center in New York City. In comparison, the next tallest building in the world is the Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen. The Ping An Finance Center was completed the year after the construction of the Lotte World Tower, and it beat out Korea’s tallest building for the number five spot as soon as it was constructed.

The height of the Lotte World Tower is also significant because of the building’s observation deck. The Lotte World Tower contains a number of observation decks, but the highest one is called the Seoul Sky, and it is situated on the very top floor of the building. This means that it is 497 m (or 1,637 ft) in the air and offers some stunning views of the city. However, it is also terrifying in its observation tower construction because the floor of the observation deck is made of glass. For those interested in other aspects of the observation deck as a destination worth visiting, it includes a skywalk, a small restaurant, and even a museum for those who are interested.

One can visit the location to see some gorgeous sights while also having a nice hot beverage while gazing straight towards from nearly half a kilometer up thanks to the glass floor of the observation deck.

The Significance of the Lotte World Tower

There are several reasons to consider the Lotte World Tower as a significant building. It may not be particularly influential in terms of general architectural construction as there are no buildings that were necessarily directly inspired by it, but as the tallest building in Seoul, it is also Korea’s tallest building.

Thanks to its immense height, the Lotte Tower in Seoul has become an important part of the city’s skyline and, thanks to its architectural style, a reflection of several forms of South Korean cultural aspects, such as the use of ceramic and porcelain styles in the building’s general construction.

Other than this, and the Lotte World Tower’s height, the Lotte Tower in Seoul is also notable for attaining a LEED Gold Certification. This means that the building has attained a high rank with regard to its environmental and sustainable design and construction strategies. For instance, the building makes use of wind turbines, water recycling systems, and solar panel installations to offset electrical consumption.

Lotte World, Seoul (2022); kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Furthermore, as Korea’s tallest building, the Lotte World Tower has become a tourist attraction. The immense height of the building, and the addition of the many observation decks, the skywalk, and the general tourist-centric activities located in the building, such as the museum, means that the Lotte World Tower is a great attraction for those visiting the city. The observation decks also offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

We are at the end of our discussion about the Lotte World Tower. This is the tallest building in Seoul and a stunning piece of contemporary architecture that blends traditional Korean textiles and artistic mediums with modern architectural methods and materials. In this article, we examined the Lotte World Tower’s history, architectural design, its height, and the significance of the structure itself. Hopefully, you have learned a good deal about the Lotte World Tower, and if you ever get the chance (and don’t experience immense fear at the prospect of a glass-bottomed observation deck), go and have a look at some of the most stunning views that this building has to offer!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Lotte World Tower?

The Lotte World Tower is a supertall skyscraper and one of the tallest in the world. It is located in Seoul, South Korea. This skyscraper is the tallest building in Seoul, and thanks to its impressive height, it’s able to maintain a vast array of functions. It is a mixed-use building that includes offices, observation decks, a hotel, and retail accommodation. It is one of the tallest buildings in the world and has remained in the top ten since its construction concluded.

What Is the Lotte World Tower’s Height?

The Lotte World Tower’s height is significant and places it as the sixth-tallest building in the world. The total height of the Lotte Tower in Seoul is 555 m (or 1,821 ft). Furthermore, the number of Lotte World Tower floors is 123, and the highest floor even contains a glass-bottomed observation deck for those who want to stand immensely high in the sky and gaze at the stunning panoramic views of the surrounding regions.

Which Architectural Firm Designed the Lotte World Tower?

The Lotte World Tower was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. This is one of the most prominent architectural firms in the world, and it even designed the building that surpassed the Lotte Tower in Seoul as the fifth-tallest building in the world, the Ping An Finance Center. This firm has contributed to many of the tallest buildings in the world over the last decade to become one of the most successful firms currently operating.

Which Architectural Style Does the Lotte World Tower Use?

The Lotte World Tower is an interesting construction because its design does not conform to any particular style. Instead, it makes use of contemporary architectural designs and methods while also incorporating inspirations from certain aspects of the Korean arts, such as porcelain creation. However, despite making use of traditional Korean elements in its design, the architects in charge of the building were American.

What Is the Lotte World Tower Used For?

The Lotte Tower in Seoul is a mixed-use building. This means that the building does not have one particular function. Instead, the Lotte World Tower contains a hotel, office space, retail space, and a number of observation decks alongside a few tourist destinations. The observation decks serve as a particularly popular destination for many in the city.

Justin van Huyssteen( Writer, Academic, Educator )

Justin van Huyssteen is a writer, academic, and educator from Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a master’s degree in Theory of Literature. His primary focus in this field is the analysis of artistic objects through a number of theoretical lenses. His predominant theoretical areas of interest include narratology and critical theory in general, with a particular focus on animal studies. Other than academia, he is a novelist, game reviewer, and freelance writer. Justin’s preferred architectural movements include the more modern and postmodern types of architecture, such as Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Brutalist, and Futurist varieties like sustainable architecture. Justin is working for artfilemagazine as an author and content writer since 2022. He is responsible for all blog posts about architecture.

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