Cover Wonderbox, a family-centric recreational centre at Paradise City

Here are the must-see venues of integrated resort Paradise City, which features a hotel featured in the Netflix hit series, ‘Single’s Inferno’

This story was first published on November 26, 2018 and updated on 14 January, 2022.


The next time you’re on a flight to Seoul, keep an eye out for a golden spot before you land at the Incheon International Airport. Visible from aerial view, the distinctive golden circle marks the entrance of the Chroma nightclub at the Paradise City integrated resort in Incheon, South Korea. Designed by Amsterdam-based firm MVDRV, the club at Paradise City, forms part of the resort’s ambitious plans for its art and design-driven concept. “Passengers in the incoming aircraft can already see this ‘sun’ from above the ocean, as a kind of welcome to South Korea,” says Winy Maas, principal and co-founder of MVRDV.

The hotel was also featured on the Netflix hit series Single's Inferno, which aims to pair young and eligible Korean bachelors and bachelorettes. It's a dreamy setting where coupled contestants go to get to know each other more; the glamorous hotel has also been well-received by viewers and contestants alike for its luxurious interiors, plush beds, and excellent room service.

Read More: Inside the Home of Netflix's ‘Single’s Inferno’ Breakout Star Song Ji-a in Seoul
 

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Photo 1 of 2 Paradise Hotel and Resort formed the actual 'Paradise' on Netflix's Single's Inferno (Image: Netflix)
Photo 2 of 2 Contestants on the show who manage to successfully couple up are able to escape to 'Paradise' and indulge in a luxurious night's stay and decadent food (Image: Netflix)

First opened in April 2017, the Paradise City integrated resort is a US$1.7 billion (approximately S$1.81 billion) joint investment between Korean hospitality group Paradise Group and Japanese entertainment enterprise Sega Sammy.

“We believe that art should be accessible,” explains Elizabeth Chun, vice president and chief design officer of Paradise group. “You can stay for a weekend, or visit Paradise City during your transit and be exposed to over 3,000 artworks.”

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Photo 1 of 4 Designed by MVRDV, the eye-catching nightclub Chroma at Paradise City in Incheon, features an eye-catching gold facade
Photo 2 of 4 Another view of the Chroma night club at Paradise City, and the adjacent Wonderbox, a family recreational park
Photo 3 of 4 Wonderbox, a family-centric recreational centre at Paradise City
Photo 4 of 4 The building is remarkable to see on all angles

The sprawling site presently features two hotels, a casino, concert venues, a water park and myriad facilities which include the newly opened Paradise Art Space. Altogether, 12 local and international firms came on board to design and realise the integrated resort’s multi-faceted concepts.

“We call them our Avengers,” she quips, referring to the team of superheroes in the film and Marvel comic series. “We try to work with firms that are more flexible, who can adopt our needs to assimilate more Korean culture into their work.”

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Above The junior suite of Art Paradiso, a boutique hotel Art Paradiso, which brings together a sense of glamour and decadence in its 58 well-appointed suites. Think metallic trimmings, plush velvet seats and oversized bath tubs made for the party-ready crowd

The art-influenced direction of the resort was inspired by the Paradise group’s extensive private collection and its philanthropic cultural initiatives since the seventies. “We have a solid collection started by my father-in-law, Rak-won Chun, and have been supporting Korean artists for over 30 years,” shares the vice president, who is married to the group’s incumbent chairman Phillip Chun. 

The collection was first started by the group’s late chairman Rak-won Chun, an ardent supporter of the arts whom acquired a wide array of modern art by local talents as well as international artists; the group also founded the Kaywon Sculpture Art College (now Kaywon School of Art and Design) and published a literary magazine featuring the works of Korean authors.

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Above The unusual faceted design of the Paradise Plaza is the work of late talian architect and designer Alessandro Mendini

Chun sees Paradise City as an extension of the company’s artistic roots and a way to promote Korean art to local and international visitors. She recalls visiting Paradise Hotel Busan, the group’s oceanfront resort property first built in the eighties that embraced an earlier version of its art-inspired concept. “From the start we had artworks displayed throughout the Busan hotel and that was really a sensation in the eighties,” she shares. “But the artworks were playing a role of decoration.” This drove the desire to make art the central focus of Paradise City, while creating a thematic concept unique to the integrated resort. 

At Paradise City, art comes to the fore with dedicated venues including the Paradise Art Space and the adjacent Paradise Plaza—a voluminous space that embodies the group’s lofty plans for its art-driven concept. Designed by Hawkins Brown Architects, the indoor plaza draws architectural cues to the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, which Chun recalls visiting with her husband.

“We would walk around and notice that all the good things happen in the plaza, all the entertainment,” says Chun. “So we wanted to bring that concept (to Paradise City), you’ll see a lot of resemblance in architecture.” Restaurants and a shopping mall will soon open in buildings adjacent to the art space, with the plaza serving as a multi-purpose social hub.

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Above The Farnese Hercules sculpture from The Gazing Ball series by Jeff Koons and the Aurous Cyanide painting by Damien Hirst at Paradise Art Space

The group roped in Italian architect and designer Alessandro Mendini to dress its hotel interiors, while integrating its diverse art collection throughout the property. Medini has decorated spaces with playful flourishes, ranging from the jungle theme of the family-friendly facilities in Paradise Hotel, the origami-like roof louvres that float above the Paradise Plaza to the inclusion of a colourful, oversized Proust chair situated at its ballroom wing.

Designed by Medini, this edition of the iconic Proust chair has been covered in myriad patterns inspired by traditional patchwork quilts, while being the perfect embodiment of what the resort hopes to achieve: to bring together its European influences with elements of Korean style. Chun likens it to a creative patchwork: “It represents our theme of adopting different cultures.”

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Photo 1 of 2 This unique Proust chair by Alessandro Mendini features a design inspired by traditional patchwork quilts,
Photo 2 of 2 The Paradise hotel also features a variety of elegant dining options, such as the modern Italian restaurant La Scala, which features a menu comprising authentic Italian flavours and dishes inspired by the fashion capital of Milan

Other facilities include Wonderbox, a family recreational park housed in a building that features a surreal, gravity-defying facade that appears to float in mid-air. Located next to the Chroma nightclub, Wonderbox was designed by MVRDV to house a family-friendly theme park. Opened in 2019, the venue will feature various rides including a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and carnival games.

The next phase of the property will see a shopping mall, a hotel, and other facilities being gradually unveiled, along with future plans for a hanok museum that would celebrate traditional Korean architecture. The resort will also continue to host visiting international artists, such as American artist Jeff Koons who graced the 2018 exhibition vernissage at the opening of the Paradise Art Space.

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Above The work of Alessandro Mendini, this colourful bowling alley is part of the various entertainment facilities at the Paradise hotel; the property also features a gaming zone featuring Playstation consoles as well as a children's playground that's also designed by Mendini

The ultimate goal is to turn Paradise City into a multi-faceted destination that brings together all elements of Korean culture, from art to pop music. “We think it’s the perfect timing for Korea to present such a concept, to introduce Korean art to the world,” shares Chun. 

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Above The Cimer spa at Paradise City comprises themed spa experience zones and various swimming pools and saunas; an array of outdoor and indoor day beds and cabannas encourage visitors to luxuriate in style

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