Stunning Works of Architecture We've Seen In K-Dramas

From the cutting edge Zaha Hadid DDP to the dramatic Alhambra, K-Dramas are a vehicle to experience a variety of architectural wonders

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Anna Rosete

October 6, 2020, 04:46 PM / UPDATED August 14, 2022, 02:16 PM

K-Dramas have been the companions that keep on giving during this quarantine period. Known for their compelling plot lines, meticulous production and swoon-worthy heroes, they also offer glimpses of stunning architecture worldwide.

This is the week of World Architecture Day, whose theme this year calls for the betterment of sustainable urban development, a reminder that investing in viable housing solutions and other building typologies creates a healthier future for our cities and built environment. The examples we've spotted in these K-Dramas support some of the most riveting plot lines for their enduring majesty. If, as citizens, we all continue to advocate for sustainable building solutions and even adaptive reuse, our architecture may see generations to come, and become fitting locations that enhance the telling of well-loved stories.

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A post shared by Mona (@mulan1199) on Sep 25, 2018 at 10:52am PDT

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Some of KDrama Locations in the neighborhood of Anguk-dong. 1. Goblin, where Eun Tak and Kim Shin first met. 2. While You Were Sleeping of Lee Jong Suk and Suzy. 3. Goblin, where Grim Reaper erased Sunny's memory.

A post shared by Tine Gajo (@ishtine18) on May 4, 2018 at 12:22am PDT

Let’s take a look at the most notable architecture featured in K-Dramas.

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By Metro.StyleSeptember 28 2023, 11:13 AM

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP by Zaha Hadid)

Those who have seen Record of Youth, Love Alarm, Perfume, Are You Human, Fated to Love, The Producers and My Love From The Star are familiar with the Dongdaemun Design Plaza or the DDP by Zaha Hadid Architects, completed in 2014. This massive urban project was the first project in South Korea to have been constructed using BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology. This allowed the architects to adapt the design and construction to the client’s evolving design brief. Its facade is made of a cladding system that consists of 45,000 panels of different sizes and degrees of curvature, which was designed using a parametric modeling system, cutting down on prohibitive costs. The facade is animated by the reflections of LED lights coming from the signages of the buildings surrounding it. Its reflective surface in effect changes with the conditions of the surrounding built urban setting.

If you watched Kingdom Seasons 1 and 2, Rookie Historian Go Hae-Ryung, Rooftop Prince and Jewel in the Palace, you’ve seen the Changdokgung Palace. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997 for being an "outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design" and “[integration] into and harmonized with the natural setting" and its adaptation "to the topography and retaining indigenous tree cover,” per the UNESCO World Heritage committee. This location has seen South Korea’s history unfold. It was the most favored palace of the Joseon princes. Like many historical sites, it has seen damage through time, most notably from the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1910-1945. Its current condition reportedly represents 30% of the original East Palace Complex.

Photo Credit: @changdeokgung

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Eiffel Tower and The Jardins du Trocadero

Seen in The Package, the City of Lights’ main monument and surroundings have been on many a lovers’ destination bucket list. The Jardins du Trocadero were originally planned by Adolphe Alphand for the Exposition Universelle in 1878, but as we know it today, was designed by Parisian Architect, Roger-Henri Expert, for the Exhibition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans La Vie Moderne in 1937. Looming over it on the opposite side of the Seine is the Eiffel Tower, designed by the Engineer, Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World’s Fair. Worldwide, this structure is considered to be the symbol of Paris, having been the world’s tallest manmade structure in the world, surpassed by New York’s Chrysler Building in 1930. Today, it has Europe’s highest observation deck accessible to the public at 276 m above ground.