G-20 Summit
G-20 Summit
BY Fast Company Calendar
Thu Nov 11, 2010
When heads of state fly into Seoul this week to talk finance, they'll no doubt also tour the nearby brand-spankin'-new Songdo International Business District. The $35 billion development is one of the world's priciest, and it's no wonder: Architectural powerhouse Kohn Pedersen Fox (of Las Vegas's Mandarin Oriental) designed this man-made island cum free-trade zone. Slated for full completion by 2015, Songdo not only focuses on the future -- sustainable design and ultramodern high-rises -- but also pays homage to global architectural glories of the past, touting look-alikes of Central Park, the Sydney Opera House, the Venetian canals, and the boulevards of Paris. So make yourselves at home, presidents and prime ministers. It's good for the Seoul. -- LC