SEOULLO Skygarden / MVRDV
The project was designed by the MVRDV Architecture Bureau. It features South Korean natural heritage in downtown Seoul. The project connects the city’s residents with nature and gives users the opportunity to see amazing views of Seoul’s historic station and Namdaemun Gate. This project is an educational garden and a gathering place for various species of Korean plants.
This project answers these questions:
This project answers these questions:1-How to change the daily lives of thousands of people who pass through downtown Seoul every day?
2-How to create a unique public park in the heart of Seoul with a diverse number of plant species?
SKYGARDEN is the name of this project. A pedestrian walkway that starts at Seoul Main Station and goes up the bridge. It is a step towards making the city greener, friendlier and more attractive, and contributes to urban sustainability. In this place, people are taught to walk, rest, eat and drink, see concerts.
Since the project started in May 2015, the main challenge of the project has been to transform an existing 938-meter overpass into a public garden. The garden was built on a 16-meter steel structure. From the beginning, this basic element needed to be changed to a green symbol in downtown Seoul. Together with Seoul Municipality, local NGOs, landscape teams, and city consultants, the architectural firm was deeply committed to accommodating the greatest variety of plants in a fully urban setting.
The park has 16 small booths such as: cafes, shops, exhibitions, gardening booths, trampolines, foot baths, children’s stage and theater and information center. They enhance the user experience, engage and enhance the park with fun cultural and commercial activities. Several stairs, elevators, bridges and escalators connect the city to the new park and bring it to the adjacent urban fabric.
Skygarden is located in the heart of Seoul, a plant village, an ever-changing landscape that houses most of the Korean plant species in a public park, featuring 52 plant families including trees, shrubs and flowers. In total, the park will contain 24,000 plants (trees, shrubs and flowers).
The linear park, which is designed as a collection of small gardens, each has its own design, fragrance, color and identity. The landscape of the garden will change according to the seasons: the bright colors of the leaves in the autumn from the maple family, the blossoming of the cherry trees and the flowering flowers in the spring, the evergreen conifers and the shrubs and trees that bear fruit in the summer.
Some of the highlights are the two large squares: the colorful Rosa Square, where concerts and performances can be enjoyed, alongside the flower pots and the Magnolia Square, with an outdoor stage and café.
Large ponds of water lilies and photogenic genetic trees can also be visited in this garden. Edible berries and fruits from the cross-breeding family and succulents will be distributed in the area. More than 800 mobile pots are added to the garden to increase the change of seasons. Just like an outdoor encyclopedia, plant families are organized alphabetically from east to west, creating easy navigation to find the species on display.
