Starfield Library & COEX

Opened in May 2017 in the central Central Plaza of Asia's largest underground shopping center, Starfield COEX Mall, Starfield Library ('Byeolmadang') was envisioned as an inspiring, non-commercial public cultural sanctuary where city dwellers could pause, read, and connect amid Gangnam's bustling commercial core.

The library spans 2,800 square meters across two open-plan levels. Its architectural hallmark is a trio of towering 13-meter-high curved wooden bookshelves, illuminated by soft atmospheric downlights beneath a massive flowing glass atrium roof that floods the entire atrium with natural daylight.

Natural sunlight streams down on readers during bright spring and summer afternoons. In autumn and winter, the central rotunda is transformed by magnificent seasonal art installations, including towering Christmas art sculptures and festive holiday lighting displays.

Starfield Library operates daily from 10:30 to 22:00 year-round. Weekdays before 12:00 or late evenings after 20:00 provide the calmest ambiance for reading and photographing the monumental book towers without heavy shopper crowds.

Admission, seating, and reading of the collection's 70,000 physical books and international magazines are 100% free. Digital iPads are available for reading e-books, and frequent author talks, poetry recitals, and classical mini-concerts are open to the public free of charge.

Subway Line 2 Samseong Station offers immediate underground concourse access via Exits 5 and 6 directly into Starfield COEX Mall. Subway Line 9 Bongeunsa Station (Exit 7) also connects directly to the mall's northern arcade within a 3-minute indoor walk.

The library and COEX Mall are fully ADA barrier-free, offering seamless, ramped marble floors, accessible public restrooms, escalators, and spacious elevators linking the B1 and 1st floor reading balconies. Wheelchair seating spaces with electric charging plugs are integrated throughout.

Enter from Samseong Station underground plaza → stroll into the central Starfield Library atrium → photograph the 13-meter book towers from the second-floor mezzanine → browse international fashion and K-pop pop-ups in COEX Mall → visit Bongeunsa Temple right across the street.

COEX Mall houses hundreds of dining options, from traditional Korean royal hot pots to trendy smashed cheeseburgers. Across Teheran-ro, the Samseong-dong dining alleys are famous for Korean barbecue beef short ribs and hand-pulled cold noodles.

The mall features diverse vegan-friendly chains like Plant Cafe and salad bars. Being adjacent to the World Trade Center Seoul, COEX also accommodates certified Halal Turkish, Indian, and Malaysian restaurants.

Capture ascending wide-angle shots from the base of the central 13-meter curved bookshelf looking up into the glass atrium, or shoot symmetric downward perspectives from the second-floor curved wooden balcony overlooking reading desks.

Books may be read freely anywhere within the library precinct but must be returned to return carts and cannot be removed from the mall. Keep mobile conversations quiet to respect reading patrons.

The COEX complex maintains 24-hour private security patrols, medical nursing rooms, and lost-and-found centers. Gangnam Police Station is 300 meters away. For English/Japanese tourist assistance, contact 1330.

Directly connected within the complex are the COEX Aquarium, Megabox boutique cinema, and ASEM Tower. Across the northern boulevard stands thousand-year-old Bongeunsa Buddhist Temple.

Q: Can books be checked out and taken home? A: No, Starfield Library is an open reading room; books are for on-site reading only and cannot be borrowed or removed from the library perimeter.

Morning tranquil walk at historic Bongeunsa Temple → midday reading and architectural photography at Starfield Library → Korean bibimbap lunch at COEX Mall → afternoon aquatic tour of COEX Aquarium → sunset views at nearby Lotte World Tower.