Brief description: also known as DDP, Dongdaemung Desing Plaza is the center of the design industry in Korea, and a futuristic icon for the city of Seoul. Designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, its shape resembles a spaceship, and you won't see a single corner around its perimeter! Its construction was carried out where the Dongdaemun Stadium used to be, and there are still some structures that remember it. The square is composed of five areas:
- Art Hall: basically designed for conventions, events and concerts.
- Design Museum: if you go with children, they have a sensory park (DiKi DiKi: Children’s sensory playground), which opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00-18.00 (until 19.00 on weekends). It costs 12,000W for children 2-10 years and 4,000W for adults. The entrance of the museum varies according to the exhibits.
- Design laboratory: an incubator of ideas. They have stores where they sell design objects from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (basically souvenirs).
- Design Market: open 24 hours, combines cultural events, experiences and shopping.
- History and Culture Park: review the history of the place, from its use as a military training camp during the Joseon dynasty to the present day. There is a kind of grass hill that goes from the park to the roof of the building. Very cool.
Duration of visit: 1-2h.
Hours: you can visit at any time, although we recommend going before sunset to see it day and night. Also, after sunset they illuminate the Rose Garden, which is beautiful.
Cost: free to see the plaza and walk in the park. Entering depends on the exhibits. But you can just have a look inside at no cost.
How to get there: by subway, exit 1 Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Line 2, 4 or 5).
