JEONGDONG FLOATING FOREST - SEJONGDAERO

International Competition Entry

Client:  Seoul Metropolitan Government
Program:  Cultural, Public Open Space
Team:  MMK+
Location:  Sejongdaero, Seoul, Korea Year : 2015

Hosted by Seoul Metropolitan Government, the design competition called for proposals for a new historic cultural space in the most historically important street, Sejong-daero, which is the main axis that links the center of city and the King's Palaces (Gyrongbokgung and Deoksugung) The actual site is located where The National Tax Service Building (built in the Japanese Colonial Period in 1935) used to stand, and the building was recently demolished by Seoul Metropolitan Government to accommodate a space for the project. 

MMK+ proposed an underground cultural space that includes Seoul City's history archive and public open space that links to the existing underground pedestrian network. By preserving the remained concrete structures plus overlaying a new brick surface, the visitors can experience different layers of history of the site. On the ground level, a 'floating forest' is proposed in order to provide the visitors with a calm and poetic shelter from the wide street with heavy traffic. The forest is slightly lifted up from the ground level, creating unique pedestrian experience and harmonized streetscape with the historical context around the site.  The masterplan envisions future underground expansion below Sejong-daero from the proposed underground space of the site to the existing City Hall. This future expansion space will be a circulation node that connects the existing underground network to north and south, and will also provide the Seoul citizens with exhibition, lecture, and public event space that are related to history of modern architecture and history of Jeong-dong area

MASTERPLAN

The masterplan envisions future underground expansion below Sejong-daero from the proposed underground space of the site to the existing City Hall. This future expansion space will be a circulation node that connects the existing underground network to north and south, and will also provide the Seoul citizens with exhibition, lecture, and public event space that are related to history of modern architecture and history of Jeong-dong area. 

DESIGN PROCESS

1. Preserving existing structure from demolished building.
2. Inside-out: transforming existing underground space into open space, exposing old structures overlaid by new brick surface.
3. Interconnecting context with proposed space by creating a pedestrian znetwork that links Jeongdong, Deoksugung palace, existing underpath and the City hall across the street.
4. Floating Forest: Proposing a quite-calm open space/park filled with trees that is spatialy separated from adjacent street with heavy traffic (sejongdaero)

UNDERGROUND SPACE - BRICK AND CONCRETE

By preserving and exposing existing buildings concrete slabs, walls and columns below grade, and transforming it to open space, visitors can experience the layers of the past as walking into the space. Brick is used in the 'new' surfaces including interior exhibition / archive space, the material mainly used for buildings in early 1900s in Jeongdong. The strategy of overlaying the new material (brick) on the existing (concrete) is like adding another layer of present onto the layer of past, inspired by Peter Zumthor's Kolumba museum in Koln.

FLOATING FOREST, PAGODA TREE

Traditionally, the Pagoda tree had been planted in the important places such as king's palaces, which can be often found in Jeongdong and Deoksu palace. 23 pagoda trees planted on the structure grid are harmonized with the preserved columns from existing structure, creating an atmosphere of Madang - a open space in the traditional Korean architecture. From the street level, the sillouette of cluster of trees on the floating concrete structure creates unique streetscape, also harmonize with surrounding context such as Deoksugung palace and Seoul Anglian Church.

INTEGRATED STRUCTURAL LANDSCAPE SYSTEM

Traditionally, the Pagoda tree had been planted in the important places such as king's palaces, which can be often found in Jeongdong and Deoksu palace. 23 pagoda trees planted on the structure grid are harmonized with the preserved columns from existing structure, creating an atmosphere of Madang - a open space in the traditional Korean architecture. From the street level, the sillouette of cluster of trees on the floating concrete structure creates unique streetscape, also harmonize with surrounding context such as Deoksugung palace and Seoul Anglian Church.