Dongdaemun Design Plaza/DDP @ Night (part 4): A Worth-Visiting New Landmark of Seoul

It's almost 10 pm and we got to get back home. Yet...lots of people were still flocking into this MOTHER SPACESHIP.^^ Yes..it's like moths being zapped into the lights.^^ 

We were also among the moths^^ being attracted into the BRIGHT lights of this mother spaceship-like Dongdaemun Design Plaza. We didn't see any aliens..since we ARE the aliens.^^ 

With Kiki and his wife, me and my family were really enjoying having our first taste of DDP. 

We finally saw the alien spaceship docked in the heart of Seoul. At night would be a recommended time to visit this place. Or do it both. See it at day to see what it looks like and compare it when the lights are ON..and you'll probably end up having to take a picture like this.^^ 

And...LOVE from Seoul.  

Just like visiting the DDP was not enough, the whole area of DDP was also another major attractions for the eyes. It's really a feast to the eyes..since buildings were also like 'sources of attraction' that would draw moth-like visitors to keep on visiting this fashion district.

So...this is it...^^ DDP @ Night.

A new landmark of Seoul which is surely a worth-visiting venue.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) @ Night (part 4): The Design Shops

As the name suggests, "DESIGN PLAZA", this place indeed offers lots of cool designs to look at and to buy. Mind you...they are mostly intricately and dangerously mind-alluring that easily traps those shop-holics.  

Each design shop has its own eye-catching way of luring the customers to go inside the store.  

Apart from that, we're always tempted to take as many pictures as possible in every way we could. 

Like these ones. 

Going further and further into other arrays of shops, we encountered different shops displaying newly invented creative products. 

I could've just taken pictures of the intricately designed products being displayed on each rack...but...I don't think that'd be wise of me to do that. 

So..let me just take some pictures with the kids hampering(?), jumping around, running around the whole section of the shop. 

I mean..it would take at least half a day to satisfy the appetite of admiring the design/products. It may look like any other normal shops..but ...I could assure you that these ones are NOT. 

Then..found this seemingly trivial stuffs to display..yet..it grabbed my daughter's attention to do just that. 

Yes...that's what it was meant to be.

That yellow watering can was NOT put there accidentally.

Kids like you would've surely lift it up and do the make-believe of watering the flowers.^^

That's what actually this Design Plaza is all about.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) @ Night (part 3)

As the name suggests, this Design Plaza is full of wow-moment out of admiring the architecture that emerges from everywhere I set my angles to take some pictures. 

Like this one. Om Kiki who was followed by Eyra and Freya were walking away from me...and as they were getting smaller...I took my camera and then..I realized how huge the columns were. Yup..those columns are exceptionally huge. 

With the lighting on place...it only adds the sense of depth on each one of them.

Well, at least..that's what I felt. 

As we were going away into another level of the MOTHER spaceship, I saw (again) the changing colors of the DDP walls^^ (Gee..I don't know why I LOVEEEE referring this HUGE place as the Spacecraft)..coz it felt like this.^^ 

Then...we bumped into something familiar yet...out of place vehicle. But..on second thought..it WAS NOT out of place...In fact...it's a brilliant idea. I mean...the whole idea of constructing this MOTHER spaceship was to show different facades and types of designs. So..a Philippines Jeepney also fits into the whole area of exhibition. 

Let's take a moment to share.^^ 

And..as we ventured deeper into section after section of the building, we encountered endless arrays of exhibitions, be it on the wall OR on the ceiling like these ones. 

They're lights or neon on the shapes of books. Yes..another eye-catching design that made me click my camera endlessly.

AND YET...IT WAS ONLY 10% of the whole area in DDP.

Gosh...I would never be able to cover this whole MOTHER SPACESHIP.

I think I got to go back AGAIN. ^^(agreeeeeeeddddd).

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) @ Night (part 2)

We've been wanting to visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza at night (NOT at day, especially during a terribly hot summer like this:). So, since it's holiday and the kids are out of school, we've been 'pondering' over where to go..what to do...everyday. So, after going back from DMZ tour, today we visited Dongdaemun.

It turned out that DDP is having lots of exhibitions. This is WOW...I mean...it's WETA workshop exhibition. With 15,000 Won ticket, we can get access to the works of WETA, especially those related with the Lord of the Ring trilogy.

Hmm..too bad..it's closed when I got there. Of course it's almost 9 pm, Suray.

yes...I should've come sooner. 

Another exhibition being offered to the visitors. 

These are what DDP offers until the end of August/Sept.: exhibitions on

Transformers, SBS Drama, and WETA Fntasy world.

There is a discounted rate if we see all of those 3 exhibitions in one day. 

Okay..for the meantime..let's just go around circling this mother spaceship.

Hmm...I love the changing color of the walls across the whole spacecraft.^^

The ambiance of the whole area was so soothing in the midst of the summer night. 

Right. On this trip, we went along with our friends: Om Kiki and his wife, tante Nia. Om Kiki has been so close..too close with our daughters. So, upon finding out that we'd take this trip with them...Eyra and Freya were ecstatic. 

Green lawn under the parked spaceship.^^ overlooking the brightly illuminated high-rise of Dongdaemun fashion complex. 

This futuristic construction is connected with subway line 2, 4, and 5--> which gives it another advantage of being easily accessible from all parts of the city.

This is the entrance that bisects the underground level with the subways.

pretty neat, uh? 

And what would a trip be without a group picture. 

Hmm, looking at Tanta Nia's spot of standing, I was considering of re-taking another picture with each of us standing right on TOP of each light on the floor so as to give us a beamed effect. So...another visit to DDP at night, then?

Sure..WHY NOT.:-)

Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park: Will it live up to what it promised to BE?+

This is one section of the facades of the soon-to-be-opened design plaza and park @ Dongdaemun. Just got back from there. Witnessed some workers did what looked to be a post-finishing or hmm finishing touch to the supposedly grandiose state-of-the-art plaza. hmm...

well..this is the rendering of what it'll look like when it's fully completed.

But...this is what it looked like...at least at the point of my visit as of today (March 6, 2014). I think it's about to fully operational. At daylight the walls seem to be er...bland but...I saw some rendering that the walls will be glaringly glowing with lights at night. Hope that's gonna be true, though.

So..this is what it looked like as of today. I took Eyra to take a walk even when it was surprisingly cold (again). ^^. Not many people around..and we occasionally encountered some people who happened to be coming in and out of the subway station right underneath this behemoth design. 

This will surely be another must-visit attraction or tourist spot in Seoul. 

Though nothing seems to be 'occupying' the area, I am sure that this plaza will be filled with innumerable exhibits to ease the senses of Seoul sight-seekers.  

The question that remains is whether its function will live up to its 'grandiosely behemoth design!! TIME will tell. ..and I cant' wait to pay another visit when it's officially opened. This March?? hmmm......

Taking a walk around the newly transformed Dongdaemun Area during 꽃샘추위

Yes...today was 꽃샘추이. I think I must've been crazy to take a walk...in a weather like this today...and where? Dongdaemun and...look what I encountered....:

--> What looked like a landed alien spaceship afar....turned out to be the soon-to-be-opened (eta. March, 2014) Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park. I vividly remembered those days when Dongdaemun Stadium (동대문동장) majestically stood there a decade ago. Yes...those days still lingered in my mind. 

But now...the used to be dilapidated and outdated Stadium is GONE. The silver-color coated plaza has replaced the old nostalgic stadium. Hmm..I think it looks more like a..well...spacecraft for me...at a first glance. Sure enough..I read some reviews stating that this will be a new hub for relaxation, leisure, and refuge in the midst of the ever sprawling area like Dongdaemun.

Then..I bumped into this seemingly new department store (Lotte Fitin). I also recollect the days when the area seemed to be so well....neglected a couple of years ago..but now...this modern architectural design seems to mingle seamlessly with the Dongdaemun Design Plaza--which happens to be right in front of it! 

And then...here are other high-rise malls (specially designed for clothing) that seemed to me ..sprung out of nowhere. Yep, it's been like a year or more..since the last time I checked in here:)

I am sorry, Eyra..for asking me to accompany your Daddy to take a walk in the area. Yes..today is 꽃샘추위 ..(kkotsaemchui) where the Winter (that was supposed to be gone) suddenly came back out of nowhere due to her envy *hatred* towards the warmth embrace of Spring. ㅋㅋㅋ

wow...I simply could not believe that Dongdaemun has transformed into a modern area like this one. What I mean by modern is sure...simply based on the color (grey and silver) coated mashed-up buildings:) But..hey..it's cleanly organized...which is completely different from what it used to be (let say) even..5 years ago. 

I guess...it all went down to the fact that the newly built Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park has brought  a new standard of what a shopping and cultural area should be like.

Hope ...when the plaza and park are officially opened...it fills the expectation.