The Plaza is a spectacular, column free covered public space that is used for an exciting variety of year-round events. Home to part of the  Paradise Group’s extraordinary art collection, it sits at the heart of a wider network of public buildings and spaces including a 120 room boutique hotel, a variety of shops, a Korean food court, and an art gallery. Inspired by traditional Italian squares, visitors enter from the corners, offering a more dynamic spatial experience.

Paradise City Plaza forms part of a wider strategic masterplan designed by Hawkins\Brown and composed of distinct character areas that are discovered as tourists journey through the wider urban development.

The unique, faceted roof enclosing the main plaza space references Bojagi, the traditional Korean textile that is an integral part of Korean life. The huge span necessitated deep trusses but the roof appears to sit lightly on top of the square, its thin edges kicking up in the style of traditional Korean roof architecture and geometries.

The roof design was developed as the Plaza’s fifth elevation, the Bojagi pattern a symbolic Korean welcome to the people viewing it from the air as they descend to the adjacent Incheon International Airport. From there, visitors are conveyed directly to the hotel and the other cultural delights of Paradise City Plaza via monorail.

The design also includes a large, underground bus interchange complete with attractive skylights, connecting Paradise City Plaza to the adjacent hotel. A complex infrastructure interface has been resolved by carefully integrating and concealing it below the building and the landscape.