A new urban center is rapidly taking shape in Incheon, Korea, a port city 30 miles west of Seoul. Work is under way on 100 buildings across 1,500 acres reclaimed from the sea. The First World apartment complex is currently home to Songdo’s first 12,000 residents.
The development’s population is expected to reach 65,000 upon completion in 2014. The Convensia Convention Center, the Convention Center Hotel, an international school and the 100-acre Central Park have been completed. The construction workforce currently numbers 20,000 and is expected to peak in late 2010 at 25,000.
The developer is New Songdo International City Development LLC, a 70%-30% partnership of New York-headquartered Gale International as the majority partner, and POSCO Engineering and Construction Co., a unit of Korea’s largest steel producer. The master plan was developed by New York based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Incheon Bridge, with both cable-stayed and cantilever sections and viaducts totaling 7.6 miles, opened last year, connecting Songdo to Incheon International Airport.
The centerpiece is the 65-story Northeast Asia Trade Tower. It recently topped out, with completion expected early next year. It will be South Korea’s tallest building at 305 m.
The master plan calls for two fifths of the site to be devoted to green space—parks, wetlands and canals—far greater than most other urban centers in Asia. It is pedestrian-friendly, with walking/biking corridors and public gathering spaces.
Phase Two construction is under way now. When complete, there will be nine tall residential buildings, designed by such firms as HOK and Kohn Pedersen Fox. Seven of them are currently under construction. Five major mixed-use office/hotel/retail buildings are expected to be built during coming years. When finished, Songdo will contain 30 million sq ft of residential space, 45 million sq ft of office space, 10 million sq ft of retail and five million sq ft of hotel space.
Songdo is already connected with downtown Incheon and Seoul via subway, with three stops serving Songdo. This connectivity will be ever more vital, because 300,000 office workers and students are expected to commute into Songdo daily upon completion. There is also extensive water taxi service. (ENR Global Sourcebook, Dec. 2005, p. 45, enr.com 8/19/09)
Location: Incheon, South Korea
Estimated Cost: $35 billion
Construction Period: 2004-2016
Developer: New Songdo International City Development LLC
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