Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, usually called DDP, is a large cultural complex designed by Zaha Hadid with the Korean firm Samoo and opened in March 2014. It stands on the site of the former Dongdaemun Stadium, and its flowing, windowless form, clad in thousands of curved metal panels, looks like nothing else in Seoul. It quickly became a symbol of the city's design ambitions, and the area around it is a favourite backdrop for photographs.

Inside, the building holds exhibition halls, design galleries, a museum and shops selling work by Korean designers, linked by long, sloping ramps that are part of the experience. Exhibitions change through the year and are usually ticketed, but you can walk through much of the building and around its plazas for free. DDP also hosts Seoul Fashion Week, product launches and conferences, and in season the Seoul Light event turns its outer walls into a giant screen for media art after dark.

On the eastern side is Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Excavations before construction uncovered sections of the old Seoul City Wall, a water gate known as Igansumun, and remains of Joseon-era buildings, now displayed outdoors and in a small history museum. The contrast between the fortress stones and Hadid's curves is part of what makes the site interesting.

DDP suits design and architecture fans, photographers and anyone exploring the Dongdaemun shopping district, which is known for wholesale fashion markets and malls that trade late into the night. Opening hours vary by space, with most areas open from about 10:00 to 20:00, and the complex closes on 1 January, Lunar New Year and Chuseok. Allow an hour to walk around, or longer for an exhibition. The building is fully accessible, with lifts and wheelchair and pushchair loans.

Paid lockers by subway Exit 1, on the first floor of the Design Lab and inside the Art Hall are useful if you arrive with luggage or shopping bags from the nearby fashion malls.

Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, on Lines 2, 4 and 5, has an exit directly beside the plaza. Heunginjimun, the great east gate of the old city, and Gwangjang Market are within walking distance to the north, and the Cheonggyecheon stream path passes close by.