Unique Tower in Gyeongju

Gyeongju Tower is an observation tower in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. Built in 2004–2007, it is located in Gyeongju Expo Park, an international cultural biennial (held since 1998). Nearby is a circular square, in the center of which the paving pattern repeats the mask-tiles of the Silla period (the symbol of Gyeongju). It looks like a rectangular glass plate 82 m high, in which an opening is “cut out” in the shape of a silhouette of a wooden 9-tiered pagoda of the Buddhist monastery Hwangnyongsa (645, not preserved); as a result, the tower resembles a huge arch. The facades, including the inner surface of the arch, serve as a screen for media projections. Inside the tower there is an observation deck, an interactive exhibition dedicated to the history of the Silla state, as well as recreation areas and a cafe. The Gyeongju Tower, together with the Jungdo Tower, is part of the Gyeongju Historical Center Tourist Complex, echoing each other: the silhouette of the pagoda and the replica of the pagoda act as vertical dominants of the landscape. #gyeongju #gyeongjutower