Metapolis
Hwasung, Korea

The 280,000-m2 (three-million-sf) Metapolis has topped out. The mixed-use development consists of four residential high rises, a commercial tower, a hotel and a plaza with retail and community facilities. Thornton Tomasetti provided structural engineering services through extended design development for Phase I for the 66-story residential high rise, the tallest of the four residential towers and the country’s fourth tallest completed structure. The tower includes four levels of underground parking. A significant challenge was meeting both safety and serviceability requirements—controlling overall building drift and wind-induced accelerations at higher floors—to conform to Korean building codes. The engineering team developed a lateral load-resisting system consisting of a reinforced concrete core and a perimeter belt wall, efficiently and economically providing overall building stiffness. The project required international coordination with three local engineers—Midas IT, Chang Minwoo and Dowha—and the architect, Kunwon. Overseeing construction are Posco E&C and Shin-Dongah Construction. The grand opening is scheduled for August 2010.