| Project name | Galleria Forêt |
|---|---|
| Location | Seoul, Korea |
| Construction period | 2008.2 - 2011.7 |
| Scale | 45 stories above ground and 7 below, 230 housing units |
representing Seoul
Galleria Forêt is the finest living space in the City of Seoul. It is now a landmark structure, and a timeless residential masterpiece from Hanwha Corporation E&C Division. Its location offers the best use of Seoul’s urban space with its courtyards that connect to the 11,600,000m2 Seoul Forest ecological park. Galleria Forêt’s south side features the breathtaking view of the Han River. It is often compared to the luxury living apartments in Central Park in the USA or Hyde Park in England.
Galleria Forêt has become famous as many celebrities have fallen in love with the space and have become residents. It has also remained the most expensive apartments in Korea for a long time. The 45-story building in the center of Seoul Forest grabs people’s attention, shining like tall precious gems.
CURTAIN WALL DESIGN
Galleria Forêt’s exterior design is inspired by yacht sails billowing in the ocean wind. Its exterior employs a curtain wall method instead of using typical grey concrete; the three layers of glass on the thousands of windows enhance energy efficiency.
The design of the atrium with its art gallery and community cultural facilities is inspired by the image of a leaf and is encased by a large glass dome to emphasize the beauty of the light reflected in the glass. Galleria Forêt’s curtain wall design has been selected as the best example of the application of the Seoul city government’s design guidelines.
“I will make Korean nobles cross
the river through my design.”
The winner of the 2009 Pritzker Award, Jean Nouvel
Galleria Forêt’s interiors were designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, a winner of the Pritzker Prize, sometimes referred to as the Nobel Prize of Architecture. He has transformed these interiors into works of art.
Jean Nouvel, the name behind the French Opera House, the Leeum Museum in Seoul, the Torre Agbar of Spain, and other numerous landmarks, is renowned for his innovative style that expands the limits of tradition.
He follows the tradition of high-end European housing by separating private spaces such as the bedrooms from common spaces, like the living room. He preserves the privacy of the residents with unique interiors where views of the Seoul Forest and Han River unfold naturally.
Galleria Forêt is often listed as the most expensive apartment and the best high-end residence living in Korea. It also has contributed to transforming the Seongsu-dong region into an upper-class neighborhood.
Galleria Forêt is the crowning achievement of Hanwha Corporation E&C Division, demonstrating the company’s skills and expertise in building high-end residence living. This mixed-use building has fueled the inspiration for Hanwha’s newest residential brand, FORENA.
ILLUMINATION OF THE FORET
The Galleria Forêt wouldn’t be complete without the themed gardens “The window toward the Forest,” that serve as the exclusive landscape designed by Professor Massimo Venturi Ferriolo, a world-renowned expert in landscape architecture.
In addition to the sky garden on the 29th floor that offers ample space for recovery, from the archaeological time period to the current era. Galleria Forêt’s illumination further adds a magical ambience that resembles the lighting of Europe’s old castles in the forest.
