Modern towers imbued with Korean heritage

Lucky Goldstar Group, the predecessor for LG, underwent tremendous growth in the 1980s, expanding its household appliances and chemicals businesses. To support this growth, SOM designed one of the country’s first large-scale, modern workplaces—a forerunner to future office developments in Seoul. LG Twin Towers remains one of the most identifiable examples of workplace design in South Korea from that period. 

Highly innovative in its time, the architecture creates a strong sense of identity and is inspired by traditions of Korean architecture, which emphasizes the principles of layering as well as light and transparency through a connection to the outside. These principles are evident in the design of the exterior—including the quadruple-height glass atrium’s patterned facade—as well as the interior. Latticework inside the atrium, patterned floors, and lighting fixtures recall the traditional ornamentation of doors, called moon-chang-sal. Patterns applied to the walls, floors, and ceiling define a three-dimensional grid, creating a sense of stability and a clear framework for organizing the spaces within this unique atrium.

Reinvigorating the complex for today and tomorrow

Four decades after the project’s construction, SOM continues its stewardship of this classic postmodern building through a comprehensive renovation. The project revitalizes a prominent work of architecture for the next half-century and adapts it to better serve the people who experience it every day.

SOM’s intervention creates a greater sense of openness throughout the complex. Through careful study of the original design, our team identified opportunities to simplify the structural lattice. The redesign also streamlines the wall and ceiling finishes, while maintaining the effect of the original structural grid. By opening up sightlines, the renovation transforms the common areas, the atrium, and lower levels into a welcoming, multifunctional campus heart centered on employee health and wellness. It merges old and new, accentuating the principles of the original design by introducing new plantings, more natural light, and clearer connections between floors and to the outdoors. Holistically, these interventions prepare LG for the future, providing new, flexible spaces for staff to gather.

Creating a central hub

Just beyond the main entrance, reclad with transparent glass, is the renovation’s most dramatic enhancement: a large opening that connects the first and lower levels with a grand staircase. Descending in multiple directions, the new staircase solves several challenges at once by improving circulation, opening a pathway for daylight, and introducing new seating, landscaping, and warm finishes to further enhance the well-being of LG’s staff. The sculptural stairway is composed of stacked wooden louvers—an aesthetic that is carried over into finishes throughout the lower level.

Around the central hub, existing sunken gardens are reimagined as a private outdoor space with greenery cascading down the walls. New, ultra-transparent glass frames these gardens from inside, offering daylight and a connection to the outdoors. New escalators surrounding the central grand staircase enhance interior circulation. The comprehensive campus refresh also includes new paving, landscaping, fountains, and rock gardens ahead of the main entrance to form a more inviting public plaza.

Demonstrating LG’s respect for preserving heritage, dedication to its staff, and outlook for continued growth, the renewed headquarters prepares the company for its next chapter.