MVRDV to transform abandoned highway into the seoul skygarden

MVRDV to transform abandoned highway into the seoul skygarden
all images © MVRDV

dutch studio MVRDV has been chosen to transform an abandoned section of highway in korea into an elevated public park. named the ‘seoul skygarden’, the design populates the overpass with 254 different species of trees, shrubs and flowers to create an urban arboretum that can be enjoyed the entire city.

the new overpass reduces the 25 minute walk around the neighboring railway station

organized according to the korean alphabet, a library of plants makes legible the natural diversity of the city, allowing citizens to interact with, and discover new species. the new overpass also serves to reduce the 25 minute walk around the neighboring railway station to just 11 minutes, while it is forecast to generate 1.83 times the cost of its renovation and maintenance in economic benefits.

the design populates the overpass with over 250 different species of trees, shrubs and flowers

the existing structure was built in the 1970s to provide a vehicular connection to and from the local namdaemun market, one of the region’s largest traditional points of trade. following intensive safety inspections in 2006, the city of seoul deemed the 17-meter high structure unsafe and intended to demolish it, banning heavy vehicles’ access to the elevated roadway in 2009. further consultation with residents and experts lead to the regeneration the overpass – which totals 9,661 square meters in area – into a pedestrian walkway and public space, with a design competition launched in 2015.

a library of plants makes legible the natural diversity of the city

the contest-winning scheme from MVRDV makes the space as green as possible while introducing new leisure functions that require a modular and adaptable approach. in addition to circular plant pots of varying sizes, a series of customizable activators such as tea cafés, flower shops, street markets, libraries and greenhouses will provide a catalogue of elements designed to enliven the skygarden.

the vast project totals 9,661 square meters in area

‘the seoul skywalk will change the daily lives of many people in seoul for the better,’ explains winy maas, principal architect and co-founder of MVRDV. ‘they will have a pleasant shortcut through a green oasis in the midst of all the traffic and concrete. it is a walk through a park, a living dictionary of the natural heritage of korea, connecting the city dwellers with nature. part of the project is a nursery in which plants will be raised for the surrounding parks; in this way the skywalk will help to make green the entire city center.’

the overpass will evolve with new plants and new activators so as to become an ‘urban nursery’

additional structures such as stairs, lifts and escalators as well as new satellite gardens, can connect to the skygarden, sprouting like branches from the existing structural piers. these extensions can help generate further additions to the area’s greenery and public spaces, as it continues to evolve over time.

illustration detailing the scheme’s various access points

project info:

location: seoul, south korea
year: 2015+
client: seoul metropolitan government
program: transformation of 938 meter section of elevated highway (9.661 sqm) into public space
budget: undisclosed

team: winy maas, jacob van rijs and nathalie de vries with wenchian shi, kyosuk lee, kai wang, jaewoo lee, ángel sánchez navarro, antonio luca coco, matteo artico

partners
landscape designers: ben kuipers, delft, netherlands
industrial designers: studio makkink & bey, amsterdam, netherlands
local architect: DMP, seoul, korea
local landscape designer: KDI, seoul, korea
structure: saman and cross, seoul, korea
sustainability: EAN, seoul, korea
MEP: samsin, seoul, korea
traffic engineers: song hyun R&D, seoul, korea
lighting design: viabizzuno, milan, italy and nanam ald, seoul korea
app design: nhtv, breda, netherlands
cost engineers: myong gun, seoul, korea