Yoido Golden Landmark 63 Square: Pompidou Takes the Place of an Aquarium

July 27, 1985: a 249.6 m golden building shaped like the character for “person”

63 Building was constructed by the Shindonga Group, then the parent company of Korea Life Insurance. The design was handled by the American firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; construction began in February 1980, was completed in May 1985, and the building opened on July 27 of that year.

With a height above ground of 249.6 m, it was the tallest building in the world outside North America when it opened, and is still considered the world’s second-tallest building with a golden exterior, after Macau’s Grand Lisboa. Its form is said to have been designed to symbolize the Chinese character for “person” (人), representing the insurance industry. The site covers a total of 21,430㎡, with a gross floor area of 166,097㎡; construction costs reached the 100-billion-won range, and Samhwan Corporation carried out the construction.

It gained worldwide recognition during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when the Olympic flame was lit at a beacon platform in front of 63 Building. Since 2000, the Seoul International Fireworks Festival has been held in the area around the building. Ownership changed when Hanwha Group acquired Korea Life Insurance (now Hanwha Life) in 2002, and its name changed from “Korea Life 63 Building” to “Hanwha 63 City” and then to the current “63 Square,” though it is still more commonly known by the nickname 63 Building.

2024: the day Aqua Planet 63 and 63 Art closed

In July 2008, the former 60th-floor observatory space of 63 Building became the “63 Art” museum, opened for international art exchange. It operated as a multidisciplinary cultural and arts space where visitors could enjoy views of Seoul alongside artworks, becoming one of the country’s most visited exhibition venues. 63 Art’s final special exhibition was “The Moments of Movies 63” by Argentine illustrator Max Dalton. Visitor numbers actually increased after the closure announcement, and the walls of the observatory cafe were densely covered with wish notes left by past visitors.

In May 2024, the aquarium was dismantled after the establishment of an overseas branch of the Centre Pompidou was confirmed for the former Aqua Planet 63 space in the basement of 63 Building. In 2024, 63 Building closed both its observatory and aquarium, and its reopening, originally scheduled for 2025, was postponed to June 2026.

“Centre Pompidou Hanwha,” opened on June 4, 2026: a new face for the 63 Building annex

“Centre Pompidou Hanwha,” established through a partnership between the Hanwha Cultural Foundation and France’s Centre Pompidou, opened on June 4, 2026. The former 63 Building annex that housed Aqua Planet 63 was demolished and rebuilt as a facility spanning three basement floors and four above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 31,152㎡. It has two large exhibition halls, each approximately 500 pyeong in size. The design was led by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, known for the Louvre Museum renovation, the Élysée Palace, and Incheon International Airport projects; Ssangyong Engineering & Construction began construction in 2024 and completed it in February 2026.

The opening exhibition, “Cubists: Pioneers of Vision,” runs from June 4 through October 4, 2026, surveying the Parisian developments of 1907–1927, when Cubism emerged, through 91 works from the Centre Pompidou collection across eight sections. Tickets are priced at 28,000 won for adults. Visits require advance booking by time slot on the official website, with the following month’s schedule released sequentially on the 15th of each month. Regular on-site docent tours are available to the first 50 people per session without separate reservations, but all admission tickets are single-use, so re-entry with the same ticket is not permitted once you leave. The museum entrance is on the G floor of the 63 Building annex and can also be reached by city bus from Exit 1 of Yeouinaru Station on Line 5.

The 63rd-floor helipad opens after 16 years: “63 Sky Picnic”

The 60th-floor observatory, 250 m above ground, reopened after remodeling as “63 Sky Picnic.” At the main observatory, filled from floor to ceiling with hundreds of mirrors, the skylines of Yeouido, the Han River, Namsan, and the Jamsil area are reflected endlessly. The former helipad on the 63rd-floor rooftop, which had been closed to the public due to air-defense facilities and other restrictions, opened to citizens for the first time in about 16 years. The media-art design was handled by immersive-content company Xovis.

Hours are daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (based on a June 2026 visit). Admission is 27,000 won for adults and 23,000 won for children, including the indoor 60th-floor observatory and exhibitions, as well as access to the outdoor 63rd-floor rooftop. Online bookings receive discounts of up to 10%. All visitors are provided with shoe covers, and because many parts of the floor use mirrors and LEDs, pants are recommended over skirts, and sneakers are recommended over stiletto heels or cleated shoes. Infants under 36 months may enter free when accompanied by a guardian. Visitor reviews often recommend arriving in the late afternoon to enjoy both daytime views and the nightscape in one visit.

How to get there by free shuttle: Exit 4 of Yeouinaru Station and Exit 5 of Yeouido Station

Free shuttle buses to 63 Building are available from four locations: Exit 4 of Yeouinaru Station on Line 5, Exit 5 of Yeouido Station on Line 5, Daebang Station on Line 1, and Saetgang Station on Line 9. Shuttles operate only on weekdays from 09:28 to 17:23 and from 20:00 to 21:00, and do not run on weekends or public holidays. From in front of Exit 5 of Yeouido Station, you can also take city bus No. 11, get off at the stop across from 63 Building (stop no. 19-143), and walk to the building; it is about 130 m from the drop-off point to the entrance.

The main entrance of 63 Building is opposite the Galleria Duty Free entrance, and the main inquiry phone number is 02-789-6363. The road-name address is 50, 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

Admission fees and parking validation: practical checklist

In summary, admission to the Centre Pompidou Hanwha opening exhibition is 28,000 won for adults, while 63 Sky Picnic costs 27,000 won for adults and 23,000 won for children; the two facilities must be booked separately. However, from June 8 through December 31, 2026, Centre Pompidou Hanwha visitors receive a 30% discount on 63 Sky Picnic admission. Note that general visitor entry to 63 Sky Picnic may be restricted on certain dates reserved for private events (for example, September 5, 2026), so check website notices before visiting.

For 63 Sky Picnic, parking is free for one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekends, with an additional charge of 1,000 won per 10 minutes thereafter. When using other facilities as well, free parking can be extended to a maximum of three hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends. Reservations and notices for Centre Pompidou Hanwha can be checked on its official website (centrepompidou-hanwha.kr), while 63 Sky Picnic reservations are available at 63skypicnic.com.

When and with whom to visit — and who it may not suit

Trip.com Guide recommends allowing about two to three hours for visiting 63 Building. When it was completed in 1985, 63 Building was the tallest building in the country, but several taller office buildings have since been built. However, because most of them are office buildings with restricted public access, 63 Building’s enduring advantage is that it remains “an observatory anyone can go up to.”

However, because Hanwha, a defense contractor, is the operator, some civic groups held protests around the opening of Centre Pompidou Hanwha. Exhibition tickets are single-use and do not allow re-entry after leaving, so visitors with children should take care of restroom needs and meals beforehand. Due to the observatory’s many reflective glass floors, it may also be somewhat uncomfortable for visitors wearing high heels.