6
Global
Height rank

Lotte World Tower

Seoul
Height
1
To Tip:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
555.7 m / 1,823 ft
2
Architectural:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."
554.5 m / 1,819 ft
3
Occupied:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
497.6 m / 1,633 ft
1 2 3 Lotte World Tower
  Floors
Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).
123
Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.
6
Height 554.5 m / 1,819 ft
Floors 123
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Lotte World Tower

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

롯데월드타워, Lotte Jamsil Super Tower, Lotte World Premium Tower

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed

Completion

2017

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

South Korea

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Seoul

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

Hotel / Residential / Office / Retail

Structural Material
All-Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered an “all-steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

All-Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars and/or steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

All-Timber
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from timber. An all-timber structure may include the use of localized non-timber connections between timber elements. Note that a building of timber construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of timber beams is still considered an “all-timber” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. all-steel, all-concrete, all-timber), one on top of the other. For example, a Steel Over Concrete indicates an all-steel structural system located on top of an all-concrete structural system, with the opposite true of Concrete Over Steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used within a composite building’s primary structural elements.

Concrete-Steel Composite

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

554.5 m / 1,819 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
555.7 m / 1,823 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
497.6 m / 1,633 ft
Observatory
497.6 m / 1,633 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

123

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

6

# of Hotel Rooms
Number of Hotel Rooms refers to the total number of hotel rooms contained within a particular building.

260

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

58

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

10 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

304,081 m² / 3,273,101 ft²

Rankings

#
6
Tallest in the World
#
4
Tallest in Asia
#
1
Tallest in South Korea
#
1
Tallest in Seoul

Construction Schedule

2011

Construction Start

2017

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Engineer of Record

The Engineer of Record takes the balance of the engineering effort not executed by the “Design Engineer,” typically responsible for construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc.

Peer Review

The Peer Review Engineer traditionally comments on the information produced by another party, and to render second opinions, but not to initiate what the design looks like from the start.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Peer Review

The Peer Review Engineer traditionally comments on the information produced by another party, and to render second opinions, but not to initiate what the design looks like from the start.

Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Façade Maintenance
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Façade Maintenance Equipment
Formwork
Joints/Fasteners
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Architect of Record

Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.

BAUM Architects
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Engineer of Record

The Engineer of Record takes the balance of the engineering effort not executed by the “Design Engineer,” typically responsible for construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc.

Peer Review

The Peer Review Engineer traditionally comments on the information produced by another party, and to render second opinions, but not to initiate what the design looks like from the start.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Peer Review

The Peer Review Engineer traditionally comments on the information produced by another party, and to render second opinions, but not to initiate what the design looks like from the start.

Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Façade Maintenance
Marketing
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.
Security
Aon Global Risk Consulting
Vertical Transportation
Fortune Shepler Consulting
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Elevator
Otis Elevator Company; Mitsubishi Elevator and Escalator
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Formwork
Joints/Fasteners

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building, by Region, Asia & Australasia 2018 Award of Excellence

2018 CTBUH Awards

 

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH Journal 2018 Issue I

5 February 2018 - CTBUH Publication

Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration

12 September 2017 - CTBUH Research

Videos

31 May 2018 | Seoul

Vertical Village as National Symbol

Joining the ranks of the world’s top ten tallest buildings, the 123-story Lotte World Tower rises to 555 meters and offers one of the world’s...

Research

20 March 2020

Interactive Study on The Tallest 20 in 2020: Then and Now

CTBUH Research

This research paper undertakes a review of the 2012 report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, “Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the...

Global News

28 February 2019

Regulatory Hurdles Cleared for Seoul’s Next Tallest Building

The administrative procedures have been completed to erect what could be the new tallest building in Korea, after Hyundai Motor Group applied for the construction...

 

About Lotte World Tower

Taking inspiration from traditional Korean art forms in the design of the various interior program spaces, the sleek tapered form of Lotte World Tower will stand out from Seoul’s rocky, mountainous topography. The tower is programmed with a greater variety of functions than is normally found in a tall building. It contains retail components, offices, a 7-star luxury hotel, and an officetel. Officetels, common in South Korean real estate, offer studio-apartment-style accommodations for people who work in the building and often feature certain services found in hotels, such as furnishings, a security desk, and gym access. The building’s top 10 stories are earmarked for extensive public use and entertainment facilities, including an observation deck and rooftop café.

The design of the tower melds a modern aesthetic with forms inspired by Korean ceramics, porcelain, and calligraphy. The seam that runs from top to bottom of the structure gestures toward the old center of the city. Elegance of form was one of the prime objectives, following the desire of stakeholders to bestow a beautiful monument to the capital city skyline. Exterior materials will be light-toned silver glass accented by a filigree of white lacquered metal.

Lotte World Tower has been designed and constructed at the same time as a 10-story base that accommodates as much area as its vertical counterpart. Vertical density is linked to horizontal density, and the range of complementary uses is increased. Connections between the two major building components are made via interior pathways at many levels, but also by active outdoor public space. In fact, one of the most effective measures taken to activate the tower and connect it to adjacent buildings is the outdoor plaza. This space forms an “outdoor room,” compressed enough in its dimensions to encourage visual and pedestrian penetration of its boundary walls.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building, by Region, Asia & Australasia 2018 Award of Excellence

2018 CTBUH Awards

31 May 2018 | Seoul

Vertical Village as National Symbol

Joining the ranks of the world’s top ten tallest buildings, the 123-story Lotte World Tower rises to 555 meters and offers one of the world’s...

26 October 2015 | Seoul

Challenges and Opportunities for Structural Design of the 123-Story Jamsil Lotte World Tower

The Jamsil Lotte World Tower, a high-rise component of the 2nd Lotte World Amusement Complex, is being constructed at Jamsil, Seoul, Korea. This 123-story building...

26 October 2015 | Seoul

2015 New York Conference - Session 2a - Q&A

Jong-Ho Kim, Chang Minwoo Structural Consultants; William Howell, Turner International; and Dennis Poon, Thornton Tomasetti, answer questions at the end of 2015 New York Conference...

26 October 2015 | Seoul

Interview: James von Klemperer

James von Klemperer of KPF is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2015 CTBUH New York Conference at the Grand Hyatt New York. James discusses...

11 October 2011 | Seoul

A Super High Rise in Seoul

When completed, the Lotte Jamsil Super Tower, at 555-meter, will be the tallest building in Seoul. The mat foundation is completed, and the tower construction...

11 October 2011 | Seoul

Lotte World Tower

Lotte World Tower is a mixed-use building with 6 basement levels and 123 levels above ground. It includes Hotel, Office, Officetel and Retail function. The...

11 October 2011 | Seoul

Lotte World Tower: Vertical Meets Horizontal

After years of study by a series of architectural teams, the Lotte Supertower is being constructed in southern Seoul. The KPF design integrates the 555...

11 October 2011 | Seoul

Solar Reflectivity Studies

This presentation includes a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulation that tracks specular solar reflection. Graphical display of light intensity patterns can guide designers to...

11 October 2011 | Seoul

Supertall Building in Korea

Lotte World Tower is expected as the first over-100-story building which will be completed near future, by 1015, in Korea. 123-story of 555-meter supertall building...

03 February 2010 | Seoul

Symbiosis: Supertalls and Future Cities

KPF has designed some of the most iconic tall buildings around the world, including the Shanghai World Financial Centre which won the CTBUH 2008 Best...

20 March 2020

Interactive Study on The Tallest 20 in 2020: Then and Now

CTBUH Research

This research paper undertakes a review of the 2012 report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, “Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the...

28 December 2019

Tall Buildings of the Future as Seen From the Present

SawTeen See, Robert Bird Group Pty Ltd

Aerodynamic damping through the use of vertical long slots reduces the dynamic component of the wind loads on the building. Seminal examples include the three-legged...

01 March 2018

The Mixed-Use Supertall and the Hybridization of Program

Forth Bagley, Kohn Pederson Fox Associates

Increasingly, mixed-use, multi-program complexes are emerging as the standard development model around the world. As their prominence grows, these projects are becoming increasingly complex. Program...

05 February 2018

2017: Skyscraper History’s Tallest, Highest- Volume, and Most Geographically Diverse Year

This 2017 Tall Building Year in Review / Tall Buildings in Numbers data analysis report shows that more buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater...

05 February 2018

Lotte World Tower: Seoul’s First Supertall

James von Klemperer, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

The Lotte World Tower became the world’s fifth-tallest building upon completion in 2017, and is currently the only supertall building (300 meters or higher) in...

01 September 2017

Preliminary Design of Structural Health Monitoring for High-Rise Buildings

Hyun-hee Ryu, Jong-soo Kim, Eun-gyu Choi & Sang-hoon Lee, CS Structural Engineering

The purpose of structural health monitoring is to evaluate structural behavior due to various external loads through installation of appropriate measurement. Accordingly, a guideline for...

01 September 2017

Structural Performance of 800 MPa High-Strength Steel Members

Cheol-Ho Lee, Seoul National University

The use of high-strength steels in construction of highrise and mega building structures can bring about many technological advantages from fabrication to erection. However, key...

08 August 2017

Frontiers in High-Rise Outrigger Design

Hi sun Choi & Leonard M. Joseph, Thornton Tomasetti; SawTeen See, Leslie E. Robertson Associates; Rupa Garai, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

In 2012, CTBUH published the first Outrigger Design for High-Rise Buildings Technical Guide. In 2016, the CTBUH Outrigger Working Group felt it would be beneficial...

08 August 2017

Ten Significant Tall Buildings, and the Significant Women Behind Them

Leading Women in Tall Buildings

Recently, there has been a growing and overdue recognition in the architecture discipline that women are under-represented, not just in terms of leadership positions held,...

01 September 2016

Key Technologies for Super Tall Building Construction: Lotte World Tower

Gyu Dong Kim & Joo Ho Lee, Lotte Engineering and Construction

This paper addresses the key technologies for supertall building construction based on the Lotte World Tower project in Korea. First, the mega-mat foundation construction technologies...

5 February 2018

CTBUH Journal 2018 Issue I

In the latest CTBUH journal, examine a case study of Lotte World Tower, Seoul's first supertall, in addition to other great features.

12 September 2017

Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration

CTBUH partnered with Guinness World Records to identify the commercial building with the fastest elevator speeds and longest vertical runs.

4 April 2017

CTBUH Certifies Lotte Tower as Fifth Tallest Building Worldwide

CTBUH has recognized the completion of Lotte World Tower, now the fifth tallest building worldwide at 555 meters.

13 October 2016

Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings

The Council is pleased to announce the Top Company Rankings for numerous disciplines as derived from the list of projects appearing in 100 of the World’s Tallest Buildings.

8 July 2016

2016 China-Japan-Korea Tall Building Forum

The third China-Japan-Korea Tall Building Forum was held at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, on the topic of "Innovative Motion Engineering in Tall Buildings."

16 October 2015

Tall Buildings: From Design to Construction and Maintenance

The 2015 Korea-China-Japan Tall Building Forum was held jointly between the CTBUH chapters of the three countries.

20 May 2015

Safety Considerations in Tall Buildings

CTBUH-Korea’s President Chung KwangRyang held an international conference addressing Tall Building Safety as the construction of tall buildings is increasing exponentially.

8 December 2011

The Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the Era of the Megatall

Within this decade we will likely witness not only the world’s first kilometer-tall building, but also the completion of a significant number of buildings over 600 meters.

11 October 2011

Lotte Jamsil Super Tower Tour Report

A tour was hosted at the Lotte Jamsil Super Tower construction site that was abuzz with the activity of trucks and cranes.

26 January 2011

The Frozen Han: Wintry Seoul

CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood and 12 advanced architectural students from the Illinois Institute of Technology visit Seoul to work on a hypothetical tall building design project.