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The SK government has decided to repurpose an abandoned section of highway in their capital district into a 55-foot-high elevated park.
Named the Seoul Skygarden, this enormous project will be spearheaded by innovative Dutch studio MVRDV and will include 254 species of trees, shrubs, and flowers, which will all be organized according to the Korean alphabet.
Aside from getting to commute though nature in the middle of the hustle and bustle of city life, residents of Seoul will also be given a new alternative to malls — there are plans to open tea cafes, flower shops, street markets, libraries, and greenhouses alongside the greenery.
The old overpass, built in the 1970s, was declared unsound after being put through intensive safety inspections in 2006. It was initially set to be demolished, but after consulting residents and experts, the city decided to keep the highway intact. A design competition was then launched to figure out possible uses for the public space, and that is how MVRDV landed the project.
“The Seoul Skywalk will change the daily lives of many people in Seoul for the better,” states 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.”
