Yangon Hotel has a five-star rating and is near Inya Lake in Yangon, the economic heart of Myanmar. Its total area is 104,123㎡, which includes a 15-story luxury hotel (343 rooms), and a 29-story residence hotel (315 rooms). Also on the grounds are various facilities including a convention center, restaurants and a swimming pool.

POSCO Daewoo supervised the whole process from bidding to development and operations. It also manages overall hotel business operations as the project supervisor, and Lotte Hotel is in charge of hotel management under the name “Lotte Hotel Yangon.”

POSCO Daewoo acquired the right to use the land for the hotel site from the Myanmar government back in 2012. Then in 2014, POSCO Daewoo established a consortium with POSCO E&C as the constructor, Lotte Hotel as the hotel operator, Mirae Asset Daewoo as the investor and a local partner. Together they founded a local operating corporation called Daewoo Amara and carried out operations for the hotel under its name.

POSCO Daewoo is the first foreign private company to acquire a 70-year land usage rights from the Myanmar government. This was possible due to POSCO Daewoo’s long history of doing of doing business in Myanmar since the 1980s and the solid business network it has obtained over time.

Having successfully completed the Yangon Hotel, which will become the de facto landmark of Yangon, POSCO Daewoo is said to have proven its competence as a hotel business developer with the technology and expertise of operating hotel businesses in various countries such as China and Bulgaria, as well as Daewoo Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.

POSCO Daewoo President Young-sang Kim said, “The Myanmar hotel was successfully completed thanks to the outstanding business competency of POSCO Daewoo, which was recognized by Myanmar. We will continue to expand our scope of business and transform the company into a comprehensive global firm by adding new businesses such as strategic real estate development to our existing business portfolio which includes overseas trading and resources development.”

To add, POSCO Daewoo is operating a gas field in Myanmar, the largest overseas resource development business run by a private domestic company. It recently invested in a rice processing complex to actively make inroads into the food business and is expanding its business in Myanmar with other projects such as the Shwe Taung 70㎹ Gas-fired Combined Cycle Power Plant construction project.

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Revolutionary Features of Korea’s New Landmark, Northeast Asia Trade Tower

#1. 3-Dimensional Exterior Design Minimizes the Effect of Wind Load

POSCO Engineering & Construction, the construction arm of Korea’s top steelmaker POSCO, applied its most innovative and cutting-edge technology in the construction of NEAT Tower, the tallest building in Korea. To minimize the effect of wind load on the building, the tower was constructed under a 3-dimensional exterior design which features a trapezoid at the base which gradually transforms into a triangle at the top.

#2. Seismic Force Resisting System Utilizing Belt Truss and Outriggers

NEATT’ s main frame system consists of 27 perimeter columns, six corner mega columns, a core wall, and an outrigger/belt truss, all of which are systemically integrated. The core wall takes about 65% of the total gravity load and 70% of the total overturning moment due to wind load. The outrigger systems are installed on the 34^th and 65^th floors of NEATT and the structural design was performed in such a way that the axial load developed in columns due to the outrigger’s share of the overturning moment could also be resisted safely. The outrigger and belt system takes 30% of the overturning moment.

The core walls and columns of NEATT, an SRC structural building, were constructed with 12,841 tons of POSCO’s globally renowned high-strength reinforced concrete and SD40 reinforcing bars. The corner mega column was, for the first time in the construction of skyscrapers in Korea, built with 7,870 tons of SMC570TMC steel. The glass curtain wall enveloping the exterior was installed using low-emissivity glass. Low-emissivity (low-E) coatings are microscopically thin metal layers that are deposited on a window surface to help keep heat on the same side of the glass from which it originated. Glass with Low-E coatings reflect infrared light while allowing visible light, keeping the movement between interior and exterior heat to a minimum.

* Technical specifications of the Northeast Asia Trade Tower referenced from “NEATT Design of Structural System,” Dong Yang Structural Engineers Co., 2014.

#3. High Level Security and Anti-Disaster Measures

As the landmark building of Korea, Northeast Asia Trade Tower boasts high level security and anti-disaster measures. For example, it deployed global positioning system (GPS) sensors to help ensure the real-time measurement of vibration, displacement or deformation in the building caused by external factors, making it possible to preemptively identify any issues that could compromise the safety or structural integrity of the building. Additionally, the Seismic Force Resisting System can withstand magnitude 7-8 earthquakes.

In addition, the anti-disaster control center located on the first basement floor provides the ability to centrally monitor the power supply, lighting, CCTV system, access control and other utility services. The 30^th and 60^th floors each have a shelter that can accommodate up to 4,000 occupants safely and promptly in the event of an emergency, such as a fire. The building has 29 elevators operating at a speed of 420 meters per minute and capable of carrying users from the ground floor to the observatory on the 65^th floor within one minute.

< The anti-disaster control center located on the first basement floor provides the ability to centrally monitor the power supply, lighting, CCTV system, access control and other utility services. >

Going Green: A Striking Example of Sustainable Design

NEATT serves as a model of sustainable design strategies, carefully balancing energy conservation, increased indoor environmental quality, and occupant comfort. With a range of passive design strategies such as daylighting, natural ventilation and energy-efficient HVAC systems, the tower targets to achieve LEED^® Silver certification.

Like other buildings in New Songdo City, NEATT purchases district hot water from a new, highly efficient cogeneration facility located nearby. Hot water, used for heating and cooling via absorption chillers, is generated from waste heat recovered during the process of producing electricity. The building is estimated to reduce source-energy CO2 emissions by 6,000 tons per year when compared to a “standard” code-compliant office tower with on-site electric chillers and a natural-gas boiler plant.

Furthermore, the paint, carpets and wallpaper used in the construction of the building’s interior were of eco-friendly, non-toxic material in order to prevent the occurrence of Sick Building Syndrome.

* NEATT sustainability design features referenced from articles by ARUP and Built Expressions

<A Night View of the NEAT Tower and Songdo International Business District, Incheon>

The Northeast Asia Trade Tower is expected to boost the regional economy along with an increase in floating population, markets, employment and visitors from overseas once companies move into the building. Moreover, it appears to give momentum to draw more businesses to Songdo International Business District since clients of Daewoo International and other companies engaged in the related fields are expected to move into the building. We hope that NEAT tower will soon become Korea’s most well-known landmark in the days to come!