LG Electronics Flagship D5, Republic of Korea

LG Electronics’ flagship D5, located on Dosan-daero in Seoul, has been transformed with a new look through the use of traditional terracotta and a refined curtain wall façade. During the day, natural sunlight catches the inherent materiality of the terracotta and brings out its fine micro-texture in a very honest way. As evening approaches, a softly glowing media façade begins to appear between the terracotta louvers. Its controlled luminance and gentle optical grazing reinterpret the building as a more dynamic and slightly poetic architectural landmark.

The media façade serves not only as a ‘canvas of light’ for artistic content but also as an urban interface that visualizes real-time data such as time, temperature, and weather. With carefully managed luminance ratios, chromatic consistency, and smooth temporal transitions, the building speaks to the city in readable visual language. More than simply illuminating the exterior, the media facade subtly reshapes the city’s nightscape, becoming a medium that connects the city and its people.

The key design concept is to unify lighting with architectural materials so that both functional integrity and aesthetic quality are achieved. With calibrated optical control and balanced levels of vertical illuminance, pedestrians and drivers can experience a wide range of content while remaining in a state of visual comfort.

The media façade lighting was designed as an indirect system that gently grazes the surface of the terracotta. Custom-made profiles were developed with optimized aiming angles for the upper and lower tiers so that the content remains legible while minimizing glare, direct-view luminance, and unnecessary exposure of light sources. A single lighting profile per 1,000mm terracotta module also allows for straightforward, 1:1 maintenance of both the terracotta units and the illumination.

The wall-grazing lighting at the upper curtain wall is synchronized with the media façade content, allowing the entire building to be perceived as a cohesive visual composition. Coordinated color transitions and well-calibrated dimming curves help the building maintain a unified luminous identity. Anti-glare accessories and controlled cut-off further reduce visual discomfort and access for maintenance is ensured through the internal catwalk system.

The media façade, the wall-grazing lighting and the interior illumination create a balanced volumetric presence and a coherent visual narrative across the building. The fine control of brightness, spectral stability, and color adjustability across all lighting fixtures supports a restrained yet expressive architectural presence. In contrast to its daytime character, the building offers a wider spectrum of dynamic nighttime experiences and hints at future possibilities for architecture as a cultural and technological medium that encourages interaction between the city and people.

[Media Facade]
Size : Width 25m, Height 28.1m
Pixels : Horizontal 250, Vertical 230, Total pixels 57,500
Pixel Pitch : Horizontal 100mm, Vertical 120mm