In yet another display of the city 's commitment to 24-hour culture , Seoul is unveiling its biggest nighttime attraction yet in the neon-studded , wildly trendy shopping district of Dongdaemun . Designed by Iraqi-British Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid , and completed at a cost of $ 451 million , the new Dongdaemun Design Plaza ( DDP ) opens to the public March 21 . Commissioned by the Seoul metropolitan government , the plaza features futuristic , spaceship-like curves characteristic of Hadid 's previous work -- she 's also the woman behind the radical design of the national stadium set for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games . DDP will host concerts , conventions and other major events throughout the year . But the first order of business for Seoul 's newest landmark and multipurpose cultural center is to kick off 2014 F/W Seoul Fashion Week . Running through March 26 , Seoul Fashion Week will feature 81 fashion shows by South Korean designers , as well as Blueprint , a trade show from Singapore 's Fashion Week . District makeover . The new building and its adjacent park replace an outdated stadium that had long been an eyesore in an increasingly trendy neighborhood . With most malls in the area open until 5 a.m. ( some are open 24 hours ) , Dongdaemun ( `` East Gate '' ) is usually flooded with shoppers , especially at night . The new plaza will be open 24 hours . Architecture and exhibitions . Construction on the 85,000-square-meter structure began in 2007 and was completed in 2013 . Exhibition spaces are spread over four floors and three underground levels . The building also houses a museum , a design lab and an art hall . National treasures and paintings , along with a design exhibition of Zaha Hadid 's works , will be shown in eight different exhibitions on site . In honor of the grand opening , admission to all exhibitions except the Gansong Arts Collection Exhibition will be free until the end of March . Seoul Fashion Week operates separately from the eight exhibitions . As part of Seoul 's push to showcase its new icon , City Tour buses and airport buses now directly service the DDP . Beginning April 1 , the admission fee to see all exhibitions will be ₩8,000 ( $ 7 ) . Dongdaemun Design Plaza , Euljiro 7-ga Jung-gu , Seoul ; open 24 hours .
Zaha Hadid designed new $ 451 million Seoul landmark . Dongdaemun Design Plaza will be open 24 hours in trendy shopping district . Seoul Fashion Week is the DDP 's first major event . Comment: