Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

Designed by Zaha Hadid and opened in 2014, DDP looks like a giant silver ribbon dropped onto Dongdaemun, with no straight walls and thousands of curved aluminium panels. It is run by the Seoul Design Foundation as a public design and culture centre, so you can wander most of it for free: the sloping paths over the roof garden, the long curving corridors inside, and Oullim Square on the basement level, which stays open around the clock. Exhibition halls host changing shows and fairs, the design store sells Seoul-themed goods, and the grounds include Dongdaemun History & Culture Park with remains of the old city wall and the Dongdaemun Stadium Memorial. At night the building is lit up, and seasonal events project media art across its 222-metre facade; the autumn 2026 Seoul Light DDP ran free shows every evening from 19:30. The neighbouring Dongdaemun fashion malls make it easy to combine architecture photos with shopping, and Gwangjang Market and Sindang-dong are a short ride away.