Seoul building design 'similarity' provokes 9/11 anger in US

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A building design by a Dutch architectural firm has attracted criticism from Web readers in the United States.

Many feel the design, for a project in Seoul, South Korea, has an uncanny similarity with the World Trade Centre's final moments after the 9/11 attacks.

Website Gawker reported that the new Seoul 'Twin Towers' include spas, relaxing rooms, a gigantic atrium, restaurants and cafes.

Gawker also carried a clarification from architects at MVRDV, explaining their intentions behind project.

"A real media storm has started and we receive threatening emails and calls of angry people calling us Al Qaeda lovers or worse. MVRDV regrets deeply any connotations The Cloud projects evokes regarding 9/11, it was not our intention.

"The Cloud was designed based on parameters such as sunlight, outside spaces, living quality for inhabitants and the city. It is one of many projects in which MVRDV experiments with a raised city level to reinvent the often solitary typology of the skyscraper.

"It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely apologise to anyone whose feelings we have hurt, the design was not meant to provoke this."