144
Global
Height rank

Northeast Asia Trade Tower

Incheon
Height 305.0 m / 1,001 ft
Floors 68
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Northeast Asia Trade Tower

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

NEATT

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2011

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

South Korea

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Incheon

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

residential / hotel / office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

composite

Core
Reinforced Concrete
Columns
Concrete Encased Steel
Floor Spanning
Steel
Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

305.0 m / 1,001 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
305.0 m / 1,001 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
276.7 m / 908 ft
Observatory
276.7 m / 908 ft
Helipad
Height, measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance, to the building's helipad.
300.0 m / 984 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

68

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

3

# of Apartments
Number of Apartments refers to the total number of residential units (including both rental units and condominiums) contained within a particular building.

200

# of Hotel Rooms
Number of Hotel Rooms refers to the total number of hotel rooms contained within a particular building.

204

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

1357

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

22

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

140,000 m² / 1,506,947 ft²

Rankings
#
144
Tallest in the World
#
84
Tallest in Asia
#
5
Tallest in South Korea
#
1
Tallest in Incheon
#
65
Tallest Mixed-use Building in the World
#
45
Tallest Mixed-use Building in Asia
#
3
Tallest Mixed-use Building in South Korea
#
1
Tallest Mixed-use Building in Incheon
#
82
Tallest Composite Building in the World
#
68
Tallest Composite Building in Asia
#
2
Tallest Composite Building in South Korea
#
1
Tallest Composite Building in Incheon
Construction Schedule
2005

Proposed

2006

Construction Start

2011

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Architect of Record

Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Wind
Owner/Developer
Gale International
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Architect of Record

Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Project Manager

The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.

Parsons Brinckerhoff Consultants Private Limited
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Wind

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2010 Award of Excellence

2010 CTBUH Awards

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

22 August 2018 - CTBUH Research

CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2011

31 December 2011 - CTBUH Journal

Videos

03 February 2010 | Incheon

Symbiosis: Supertalls and Future Cities

KPF has designed some of the most iconic tall buildings around the world, including the Shanghai World Financial Centre which won the CTBUH 2008 Best...

Research

01 September 2015

Outrigger Systems for Tall Buildings in Korea

Kwangryang Chung and Wonil Sunu, DongYang Structural Engineers

Outrigger systems are highly efficient since they utilize the perimeter zone to resist lateral forces, similar to tubular systems. The entire structural weight can be...

About Northeast Asia Trade Tower

The Northeast Asia Trade Tower symbolizes the region’s role as a new center of economic activity and development. The tower embodies the planning principles of New Songdo City, a 607 hectare (1,500 acre), master-planned community on the Incheon, Korea, waterfront. Northeast Asia Trade Tower is a large-scale mixed-use development designed to attract top tier Global and Korean companies as tenants to this new international free-trade zone. Occupying a site centrally located at the southern edge of Songdo Central Park, the tower is adjacent to the Songdo Convensia Convention Center, and near the Songdo First World Towers. The tallest building in Korea at the time of its completion, Northeast Asia Trade Tower rises above the new city offering views of the Yellow Sea, the cities of Seoul and Incheon, and the surrounding mountains.

The tall form tapers from a trapezoid shape at the ground level to a triangle at the top, reflecting the shifting programs within. The tower’s large base accommodates the open floor plates required by office tenants, while the tower’s slender upper floors provide hotel and residential spaces with shallower floor plates, maximizing views and light penetration. The very top of the tower—its observation space—is fittingly paired with the tower’s most slender profile. The transition in plan from trapezoidal to triangular form translates into an elegant exterior with reflective faces that resemble elongated triangles, the edges of which converge and diverge in an alternating pattern.

The form appears to lean toward Songdo Central Park and, in fact, it does bow out by 5m (16ft). This effect is achieved without compromising the tower’s stability. To stabilize the structure of the building, the core rises vertically and the centroid of the tower mass aligns with the centroid of the tower ground level, thereby eliminating any rotational forces in the foundation from the tower form. This results in a very efficient structural system. The concrete core and the lightweight steel floor framing are conventional construction methods resulting in a cost effective building.

Northeast Asia Trade Tower serves as a model of sustainable design strategies, carefully balancing energy conservation, increased indoor environmental quality, and occupant comfort. The exterior glazing allows for abundant daylight penetration and expansive views. Exterior shading devices, together with a high performance glazing specification, limit solar heat gain and reduce air conditioning costs. Operable windows allow for smoke exhaust and small LED lights are embedded into the façade outriggers greatly reducing the energy spent on lighting the building at night.

Like other buildings in New Songdo City, Northeast Asia Trade Tower purchases district hot water from a new, highly efficient cogeneration facility located nearby. Hot water, used for heating and cooling via absorption chillers, is generated from waste heat recovered during the process of producing electricity. The building is estimated to reduce source-energy CO2 emissions by 6,000 tons per year when compared to a “standard” code-compliant office tower with on-site electric chillers and a natural-gas boiler plant.

Because water conservation is a chief concern in Korea, the design for Northeast Asia Trade Tower addresses this issue in several ways. First, low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce water usage by more than 20% in comparison to the consumption rate of a typical office building. Second, a grey water collection system is used for flushing toilets and urinals to further decrease potable water demand and reduce sewage conveyance. Third, the building utilizes collected stormwater for site irrigation via large storage tanks, reducing potable water used for this purpose by more than 50%.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2010 Award of Excellence

2010 CTBUH Awards

01 September 2015

Outrigger Systems for Tall Buildings in Korea

Kwangryang Chung and Wonil Sunu, DongYang Structural Engineers

Outrigger systems are highly efficient since they utilize the perimeter zone to resist lateral forces, similar to tubular systems. The entire structural weight can be...

11 June 2014

Highest Helipads

CTBUH Research

In this installment of Tall Buildings in Numbers, CTBUH considers how helipads are used on skyscrapers, and which are the highest in the world. The...

31 December 2011

Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2011

Nathaniel Hollister & Antony Wood, CTBUH

The annual story is becoming a familiar one: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and now 2011 have each sequentially broke the record for the most 200...

01 November 2011

South Korea: Past, Present and Future

CTBUH Research

As of the year 2000, there were only 9 buildings 150 meters or taller in all of South Korea. Just twelve years later, there are...

03 March 2008

Structural System of North-East Asia Trade Tower in Korea

Kwang Chung & Do Hyun Kim, Dong Yang Structural Engineers; David Scott, Ove Arup

NEATT is a unique, tapered structure of 68 stories high (305 m) which can be characterized by its highly irregular shape and two outrigger floors....

01 December 2007

The Effects of Complex Geometry on Tall Towers

David Scott, David Farnsworth, Matt Jackson & Matt Clark, Arup

Advancements in the application of computational capabilities to the design and analysis of building structures has enabled the realization of tall buildings with complex geometries....

22 August 2018

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

CTBUH has released a Tall Buildings in Numbers (TBIN) interactive data study on the world's tallest buildings with dampers.

31 December 2011

CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2011

The annual story is becoming a familiar one: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and now 2011 have each sequentially broke the record for the most 200 meter or higher buildings completed in a given year. Once again, more 200 m+ buildings were completed in 2011 than in any year previous.

3 December 2011

South Korea: Past, Present and Future

As of the year 2000, there were only 9 buildings 150 meters or taller in all of South Korea. Just twelve years later, there are now 124 buildings 150+ meters in height completed, with another 13 scheduled to complete by the end of this year.

13 October 2011

Incheon Post-Conference Tour Report

The Incheon Free Economic Zone is one of three new districts that are created on reclaimed land from the Yellow Sea.

1 May 2011

Northeast Asia Trade Tower Chosen as Featured Building

The Northeast Asia Trade Tower was recognized as a finalist in the 2010 CTBUH Awards where the jury praised its tapering form as being well suited for its mixed-use program.

12 May 2010

Seoul, Songdo and Meetings

Executive Director, Antony Wood, embarked to Seoul to begin the organization of the anticipated Seoul 2011 conference and tour local tall buildings.