Hyundai Engineering & Construction will be reborn as a 100-year-old landmark of the Han River in Apgujeong District 2
Sep 09, 2025
Hyundai Engineering & Construction unveiled the Global Dream Team of Apgujeong District 2"Han River Centennial Landmark" with genius designer Thomas Heatherwick, a 120-year-old landscape master, and ARUP, a world-class structural design group.
The design was attended by British architect Thomas Heatherwick. He is called the Da Vinci of the 21st Century and has gained a reputation for his original designs that bring space to life. Landmarks all over the world were created by his hands, including New York's 'Vessel' and 'Little Island' and Tokyo's 'Azabudai Hills'. His design philosophy is to combine architecture and nature to create an organic landscape.
Apgujeong District 2 is not planned as a repeated apartment on a monotonous flatland, but as a three-dimensional elevation where the daily life of the city and nature intersect by taking a motif from the waterways and topographic flows of the Han River. In particular, GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete), which was used in Azubadai Hills in Tokyo, Japan, color BIPV (Building Integrated Solar Power System) that produces energy by the exterior material itself, and high-quality stone are applied to realize dignity over time. The exterior, which combines the transparency of glass, the sophistication of metal, and the texture of stone, is expected to make the whole complex shine as an artwork.
Thomas Heatherwick says "We need a story and a soulful architecture." His philosophy is that buildings should be not just structures, but spaces where people's emotions and memories stay. Apgujeong District 2 becomes another stage that embodies Heatherwick's philosophy. Architecture, in which city and nature, people and time are three-dimensionally harmonized, embellishes the outline of the city from a distance, and creates a landscape that naturally melts into everyday scenes as you get closer.
The landscaping will be carried out by Japan's 'Green Wise' with a 120-year history. Green Wise, which has excellent know-how in implementing forests in the city center, goes beyond just planting trees and creates a 'living forest' that grows with generations. In particular, it has built a world-class reputation by presenting landscaping with Thomas Heatherwick in Azubadai Hills, so it is expected to show the completeness of architecture and landscaping in Apgujeong District 2.
Unlike the average depth of land (earth depth) of 1.2m in general apartment complexes, Apgujeong District 2 secured more than 2m, laying the foundation for landscaping to grow into a forest 100 years later. On top of that, carefully selected symbolic trees are planted from all over the country and management is provided free of charge for five years after moving in, so the forest becomes denser over time. The landscaping in the complex expands to a huge ecological axis in contact with the Han River Park, and the so-called "100-year 森 百", where the complex and forest grow together, is implemented in Apgujeong District 2. The complex connects directly to the Han River Park and provides residents with a living environment as if the front of the house is a park. An aerial deck trail where you can watch the growth of trees and 10 themed gardens with artistic sculptures help nature and humans coexist.
The structural and technological sectors include the UK's global engineering company ARUP. ARUP has been responsible for core engineering of global projects such as Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Shanghai Tower, and Bangkok King Power Mahanakon, and is a structural design specialized company with extensive experience in skyscraper design.
As Apgujeong District 2 is a high-rise complex with up to 65 floors, it is expected to become a safe and sustainable building that maintains its solidity for more than 100 years through ARUP's precise structural design and seismic and wind tunnel analysis technology. In addition, high-strength concrete patented by Hyundai Engineering & Construction and H-CORE rebar from Hyundai Steel are added to ensure stability that does not shake even with earthquakes and strong winds.
The design was attended by British architect Thomas Heatherwick. He is called the Da Vinci of the 21st Century and has gained a reputation for his original designs that bring space to life. Landmarks all over the world were created by his hands, including New York's 'Vessel' and 'Little Island' and Tokyo's 'Azabudai Hills'. His design philosophy is to combine architecture and nature to create an organic landscape.
Apgujeong District 2 is not planned as a repeated apartment on a monotonous flatland, but as a three-dimensional elevation where the daily life of the city and nature intersect by taking a motif from the waterways and topographic flows of the Han River. In particular, GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete), which was used in Azubadai Hills in Tokyo, Japan, color BIPV (Building Integrated Solar Power System) that produces energy by the exterior material itself, and high-quality stone are applied to realize dignity over time. The exterior, which combines the transparency of glass, the sophistication of metal, and the texture of stone, is expected to make the whole complex shine as an artwork.
Thomas Heatherwick says "We need a story and a soulful architecture." His philosophy is that buildings should be not just structures, but spaces where people's emotions and memories stay. Apgujeong District 2 becomes another stage that embodies Heatherwick's philosophy. Architecture, in which city and nature, people and time are three-dimensionally harmonized, embellishes the outline of the city from a distance, and creates a landscape that naturally melts into everyday scenes as you get closer.
The landscaping will be carried out by Japan's 'Green Wise' with a 120-year history. Green Wise, which has excellent know-how in implementing forests in the city center, goes beyond just planting trees and creates a 'living forest' that grows with generations. In particular, it has built a world-class reputation by presenting landscaping with Thomas Heatherwick in Azubadai Hills, so it is expected to show the completeness of architecture and landscaping in Apgujeong District 2.
Unlike the average depth of land (earth depth) of 1.2m in general apartment complexes, Apgujeong District 2 secured more than 2m, laying the foundation for landscaping to grow into a forest 100 years later. On top of that, carefully selected symbolic trees are planted from all over the country and management is provided free of charge for five years after moving in, so the forest becomes denser over time. The landscaping in the complex expands to a huge ecological axis in contact with the Han River Park, and the so-called "100-year 森 百", where the complex and forest grow together, is implemented in Apgujeong District 2. The complex connects directly to the Han River Park and provides residents with a living environment as if the front of the house is a park. An aerial deck trail where you can watch the growth of trees and 10 themed gardens with artistic sculptures help nature and humans coexist.
The structural and technological sectors include the UK's global engineering company ARUP. ARUP has been responsible for core engineering of global projects such as Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Shanghai Tower, and Bangkok King Power Mahanakon, and is a structural design specialized company with extensive experience in skyscraper design.
As Apgujeong District 2 is a high-rise complex with up to 65 floors, it is expected to become a safe and sustainable building that maintains its solidity for more than 100 years through ARUP's precise structural design and seismic and wind tunnel analysis technology. In addition, high-strength concrete patented by Hyundai Engineering & Construction and H-CORE rebar from Hyundai Steel are added to ensure stability that does not shake even with earthquakes and strong winds.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
