Paradise City
Integrating Korea’s past, present and future with art and entertainment in an immersive K-wave destination. Master planning, interiors and architecture by WATG.
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Project Data
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Location
Incheon, South Korea
Asia Pacific -
Size
330,000 square meters
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Services
Architecture, Master Planning
Statistics
- Paradise City is Korea’s first integrated resort
- With 7,000 square meters spanning four floors, Chroma, designed by Wimberly Interiors, is Northeast Asia’s largest nightclub
- The primary hotel includes 711 guest rooms and a curation of 2,700 art pieces
- Completed in 2019, Paradise City broke ground in 2014 and began opening in phases in 2017
- The resort was expected to create over 750,000 new jobs
Located in the International Business Center of Incheon International Airport, Paradise City is South Korea’s first integrated resort (IR) combining hospitality, entertainment, and gaming in a dynamic yet singular destination. Master planned by WATG, Paradise City’s differentiator is its thematic focus on “Hallyu,” or the Korean wave, catering to domestic and international tourists seeking an authentic immersion into Korean culture and pop culture.
The clients were clear in their motivation to create the form of a city – a collection of buildings designed by different architects in order to create energy and diversity – as well as the soul of a city, with intentional connections to the past, present, and future. The concept of “art-tainment” drives an emphasis on creativity and artistic expression that is evident throughout Paradise City, where East meets West, and Korea’s ancient traditions merge with the modern explosion of innovation and talent coming from Korean culture.
The heart of the city and of the master plan is the plaza which grounds visitors in nostalgia via features like a clock tower and fountains. The city’s individual components or zones radiate from this plaza, each featuring its own unique experience, including hotels, a spa, conference spaces, a casino, an art gallery, retail (including K-beauty shops), a film studio reserved for K-wave productions, an indoor theme park, and Northeast Asia’s largest nightclub, Chroma, with interiors designed by Wimberly Interiors. Each component is distinct yet connected to the others, with seamless and artful transitions between the zones to offer a unique integrated resort experience for visitors.
The resort’s primary hotel was also designed by WATG, featuring architecture that reflects a sense of timelessness paired with vibrant, modern energy. This five-star luxury resort offers 711 guest rooms and amenities for all guest types ranging from families with kids to couples and business travelers, while the classic architecture provides a sophisticated backdrop for abundant art and sculpture. A Highline park connects the roof of the hotel with the plaza, where the majority of Paradise City visitors arrive.
With 80’ ceilings and colorful installations, the indoor plaza inspires an immediate sense of awe that draws guests in to explore. As they move under the clock tower out to the outdoor plaza, they’re immersed in the city’s K-wave experience with access to Chroma, the Wonder Box theme park, Paradise film studio, and more. All at once they feel grounded in time: connected to the nostalgia of the plaza and the luxury of the hotel, but open to evolve and look toward the future with energy and excitement.
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