In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul, will begin hosting rooftop tours, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation on Wednesday.
According to the city government and the foundation, the rooftop tours will open to the public from Friday to Nov. 17 as a test run, before officially launching it as a regular tour program in the spring of 2025.
“The rooftop tour is a new attempt (by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation) to go beyond the existing indoor and outdoor tours of the DDP and share a space that was hidden away from the public -- the roof,” said the city government through a press release.
According to the city government, the roof of the DDP is made of aluminum panels and sedum turf. The sedum plant is one of the most popular plants used for green roofs and is known to improve air quality around the buildings where it is installed as it traps harmful dust particles in the air.
The tours held through Nov. 17 will last 30 minutes, as participants walk around a 280-meter-long route above the DDP while wearing a safety helmet and a body harness. After the trial run, the DDP will expand and diversify its rooftop tour courses to officially launch them in May, September and October 2025.
During the trial run, up to 24 rooftop tours will be offered twice a day from Friday to Sunday, at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
For safety, the tours will only be open to those between the ages of 18 and 70, and each tour will be limited to 10 participants. Registration will take place for up to 100 applicants on a first come, first served basis through the DDP’s official website.
“As the rooftop tours commence, I hope that the programs will allow more visitors to think of the historical meaning (the DDP) holds as well as the power of design,” said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, following Wednesday’s press tour.
