Edward C. Baig

USA TODAY

SEOUL — You're not immediately sure what to make of DDP, the architectural design center that opened in South Korea in late March during Seoul Fashion Week, some five years after construction began. As you approach this amorphous structure for the first time, you can't help but think that some mammoth odd-shaped dirigible landed in the middle of a congested round-the-clock Seoul shopping area. I didn't visit at night when it is all lit up, but pictures suggest something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. No wonder the Koreans point to Seoul's latest tourist attraction as the venue to witness the "early arrival of the future."

In fact, DDP, which stands for Dongdaemun Design Plaza — or alternatively Dream, Design, Play — is a showcase for Zaha Hadid, the celebrated Iraqi-born, London-based architect who designed the place.

The goal: Establish a hub of design shops and museum exhibitions as a "first mover" when it comes to setting trends.

DDP actually consists of three buildings wrapped into one and the surrounding public space. The exterior structure is made up of 45,133 aluminum panels of varying sizes and patterns. There are no obvious boundaries between walls and ceilings. Above ground are four stories; there are three levels underground. Some stairways make you feel like you are being drawn into a cave. Cantilevers resemble hat brims. DDP was built around ancient city walls and cultural artifacts discovered during an archaeological expedition before construction. The cost to build the place was more than $450 million.

The facility includes art and conference halls, a design museum, design lab, design market, cafes and the Dongdaemun History and Culture Park that is an outdoor respite for artists, street performers and visitors.

The main 1,500-seat art hall space inside hosts fashion shows and other events; coming this month is a "fashion musical" called My Muse.

Visitors to the design museum can see "The Treasures of Kansong," a collection of traditional Korean artwork on loan from Korea's private Kansong Art Museum, of which a major highlight is the Hunminjeongeum Haeryea, a 15th-century script shown behind glass that served as a guide to the creation of the Korean alphabet known today as Hangul. Most Koreans have seen it only in history books.

As a sports junkie, I was drawn to a handsome exhibit exploring the convergence of design, sports and art. Hanging on one wall, for example, are gloves used in competition: boxing gloves adjacent to baseball mitts, adjacent to golf gloves, and so on. On another wall is a row of hockey sticks, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, tennis rackets, cricket paddles, and more. Or another display juxtaposes balls and other objects used on the court or field of play: basketball, soccer ball, ping pong ball and badminton shuttlecock.

You can admire colorful race cars, helmets and various other forms of sporting apparel, including uniforms and footwear. A sign in the exhibit reads "Sports without beauty is hard to imagine. The value of sports as a form of beauty has greatly contributed to the rich aesthetic sensibility of people."

The sports exhibit pays homage to DDP's location, which happens to be on the site of Dongdaemun Stadium, a baseball stadium that was demolished in 2008.

Elsewhere in the museum, the work of Italian modernist artist and furniture designer Enzo Mari is on display. And so, of course, are Zaha Hadid's own creations, including contemporary furniture, chandeliers and fashion items.

Hadid's clear acrylic liquid glacial dining table that appears as if it were created by an ice formation caught my eye. So did her zigzag-shaped stainless Z-Chair for Sawaya and Moroni. Also on display: Hadid's Nova Shoe for United Nude. The upper portion of the shoes combine what is being described as metallic chromed vinyl rubber. The shoes are lined with high-quality Italian kid nappa leather. The hidden platform and heel are composed of fiberglass, while the outsole is made of rubber. The shoes were produced in limited quantities; they fetch $2,000.

The public design market at DDP is open 24 hours a day. Hours for specific exhibits vary. The museum, for example, is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. The design lab is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The entry fee for Kansong exhibit and the sports design exhibit is about $7.80.

Click here for a virtual tour.