On Seoul Station and Seoullo Station, covered and uncovered railways...

Over a year ago, Seoul initiated an overhaul of Seoul Station area that left all options on the table, including covering railways and removing the Seoullo eyesore ('Tear down that Seoullo?'). Here's what they came up with for 2028.

The good news? 

• As expected, goodbye ugly tracks, hello street level vegetation and pedestrian-friendlier infrastructures.
• The original Seoul Station, now Culture Station Seoul 284, recovers its majesty (don't get me wrong, not talking about its Imperial Japan era origin - besides, the architect was inspired by the Lucerne Station in Switzerland).
  
• At least one traffic lane seems to have been removed on the Tongil-ro / Hangang-daero side, at least in front of the old station.
  
• In the same green vein as the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, railways shall be replaced by a linear park that will go all the way to Hangang. 
  

The usual caveats? High rise multipurpose buildings that will coopete with other hubs. 

On the northen section: a cluster of towers between Seosomun Park and... Seoullo?

Now something puzzles me: Seoullo 7117 is still there. Which means that the project was not fully thought through.

At least, this micro heliotropolis connected to all major means of transportation including Incheon Airport looks more integrated to its surrounding neighborhoods than all previous avatars of this decades-old project. 

***

Speaking of public transportation, another update: the elusive Seobu Line could be back on track. This key vertical LRT axis passed an important hurdle at the Ministry of Finance, but the consortium has to be reactivated. Other more or less new projects are in some kind of pipe (a few of them are familiar):

Like Goyang earlier to the north, Anyang city declared its intention to extend it to the south, along with the Wirye Line, from SNU to Anyang Sports Complex and Pyeongchon New Town. It certainly would help Anyang, but could further delay the Northern side of the Seobu Line, which remains with Pyeongchang-dong the biggest hole in Seoul's grid.

The 6 'new' lines in red on the big map above:

• Seobu Line (Saejeol - Seoul National University Entrance) - see previous posts related to it. Note two extensions (in green on the full map) to the existing network: on the Seobu Line from SNU Entrance to SNU, and on the Shillim Line from Saetgang Station to Seobu's third and easternmost station on Yeouido.

• Gangbuk Hoengdang Line (Mok-dong - Cheongnyangni horizontal) - 25.72km, 20 stations that would connect Pyeongchang-dong to the grid.
  

• Ui Line extension (Ui-dong - Banghak-dong) - 4.13km, 6 stations
  

 

• Myeonmok Line (Cheongnyangni - Sinnae-dong) - 9.05km, 12 stations
  

 

• Nangok Line (Boramae Park - Nangyang-dong)

 

• Mok-dong Line (Sinwol-dong - Dangsan Station) 
  

 

Besides, 2 existing lines are upgraded (in blue on the map):

• Line 4 (Danggogae - Namtaeryeong): express
  

• Line 5 (Dongducheon-dong - Gupundari)
  

See all posts related to Seoul Station, transports, and subways.

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Tear down that Seoullo?

On Tuesday, Seoul announced that a MOU shall be signed on September 11 (!) between the city, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, and the National Architecture Policy Committee to elevate certain areas as 'national symbolic spaces'*. Among them, Seoul Station area. The Seoul Institute will complete a master plan for this problematic hub by October, and the removal of the highly controversial Seoullo 7017 is officially on the table.

I hope that will be the outcome, but more fundamentally, I hope that this time, the underlying problems will not be eluded but tackled, and I hope that this time, we will have a proper process with adequate consultation, consensus, and impact surveys (remember how PARK Won-soon rushed ahead of the elections, ignoring all red flags?).

If you follow this excuse for a blog, you already know that I'm not a fan of this urban and environmental nonsense (yes, environmental too: Seoul needs more natural biomass continuity and rich, water absorbing soils, not more thirsty plants isolated in flower pots... and certainly not sorted in alphabetical order, like in MRVDV's winning project).

You already know that the comparison with NYC's highline (itself inspired by Paris' Promenade Plantee) was a fallacy, that Seoullo should rather be compared to Cheonggye Highway, and that it chose not to solve the key issues (street level, railways...). 

You already know that maintenance costs were not sustainable, that visitor numbers started plummeting from the beginning, even before the pandemic, and that they keep decreasing. The expected failure is total.

But you also know that removing Seoullo 7017 will not solve anything by itself, that pedestrians need a safer way of crossing this sea of roads and railways, and that this concrete, steal, and asphalt sea can't remain a sea for much longer:

 

Seoul Station area and Seoullo 7017 (Naver Maps)

To say the least, Seoul Station's multimodal hub is very dense and messy. Tongil-ro, Sejong-daero, and Toegye-ro merge into Hangang-daero, with the Gyeongui Line and its sisters on one side, Huam-ro, and countless car and bus lanes on the other. Dedicated bus lanes have considerably facilitated pedestrian circulation on street level, and this thick ribbon may be further reduced into narrower, crossable axes. 

If going above ground failed and if the underground is saturated, there are possibilities.

Covering the railways remains high on the city's wish list, but this takes a lot of time and money. Seoul is considering moving bus transfers to the back of the station (which will have big impacts as well), and to extend walkways to prolong Sejong-daero's green promenade - I suppose with the necessary bicycle lanes - ultimately all the way from Gwanghwamun to the Han River (7 km).

Improving alternatives may reduce the flow of cars, and not just alternative routes beyond this area; alternatives that reduce the use of cars altogether. Quite a challenge in a multimodal hub already subject to bottlenecks at many levels...

What a fascinating urban challenge! One that calls for innovation instead of band-aids.

In any case, expect more Monday quarterbacking from yours truly.

 

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* I won't elaborate on this 'national symbolic space' concept, but Seoul Station clearly remains a cultural icon for the nation (entry point for many to the capital city, Gyeongui Line between Seoul and Sinuiju, Tongil-ro, KTX, Culture Station Seoul 284...).  

Seoul Station Elevated Park (Seoul Station Project 7017? The Seoul Vine?) - An Update

More about Park Won-soon's pet project, the Seoul Station Elevated Park also known as the Seoul High Line ("Diagonal crossings, High Lines, and Business Verticals (how pedestrians and businesses remodel Seoul... and vice-versa)").

It seems that marketing came up with suggestions for branding, and the good news is that we may not stick to the 'me-too' "High Line". The result could be a 'Seoul Station Project 7017'* reminiscent of the 'Culture Station Seoul 284' it steps across.

7017 echoes the dates of its inaugurations as a motorway (1970) and as a pedestrian park (2017), as well as its height (17 m), and its number of accesses (17)... 

Come on. 7017? I'm sure you could find something more exciting than this. 

As a tribute to the vinos at the origin of the project (those who occupied the walkway that will be replaced by this elevated park), I suggest "The Seoul Vine". After all, doesn't it look like a grape?

Note that exit #1 is Namdaemun Market: the recent demonstration of merchants against the project obviously paid off! It is followed by Hoehyeon-dong (#2, on the other side of Toegyero), Namsan and Hilton Hotel (#3 and #4, which will require an extension), Namdaemun (#5, with another extension), three buildings (GS Building #6, Yonsei Building #7, Seoul Square #8), Seoul Station subway (#9, it seems around the subway exit 9 too), the bus transfer zone (#10), the Culture Station Seoul 284 (#11), the future International Conference Centre (#12), the Airport Terminal (#13), Cheongpa-dong, Malli-dong, and Jungnim-dong (#14, #15, #16), Seosomun Park (#17).

Adding accesses for pedestrians makes perfect sense, but it also means adding many staircases or elevators to the cityscape, and making the main structure look more massive, less aerial than it is - not to mention of course the biomass. Furthermore, nets are considered, maybe to prevent people from jumping or throwing things at the traffic below.

And what about these new extensions towards Namsan and Namdaemun? What's the point of removing Cheonggyecheon overpass or aiming at a spot on the Unesco World Heritage List for the Seoul Fortress if you add more elevated structures next to a landmark like Sungnyemun? 

And what about the new bridge considered to accommodate the 50,000+ cars taking this elevated road every day? How far and how high will it fly?

At this stage, I'm not saying a big NO to this project, which has the potential to be both a lovely ride and an urban nonsense, but in less biblical dimensions than the elevated heresy envisioned a couple of years ago for Seochon (see "No cablecars in Bukhansan, please"). I'm simply saying this: be cautious, think about the long term impacts for the city and its citizens, and don't think you can fix a mess at ground level** by just rolling out a nice rug on top of it.

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* e.g. "박원순 "서울역고가 공원화는 서울역 재생 위한 것"(종합)" (Maeil Business Newspaper - 20150129)
** e.g. see previous episode.

MMCA Seoul from above

The recently rebranded National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea unveiled this video of the MMCA Seoul branch to be inaugurated this November (see "MOCA goes MMCA - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art"):




I like the vivid rendering of the neighborhood:

• starting northwards, along Samcheong-ro: to the left the Gyeongbokgung, to the right Sogyeok-dong galleries and the new museum, with in the distance Bugaksan

• the virtual camera turns to the right and the former DSC's main building, which shed its white coating to bare its red bricks - and still those wonderful semicircular staircases I caught by night under last month's Supermoon:



"Supermoon" over the future #MMCASeoul
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/348434489560686593

Very spectacular from the inside as well. I took this picture during the 2009 ASYAAF (NB: don't forget: this year's edition is back to Culture Station Seoul 284 - until August 18 for the second part)



• about halfway into the video, we're slowing down before the next building, to enjoy the now cleared view on the large hanok in the background.

• we then start taking off slowly to appreciate the renovations and extensions, the gardens and green rooftops, and a well located terrasse at the corner with Bukchon-ro 5-gil

• before fading away to make room for the MMCA logo, the whole block is visible (Yulgok-ro to the South, Gamgodang-gil to the East, Samcheong-ro to the West, Bukchon-ro 5-gil to the North)

I won't say that I'm thrilled by the architecture, which reminds me a bit of my old ESSEC Campus (vintage 1973) before its renovation, but this project does mark an improvement for the neighborhood. At least if you compare it to the past (a low-rise open space replacing the gated Defense Security Command), or to Yongsan's criminal NMK (yes I love the National Museum of Korea, but from the outside doesn't it look like a ceausescuesque cinder block?).

Anyway, we shall judge MMCA Seoul from the inside, with all its hidden levels and services, and of course fully populated with collections, exhibitions, and humans.

I can't wait!


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ASYAAF 2012

Back to square one. After a brilliant edition at the soon-to-become UUL museum (then the Defense Security Command - see "ASYAAF 2009"), a mediocre stunt at Sungshin Women's University ("ASYAAF 2010"), and a decent performance at the Hongik Museum of Art ("ASYAAF 2011"), the Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival is back to where it all began: ye olde Seoul Station, now Culture Station Seoul 284.


The concept doesn't change: art from 777 young Asian artists, split into 2 waves (August 1 - 12 / August 14 - 26), with a break in between to distribute the works. And like last year, 9 nations are represented: BAN, CHN, IDN, IND, JAP, KOR, JAP, PAK, SIN, TWN. No medals awarded, except for the red dots signalling sold pieces.


ASYAAF 2012
August 1 - 26
Culture Station Seoul 284
1 Tongil-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-162 website: asyaaf.chosun.com




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Return to Seoul Station

Strange feeling, yesterday, as I roamed the inaugural exhibitions at the brand new old Seoul Station ("Countdown" and YIPPA 2011 - see "Culture Station Seoul 284").

To start with, the light was special, and with that Latino group performing in a distance it almost felt like a summer evening in Spain before a storm. But the air was dry, and the rain wasn't announced before Friday. Yet every color was enhanced, every person on the street an actor on stage. Brighter than ever, the orange of Seoul Square. Saddening as always, the scattered army of the homeless guarding the old Seoul Station.

Even from a closer range, it's hard to believe this landmark has been completely renovated. And as you enter, you realize how small it was : a provincial station at most, and except for the two of us, only a handful of people inside, including the staff.

We started with the Yonhap photo expo, which certainly didn't lift our moods : UN Millennium Development Goals are about tackling every dimensions of human misery, and in "Share the Moment, Share the Future", photographers from all horizons are precisely pointing their fingers where it hurts. Tough images, utter despair, with just the occasional glimmer of hope...

We then moved to "countdown", which doesn't exactly lifts art to new levels, but provided the perfect alibi for a visit to ole Seoul Yeok. Restoration it is, and in its most basic form : each room recovers its initial aspect, and sans furniture ni human traffic, the old train station has the green, gloomy atmosphere of an abandoned hospital. Even the "VIP rooms" feel like the Kubrick's version of King's Overlook hotel. But guess what, that's exactly what I expected and hoped for : unpretentious, not overdone, and respectful of an original architecture that includes charming staircases and cute alcoves as much as dull corridors.

Imperfections are welcome, even if the green wooden windows didn't have to be that respectful of the old days : as you can see on this picture (sorry for the quality, I'm all thumbs with picturephones), they are not weatherproof.

The second floor offers a much brighter face with its 240 degree view on Hangangno, Namdaemun, the Toegyero overpass, Dongja-dong, Galwon-dong, and (for how long ?) Inwangsan and Huam-dong. The former barber shop has been converted into a permanent exhibition about the restoration : judging by the initial state of the building, they had to do more than just scratch the surface of the walls, but considering Korean construction standards in 1925, the Japanese did a pretty decent job in the first place.

This is only the beginning for the "New Old Seoul Station" - again, a more official inauguration is scheduled for March 2011 -, but as expected, it is already a very promising venue for cultural events, and a key asset in a middle of a neighborhood about to experience major redevelopments.

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NB: I wasn't allowed to take a full picture of the main hall because of the works on display. The first photo above, a partial one, was taken from an angle that reminded me of Orsay Museum. I don't remember the stained glass on the ceiling but then again, I was not a frequent user of the old station.

Culture Station Seoul 284

After two years of renovation, the Old Seoul Station has just been reinaugurated as "Culture Station Seoul 284" (문화역서울 284), a name that echoes the status of this 111 year-old building (Korean Historic Site No. 284), as well as its new purpose.

Note that this red brick landmark already hosted ASYAAF 2008, and that the following year, the old Defense Security Command welcomed the memorable 2009 edition before experiencing itself a similar metamorphosis*.

The Former Seoul Station Building's metamorphosis is limited (the outer shell and the first two floors have been preserved) and progressive : a first exhibition starts today and will last until February 11, 2012, the official opening. In March 2012, all facilities will be fully functional.

So the countdown has started, and "Countdown" is precisely the name of the inaugural exhibition, where 20 Korean artists present their works or perform live.

Also starting today at the new venue : YIPPA 2011. Yonhap International Press Photo Awards 2011 are on display in 9 cities including NYC and Seoul. This year's thema, "Share the Moment, Share the Future", was a tribute to the UN Millennium Development Goals, and the Grand Prize went to AP's Emilio Morenatti for 'Cholera victims' :



Even if Cultural Station Seoul 284 (an echo to Paris 104 ?) seems less ambitious than the future MOCA, it fills a cultural void at a major gateway and shall welcome many visitors, including people in transit in this multimodal transportation hub.

What a decade for Seoul ! After the 2004-2005 wave (Leeum, Seoul Museum of History, new National Museum of Korea...), another batch of cultural venues is on its way : beyond this "284" and Seoul MOCA, let's not forget the future "National Museum of Contemporary History"**.

Culture Station Seoul 284" / 문화역서울 284 :
112 Bongnae-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
Dongja-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
1 Tongil-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-162***
seoulstation.org
YIPPA 2011 : yippa.net

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* a future key cultural asset, see "http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2010/02/moca-defense-security-command-continued.html"
** construction started soon after our focus (see "A National Museum of Korean Contemporary History ???").
*** They write "1 Dongil-ro" but the actual spelling is 1 Tongil-ro. Eastern Seoul's main axis (it follows subway line 3), Tongil-ro continues beyond Gupabal and Seoul city limits, but the axis used to be called Uiju-ro between Seoul Station and Hongeun Sageori. Yet another change for this Old Seoul Station Museum : the station's official address used to be 112 Bongnae-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, but some people mentioned Dongja-dong in Yongsan-gu.

---
20110907 UPDATE - now all documentations from this new cultural venue agree on the label "Culture Station Seoul 284" (good bye weird "cultural" then)