Incheon Lotte Mall Songdo Building Permit Changed... Scheduled to Open in 2026

'Lotte Mall Songdo,' being developed in the heart of Songdo International City, Incheon, is expected to proceed in full swing following the recent approval of its building permit (permit modification).

On the 15th, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced that the building permit was approved after the plan for Lotte Mall Songdo was changed to an urban resort and an evolved design shopping mall.

Lotte Mall Songdo is a resort-style complex shopping mall being constructed by Lotte Shopping Co., Ltd. in the area of 8-1, Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The basic concept was designed through collaboration between Richard Meier, an internationally renowned architect famous for winning the Pritzker Prize (often called the Nobel Prize of architecture) and known as the "white architect," and James Corner, a landscape architect who designed New York's High Line Park.

Lotte Mall Songdo Bird's-eye View [Provided by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]

The complex will be built with a total floor area of 296,000㎡, consisting of an accommodation building (3 basement floors, 23 above-ground floors) and a retail building (5 basement floors, 6 above-ground floors). Among these, the retail facilities will be designed to harmonize with natural green spaces in line with the concept of a resort-style shopping mall. Lotte Mall Songdo will break away from the existing single-type complex building shopping mall format and will be composed of premium zones, street malls, and trendy F&B stores.

Additionally, the resort will be developed as a differentiated space aiming for a 'staycation'?a place where people want to stay?featuring a luxury urban resort with 23 above-ground floors and around 200 rooms. In particular, a 'plage' combining a waterside plaza and eco-friendly green spaces will be created in the central square to establish an attractive landmark for both visitors to Lotte Mall Songdo and Songdo residents.

According to Lotte Shopping Co., Ltd., Lotte Mall Songdo is expected to open in the first half of 2026. An official from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority stated, "With the establishment of Lotte Mall Songdo, we expect it to significantly contribute not only to new job creation in the Incheon area but also to the revitalization of the local economy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.