Walking through Centropolis today, you can feel it immediately: this is not the same building that opened its doors in 2018. The landmark office in Seoul’s CBD has just completed a sweeping amenity renewal, driven not by a developer’s wish list but by tenant feedback, usage patterns, and changing workplace culture.

The result is a bold re-imagining of what a prime office should be.

LB Asset Management, together with anchor investor M&G Real Estate, led the transformation. Their goal was simple but ambitious—turn Centropolis into a sustainable, tenant-first asset that can compete in one of Asia’s most competitive prime office markets.

"At M&G Real Estate, we see Centropolis as a benchmark for how prime assets in Asia’s leading business districts can evolve to meet the changing needs of tenants while reducing environmental impact." said Daniel Cho, Head of M&G Real Estate Korea. "This renovation reflects our long-term commitment to sustainability and responsible investment, creating a vibrant, wellness-focused environment that strengthens Centropolis’ position in Seoul’s CBD and delivers value for both tenants and investors."

Step onto the third floor and the change is striking. The lobby lounge resembles a five-star hotel, layered with carefully curated artwork—including pieces by renowned Korean artist Lee Ufan—developed in collaboration with professional curators.

Just beyond, a 120-person conference hall opens up, equipped to flex between corporate seminars and private events. Next door, the executive boardroom and adjoining VIP lounge mirror the sophistication of a luxury hotel.

These spaces embody the new logic of the workplace: collaboration and networking are as critical as the desks themselves.

But Centropolis hasn’t forgotten the opposite need—privacy and rest. Scattered across the building are refresh lounges in different moods: a dimly lit zone with a flickering “fire” installation for mindful downtime, sound-sealed solo booths for deep focus, and bright open corners where tenants can chat over coffee in natural light.

Downstairs, at Basement Level 2, the nap rooms have been expanded and modernized. Bookable in 30-minute slots, they reflect a cultural shift away from measuring productivity by hours logged. A quick sleep break, tenants say, is often the smartest way to maximize efficiency.

Also on B2, a dramatic new fitness center now stretches across space that once housed retail. The previous gym, tucked on the third floor, was far too small. Today, the facility can serve up to 160 users at once—a scale designed for a post-pandemic workforce that prizes wellness.

Retail hasn’t been abandoned, only reshaped. A specialty coffee house now draws aficionados who come specifically for its beans, while a salad bar captures the wellness crowd streaming out of the gym. Anchored by these lifestyle-driven tenants, the retail component has been repositioned to support—not compete with—the office community.

To energize the basement levels further, media walls have been installed on major pillars, programmed to showcase artist collaborations that change with the season and even the weather.

Centropolis’ overhaul is more than cosmetic. It reflects a deliberate choice by its asset managers to prioritize tenant satisfaction, long-term value creation, and sustainability over short-term rent maximization.

Eco-friendly materials and optimized design have cut embodied carbon emissions by roughly 23%—about 200 tons. “That’s equivalent to making 30 round trips on the KTX train between Seoul and Busan,” noted Woojoo Noh, Head of Alternative Investments at LB Asset Management.

It’s one of the few office projects in Korea to present sustainability results in such quantified terms.

In a market where new towers increasingly compete on amenities, Centropolis has set a new benchmark. The building now offers an integrated environment where work, rest, wellness, culture, and social value coexist.

The message is clear: to win in Seoul’s prime office market, landlords must think beyond desks and elevators. The future belongs to assets that create stories—places where the tenant experience itself becomes the landmark.