GDS Architects was just granted the green light to begin construction on a sparkling new super-tall skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea. Tower Infinity will reach a height of 450 meters, placing it among the top 10 tallest buildings in the world. Designed for a location near the Incheon International Airport, Tower Infinity will also have the distinction of being ‘invisible’. Using optical illusions and lighting, the tower will appear to disappear into the sky, making it a less obtrusive anti-tower.
Tower Infinity will be located at the heart of the Yongsan International Business District, whose master plan was originally designed by Samoo. The superscraper will be a landmark project for the area, and it will serve as an iconic landmark for visitors coming from the international airport. GDS Architects won the competition to design the tower back in 2004 and just this summer they were granted permission to begin construction.
The observation tower will largely be used for entertainment purposes – it will feature observation decks, wedding venues, a theater, a roller coaster, lots of restaurants, a water park, and a variety of landscaped gardens in the surrounding area. The crystalline tower is not just a vanity skyscraper though – as GDS has proposed a sort of anti-tower that blends into the sky and seems to disappear with the help of optical illusions, and lighting. The firm explains, “Instead of symbolizing prominence as another of the world’s ‘tallest and best’ towers, it sets itself apart by celebrating the global community rather than focusing on itself. The tower subtly demonstrates Korea’s rising position in the world by establishing its most powerful presence through diminishing its presence.”
