Visitors walk along the curved rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza during sunset. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Visitors can watch the sunset from the curved rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), one of Seoul’s best-known architectural landmarks, through a special guided tour this fall, its operator said Monday.
The Seoul Design Foundation will run the “Sunset Tour” every Friday and Saturday from Oct. 16 to Nov. 21. First held last year, the 90-minute tour now adds live music and meditation.
DDP, a futuristic complex in central Seoul designed by the late British Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, is covered in silver aluminum panels that reflect the colors of the setting sun. Participants walk along the building’s curving roof while taking in views of the city skyline.
On Fridays, singer-songwriters and a flutist will perform live on the rooftop, with the sky and sunset serving as the backdrop.
Saturdays will feature meditation sessions accompanied by singing bowls, bowl-shaped instruments that produce a resonant sound when struck or rubbed. Participants are guided to focus on their breathing and the sounds around them.
Tours run from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in October and from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in November, timed to sunset.
For the first time in a DDP tour, guidance will be provided in both Korean and English at the same time, allowing local and foreign visitors to join together.
The tour costs 50,000 won ($37) per person, and reservations can be made on the DDP website. If spots remain available, on-site registration opens 20 minutes before each tour.
DDP has offered architecture tours since it opened in 2014. About 4,000 sessions have drawn some 104,000 participants. Rooftop tours and seasonal special tours were added in 2024.
“The DDP tour is an example of extending architectural value into cultural value for the public,” said Cha Kang-hee, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation. “As a special experience available in Seoul, DDP will become a popular attraction enjoyed by domestic and international tourists alike.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.