Tower Infinity

This article is about 'invisible' tower in Korea. For Infinity tower in Dubai, see Infinity Tower. For Infinity Tower in Brisbane, see Infinity Tower (Brisbane).
Infinity Tower

Computer Rendering of Tower Infinity
Alternative names Ecoprism Tower
General information
Status Approved[1][2]
Type Leisure and Entertainment
Location Cheongna International City, Incheon, South Korea
Client Korea Land and Housing Corporation
Height
Architectural 453 m (1,486 ft)
Tip 453 m (1,486 ft)
Observatory 397 m (1,302 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 15
Design and construction
Architect GDS Architects,Samoo Architects & Engineers[3]
Structural engineer King-Le Chang & Associates
Awards and prizes First prize in a National Design Competition sponsored by Korea Land and Housing Corporation
Other information
Parking 2000 spaces

Cheongna City Tower, Tower Infinity or Ecoprism Tower is a tower to be constructed near the Incheon Airport just outside Seoul, South Korea. The tower is dubbed as the World's first invisible tower. The invisibility illusion will be achieved with a high-tech LED facade system. The tower is built primarily for leisure activities. The building will be spread over an area of 145,500 square metres (1,566,000 sq ft). The Design by GDS got first prize in a National Design Competition sponsored by Korea Land and Housing Corporation.[4][5] South Korean government gave approval to build the tower in September 2013.[6][7]

Design Philosophy

GDS won Korea Land Corporation’s design competition in 2008 from 146 entries from 46 countries which aimed to find a new building to symbolize the position of South Korea. Instead of going after height they decided to come up with something innovative that symbolizes Korea. GDS website writes [8]

″The tower subtly demonstrates Korea's rising position in the world by establishing its most powerful presence through diminishing its presence. Korea will have a unique position of having the 'best' tower by having an 'anti-tower'.″

Along with the proposal for Tower Infinity they included this poem to show their design philosophy[9]

″We look at it, and do not see it; it is invisible.

We listen to it, and do not hear it; it is inaudible.

We touch it, and do not feel it; it is intangible.

These three elude our inquiries, and hence merge into one.

Not by its rising, is it bright, nor by its sinking, is it dark.

Infinite and eternal, it cannot be defined.

It returns to nothingness.

This is the form of the formless, being in non-being.

It is nebulous and elusive″

— Laozi, Tao Te Ching Chapter 14

Although height is not the selling point of the tower, the tower at 450 metres (1,480 ft) will be the sixth largest tower in the world and will sport the third highest observatory in the world.

Invisibility

Capturing and processing of image from camera
Camera and projector placement

The tower is intended to have the ability to "disappear". The tower will have high definition cameras placed at three different levels on all six sides of the tower. The cameras will acquire real time images. These images will be processed and will be stitched into a monolithic image that will be projected by 500 rows of LED screens to the other side of the building, all in real time. Three projections at different heights on all three sections are proposed. The pitch of the LED decides the sharpness of the image - the shorter the pitch, the sharper the image will be. Different levels of illumination are used to achieve different degrees of 'invisibility'.[5][10][11]

Because of the arrangement of the LED screens, the tower will appear invisible from only certain points distributed around the tower, ranging from near the tower to Seoul Bridge, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away. The screens will be so arranged that the tower will be visible from high altitudes, such as to airplanes and birds.[11]

Purpose

Tower Infinity will be used primarily for entertainment and leisure purpose with a 4D theater, restaurants, a water park, landscaped gardens and the third-highest observation deck in the world. When the tower invisible cloak is turned off the projectors may be used as a huge billboard for broadcasting special events and advertisements.[10] Floor plan is open enabling looking multiple floors on ascent.[12] The tower will also have a slow high capacity elevator that will stop at different heights and on a screen real time view of other world monuments will be projected.[11]

A computer rendering of Tower Infinity

References

  1. ↑ http://abc7chicago.com/archive/9247080/
  2. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2013/09/13/south-korea-will-soon-be-home-to-an-invisible-skyscraper/
  3. ↑ "Cheongna City Infinity Tower". Skyscraper Center. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Chan, Kelly. "GDS Architects to Design World's First Invisible Tower". Architizer. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  5. 1 2 Cripps, Karla (16 September 2013). "Coming soon: World's first 'invisible' tower". CNN. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "South Korea 'invisible' Tower Infinity to reach 1500-feet tall". ABC News. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  7. ↑ Knapp, Alex (2013-09-13). "South Korea Will Soon Be Home To An Invisible Skyscraper". Forbes. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  8. ↑ GDS website
  9. ↑ Weber, Peter (19 September 2013). "Why South Korea is building an invisible skyscraper". The Week. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  10. 1 2 Willett, Megan (11 September 2013). "Korea Will Soon Be Home To The World's First 'Invisible' Skyscraper". Business Insider. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 Knapp, Alex (18 September 2013). "The Science And Philosophy Behind Korea's Planned Invisible Tower". Forbes. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Wagner, Meg (17 September 2013). "World's First Invisible Skyscraper Planned in South Korea". Mashable. Retrieved 13 October 2013.

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