Seoul, Korea - Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a multi-purpose museum and convention center built on the former site of a historic baseball stadium, will be officially open on March 21 in downtown Seoul.

 

 

Designed by Zaha Hadid, a world-renowned Iraqi-British architect, the 86,574-square-meter, three-story design center will host exhibitions, international conferences, fashion shows, concerts, seminars, and workshops. To celebrate the opening of the design plaza, a spring season event for the Seoul Fashion Week will be held for six days between March 21 and 26.

 

it is the world's largest asymmetrical, free-form building with free-flowing curves made of 45,133 aluminum cladding panels. The "Learning Space" from B2 to the top floor will be used for families with children where they can learn while playing. The space consists of five rooms with different themes, including design playground, design trail, design museum, design display room, and resting place. From the opening day, the space will host the Gansong Cultural Exhibition, Sport Design Show, and Zaha Hadid Exhibit.

 

Baik Jong-won, president of the Seoul Design Foundation, the organization responsible for management of the design plaza, said, "The DDP that will be open around the clock will be one of the best landmarks of Seoul together with the nearby Dongdaemun shopping district."

 

Dongdaemun Design Plaza aims to be independent financially by 2015 by earning 32.1 billion won in income to pay for the expenditure. It will do so by leasing out spaces while earning incomes from visitor admission, parking, and advertising.