63 Building

The 63 Building went up on Yeouido in 1985 for the Asian Games and the Olympics that followed, and at 249 metres it was the tallest building in Korea - and outside North America - for a considerable stretch afterwards. Its cladding is gold-tinted reflective glass, which at sunset turns the whole slab copper along the Han and is the reason it reads as a landmark rather than an office block. It has been overtaken many times over, most obviously by Lotte World Tower, but it keeps a place in the city's self-image. The 63 Art observatory on the top floor is billed as the highest art gallery in the world and combines exhibitions with the view over the river, the bridges and the National Assembly; there is an aquarium in the basement and restaurants at the top. Yeouido Hangang Park is at the foot, and the cherry blossom on Yunjungno behind the National Assembly is the district's spring event.

What you actually see

• The gold glass - the reflective slab above the Han.
• The 63 Art observatory - gallery and view on the top floor.
• The river panorama - bridges and the city from the deck.
• The aquarium - the basement attraction at the base.

When to go

Year-round; late afternoon into sunset for the light on the building and the view from the top. Haze in summer reduces visibility considerably.

Honest expectations

It is no longer among the tallest in the city and the deck is lower than Lotte's or Namsan's. Observatory and aquarium are separately ticketed and not cheap. Views suffer badly in haze.

Nearby

Yeouido Hangang Park is at the base; the National Assembly and the spring cherry road are behind.