MVRDV transforms 1970s highway into "plant village" in Seoul
Dutch studio MVRDV has converted a former overpass into a plant-covered walkway in Seoul, which follows a kilometre-long route above the traffic.
South Korea's answer to New York's High Line, the 983-metre-long park occupies a stretch of the 1970s highway destined for demolition. It now contains 24,000 trees, shrubs and flowers set into cylindrical planters.
The walkway, called Seoullo 7017, is part of a wider project to made the city more pedestrian friendly. Its name translates as Seoul Street, and fuses together the years of its original construction with the renovation works.
It runs over the top of Seoul Station to connect Namdaemun Market with the city's Malli-dong, Jungnim-dong and Cheongpa-dong neighbourhoods.
"Located in the heart of Seoul, a true plant village has been realised on a former inner-city highway in an ever-changing urban area," said MVRDV.
"The pedestrianised viaduct next to Seoul's main station is the next step towards making the city, and especially the central station district, greener, friendlier and more attractive, whilst connecting all patches of green in the wider area."
A network of bridges and stairs connect the branching 16-metre-tall concrete and steel structure with hotels and shops. Further connections to street level and to "satellite" gardens are planned for the future.
The park is also expected to serve as an "urban nursery", with plants and trees grown on Seoullo 7017 eventually transplanted to other districts.
Loops of blue lighting surrounding the planters illuminate the walkway at nighttime, aiming to offer a contrast to the city's yellow-toned street lights. The hue of the lighting can be adapted to suit different events and festivals.
The project follows in the foosteps of the High Line, which James Corner Field Operations and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro created in New York. The 1.5-mile park winds through 22 blocks of Manhattan on a former elevated freight railway.
Article Source: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/05/22/mvrdv-seoullo-7017-conversion-overpass-highway-road-park-garden-high-line-seoul-south-korea/
Image Source: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/513489/Panoramic_view_of_Seoullo_7017.jpg?w=950
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Overpass (n.) ~ a bridge by which a road or railroad passes over another
2. Viaduct (n.) ~ a long bridgelike structure, typically a series of arches, carrying a road or railroad across a valley or other low ground
3. Illuminate (v.) ~ light up
4. Hue (n.) ~ a color or shade
5. Contrast (adj.) ~ the state of being strikingly different from something else, typically something in juxtaposition or close association
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What is Seoullo 7017?
2. What is your opinion of this development? Discuss your answer.
3. How would this project be helpful to the people in Seoul and in Korea in general?
4. Why is it that some people are against this project?
