Daegyo residential project in Seoul, 2026. Image © Devisual
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https://www.archdaily.com/1039364/heatherwick-studio-unveils-design-for-daegyo-apartments-redevelopment-in-seoul-south-korea
Heatherwick Studio has unveiled the first images of the design for the transformation of the Daegyo Apartments in Yeouido, Seoul. The project, the firm’s first residential project in South Korea, was presented by Thomas Heatherwick to the Yeouido Daegyo Residents’ Union at a meeting of their General Assembly on February 28, 2026. The development was first announced in mid-2025 as a community-led residential redevelopment, with the studio remaining involved throughout all phases of the project from concept to completion. The design is set to transform four residential buildings from 1975, aiming to establish a distinctive and appealing character, distinct from the average apartment building in Seoul.
Daegyo residential project in Seoul, 2026. Image © Devisual
Heatherwick Studio‘s pursuit of originality in the project is based on the results of a 2025 Humanise Campaign study surveying 1,000 Seoul residents, who stated their preference for distinctive and textured homes. In the survey, 97% described current apartment complexes negatively, evoking strong reactions. Regular buildings were described as “boring and soulless,” with residents saying the monotonous style creates a suffocating feeling. The answer to this dissatisfaction is a design drawing inspiration from natural forms, with undulating rooflines that echo the silhouettes of the mountains surrounding Seoul. According to Ms. Heesun Chung, the chairperson of the Yeouido Daegyo Apartment Redevelopment Association, the vision reflects the contributions of more than 600 union members, with the design being the result of that collaborative effort.
Daegyo residential project in Seoul, 2026. Image © Devisual
Daegyo residential project in Seoul, 2026. Image © Devisual
Located near Hangang Park along the Han River, the redevelopment is expected to replace 576 existing units, completed in 1975, with approximately 900 new homes. The project features four residential buildings, a sky garden, and a spacious ground-floor area open to both residents and the public. The redevelopment integrates community facilities such as children’s play areas, sports amenities, and welfare services for senior citizens. Landscape design at the ground level is organized into stepped gardens, sheltered walkways, and sunken courtyards, shielding the development from surrounding traffic by lifting portions of the site edges. Stuart Wood from Heatherwick Studio framed the project within the desire to “spark a fundamental rethink of how apartment living in Seoul should look, feel, and support everyday life,” emphasizing the need for change in the “endless repetitions of anonymous high-rise blocks.”
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Daegyo residential project in Seoul, 2026. Image © Devisual
Heatherwick Studio is also working on other projects in Seoul: the redesign of Nodeul Island into a lively public park; the Hanwha Galleria shopping complex featuring two twin hourglass-shaped structures; and the CoEx Convention Centre, which introduces a concept inspired by the idea of a “Cabinet of Curiosities.” Thomas Heatherwick was the General Director of the fifth Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2025, which attracted a record 811,000 visitors. Other projects in the city include UNS’ 10-minute walkable city master plan for multigenerational living and Foster + Partners’ proposed design for the IOTA Seoul I mixed-use development.