Sinkholes Found Near Lotte World Tower

Five years into construction on the Lotte World Tower, the developers of the skyscraper have received some worrying news. Two sinkholes have been reported in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the building and a nearby lake has seen its water level steadily declining over the past few years. One of the holes was located just 500 meters from the construction site and measured half a meter wide and 20 centimeters deep. The nearby lake has seen its water levels drop from 5 meters to 4.3 meters. Despite the local government ruling out the possibility that the skyscraper’s construction can be blamed for the two sinkholes and falling water level, the Seoul city government is investigating how the falling water level will affect nearby areas.

The Lotte World Tower was first discussed as far back as 1995. It took nearly 15 years to get approval for the building due to its proximity to a military airport. The skyscraper was designed by Kohn Pederson Fox and developed by Lotte Engineering & Construction. Construction began on the 556-meter, 123-story tower in 2009. Once completed, the Lotte World Tower will become the sixth tallest building in the world. The building currently has 70 of its 123 floors completed.

A team of experts was formed to review the tower’s design and determine whether or not the building is safe. The review has forced the developers to delay the opening of adjacent low-rise buildings that are part of the complex. The experts recently discovered underground water pooling in the building’s sixth basement. In addition to affecting the Lotte World Tower, the pooling water could also affect several nearby apartment buildings. As a result, the builders have been pumping water from a nearby mountain into the lake to avoid further lowering the water level. The Lotte World Tower is scheduled to be completed in 2016.