Mecanoo was commissioned by the Heungkuk Finance Center to design a new Plaza for its headquarters building located in Seoul’s business district. Mecanoo’s design reacts to the environment’s rigidity by breaking the uniformity of the pedestrian flow with a granite ribbon woven into the plaza.
This 120-meter long curvilinear line provides a connection across the site while accentuating the Plaza’s monumental sculpture, the Hammering Man, a series of monumental kinetic sculptures designed by Jonathan Borofsky which have been installed in various cities around the world.
This singular stone ribbon ties together the elements of the public space including seating, lighting, planting and surface. The use of mist and light creates a contrasting softness and ease in this robust urban setting while cooling off the plaza during the warm summer.
The four benches rise out of the granite ribbon, and via the alternating use of polished and rough finishes, become four continuous sculptures rising out of ground; function meets form.