Seouls Rippling Tower

In the South Korean capital of Seoul, they are taking waviness to new heights with a 24 floor tower that's currently being built by contractor, Daerim Engineering.

With a height of 130.05 metres, Seocho Kims Tower is intended to offices with 52,257 square metres of internal space. It won't stand alone either, a similar tower is also planned next door but has yet to start ground work.

The building aquatically ripples like water. By undulating smoothly three times over its height begin at a sunken entrance below ground level, sinuous curves equally on all four sides, a feeling of water in motion is communicated by the design, something that is born out further by the cladding.

With the highly reflective double skinned floor-to-ceiling glazing in blue hues that encase the entire tower, the curves will give an ever-changing look that reflects the world around from slightly different angles depending on the location of the viewer.

The seemingly unusual shape has a major advantage by presenting square floor-plates for occupiers that are efficient, and also easily partitioned into multi-occupation if the building requires it.

Nonetheless, it is essentially a conventional rectangular tower, something that is born out by the top that eschews a spire or curves and simply has a façade run above the roof-line.

External completion for Kims Tower is December 2010 although there is no word on when the neighbouring twin will get underway.