A copy is (not a simple) copy: Role of urban landmarks in branding Seoul as a global city

Abstract

This paper examines the role of urban landmark design in Seoul, after the structural adjustment in the late 1990s, in branding Seoul׳s image as a global city. The topic of urban branding through the use of works of well-known architects has generated much debate, with many arguing that this practice involves a mere culture of the copy, or a thin veneer for a neoliberal urban redevelopment agenda. The case study sites examined in this paper—Some Sevit (Floating Island), Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and Seoullo 7017—are examples of the “free-form” architecture commissioned by the Seoul city government in the hope of generating a “Bilbao Effect,” and thereby promoting tourism in the area. This paper argues that although contemporary urban landmarks in Seoul have the potential to become brandscapes, they do not all stop short at becoming mere copies or a temporary fad. Rather, the conditions under which each landmark is reproduced are deeply situated, and the gap between aspiration and reality brings in different results. © 2019 Higher Education Press Limited Company