British design firm Heatherwick Studio has unveiled its first residential project in South Korea: a sweeping redevelopment of the Daegyo Apartments in Seoul’s Yeouido district.

Presented to residents earlier this year, the plan replaces a 1975 complex with four flowing towers surrounding a sky garden and open ground level. The rooflines are shaped to echo the mountain silhouettes around Seoul, creating a softer profile than the repetitive high‑rises that dominate the city.

At ground level, the design introduces subterranean courtyards, shaded walkways and terraced gardens intended to buffer the site from traffic while providing residents with quiet green space.

A suite of community amenities — sports facilities, children’s play areas and welfare services for senior citizens — aims to turn the development into a social hub.

Heatherwick Studio notes that the project was informed by surveys of local residents who expressed a desire for unique, textured buildings rather than soulless tower blocks.

As the firm continues to work on other Korean projects, including the CoEx Convention Centre and Nodeul Island, the Daegyo redevelopment signals a push to humanise dense urban living through architecture.