Star architects bid to redesign Seoul as 21st century model city

SEOUL, South Korea: An all-star group of international architects bidding for the chance to design a new urban center for the South Korean capital said Tuesday the vast site offered a rare chance to create a model for 21st century cities.

Five top architecture firms behind many of the world’s recent iconic structures are being given US$1 million each to propose a master plan for the 28 trillion won (US$27 billion) Yongsan business district.

Covering 140 acres (566,800 square meters) near the bank of the Han River, the site is nearly nine times as large as New York’s World Trade Center site, which is being rebuilt after the Sept. 11 attacks.

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[Image by Kim Jae Hwan for France 24.com]

JJ is the co-founder of 5ft Creatives and he is now a legal alien in the USA