More Gwanghwamun Square previews

Seoul revealed new visuals of Gwanghwamun Square 3.0, which shall be inaugurated in July.

They prolong the last major iteration presented in 2019 ("Gwanghwamun Square 3.0 re-Deep-Surfaces"), which corrected one of the worst urbanistic blunders  of the initial version ("Gwanghwamun Square Enters Third Dimension"). PARK Won-soon's team rushed the construction a few months before the elections without conducting any decent impact survey, and work started late 2020. As soon as OH Se-hoon returned as mayor, he paused the site to assess the situation, but the changes could only be cosmetic.

The Woldae extension in front of the palace gate will only be created next year, so we have yet to see how vehicles flow around Yulgok-ro's future curve. Adjusting to the modifications already in place is not always easy. As expected, the intersection in front of Sajik-dan helps reconnect both sides of Sajik-dong, but the impossible new U-turn just North of the Government building stops functioning as soon as traffic slows down (too close before a major traffic light, unlike the old one heading for Sajik tunnel).

Most important, Seoul's defining axis is preserved, with its iconic Gwanghwamun-Gyeongbokgung-Bugaksan perspective, and pedestrians will enjoy a 20 m-wide park with a vast selection of tree species, guaranteeing natural shade and oxygen as they grow. That's where most of the extension (from 18 to 40,000 square meters) comes from. People will be able to sit on benches and along the Haechi Madang ramp, where street animations may bloom next to the new media wall.

Sejong-daero's pedestrian and cycling experience has already been improved with the new green walks and bike lanes added on the way to Namdaemun (see "Lower Sejongdaero's turn"). With its fountain tunnel and pavement fountain, the 'Gwanghwamun' Lounge section is likely to welcome kids and keep them fresh during the Summer. If some artifacts found during the renovation shall be on display in the cultural section, most of the Joseon era infrastructures (see timeline*) shall be covered again. I hope the tribute to Yukjo street will not look to corny. 

 

On the Eastern side, Junghak-dong will not host a simple reconstitution of the old Uijeongbu site, but a fusion hanok exhibition space. I wish there were more trees in that section, but that can (and probably will, if they want the spot to be successful) be fixed later.

This Uijeongbu project was on display at the Seoul Hall Of Urbanism (see again timeline below*) during the low key, pandemic-plagued 3rd edition of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. SBAU will return in September 2023, with CHO Byung-soo (BCHO Architects) as its Director. This architects knows a bit about dao, and Seoul could do with some more harmony...

Ganghwamun Square reopening in the heat of the Summer will be a perfect crash test. I'm pretty sure Seoulites will quickly make it their own. At least during the evenings. And as much as that damned coronavirus will allow.

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* From @theSeoulVillage timeline: 

"Gwanghwamun Square last week. Seoul started controversial revamping without a proper impact survey..." (20201220 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1336888158437265408)

"The few changes since the initial plan won't prevent the expected traffic pandemonium. Tragic lack of urban planning, urbanism vision from Seoul... Sejong-daero Gwanghwamun" (20210221 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1364019424752115720)

"Western side of Sejong-daero / Gwanghwamun Square to close tomorrow for the controversial revamping (future Jeokseon-dong loop in the foreground)" (20210305 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1367760419218018306)

"As expected, works on the Western side of Gwanghwamun Square for its extension reveal Joseon time artifacts and structures related to former ministries. Here, a waterway in Jeokseon-dong (between Baekundongcheon & Junghakcheon - see http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2009/08/baekundongcheon-gwanghwamun-gil-river.html #urbanism)." (20210319 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1372721209939431427)

"I guess mainly to evacuate overflows towards Baekundongcheon, to contain water damage in case of heavy rains. Gwanghwamun Square urbanism Jeokseon-dong Photo Chosun Ilbo" (20210319 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1372721211789037583)

"OH Se-hoon hits pause button on controversial Gwanghwamun Square revamping. Also asks AHN Cheol-soo to suggest talents for Seoul." (20210410 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1380664510638264322)

 

"Seoul's unearthed Yukjogeori during Gwanghwamun Square revamping:" (20210511 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1391895161337090049)

"Gwanghwamun's future Uijeongbu site at Seoul HOUR (Seoul Biennale / SBAU):" (20211028 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1453500318226935809)

Gwanghwamun Square 3.0 re-Deep-Surfaces

Seoul recently* unveiled the winning concept for Gwanghwamun Square renovation, and 'Deep Surface' confirmed the hopes and worries we shared in April last year (see "Gwanghwamun Square Enters Third Dimension"). As expected, things are also getting political. The good news is that the debate will continue more publicly until the end of this year. Work is still supposed to start next year, and the goods to be delivered in 2021, ahead of the 2022 presidential elections.

1) Everybody's happy...

'Deep Surface' was bound to please key members of the jury, starting with Dominique Perrault, who probably appreciated the major role played by underground structures... and maybe this new slope as an homage to his iconic Ewha ECC:

Landscape architect Adriaan Geuze (West8) certainly fell for this spectacularly lush Amazonian canopy, owed to a rendering artist who obviously projected us around year 2175, when the newly planted trees reach maturity:

If you miss already Gwanghwamun Square's vast stretches exposed to Seoul's merciless summers and winters, stand reassured, the same artist also offered this more realistic view:

Of course, SEUNG Hyo-sang and YOO Hong-jun remain key jurors when it comes to selecting a project suitable for both the Mayor and the President: the former City Architect is now heading the Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy, and the former Cultural Heritage Administration boss had earlier been mandated by MOON Jae-in to study the feasibility of his campaign pledge, eventually abandoned, to move the presidency out of Cheong Wa Dae.

SEUNG, who oversaw Seoul's shift from redevelopment to urban regeneration, must have enjoyed the focus on pedestrians and citizens, the historical continuum, and the respect of recent heritage. YOO can also be happy: if the Ministry of Culture and Tourism foots one third of the bill (Seoul Metropolitan Government the rest), the Historic Square covers 36,000 sqm compared to 24,000 for Citizen Square.

To better understand the big picture, I recommend to combine the first illustration above (perspective from Gyeongbokgung) with this project map: 

2) ... but not everybody's happy

From the start, this project's key challenges were only 10% about architecture and 90% about urbanism. As I explained before, more than the vertical alterations along Sejong-daero (extension of the square, reduction from 10 to 6 lanes), the main revolution is horizontal, what I called 'The Royal T' being transformed into a crooked Y as Sajik-ro plunges towards the South, suppressing the Western end of Sajik-ro 8-gil, and the tunnel that came with it. Sajik-ro now marks the frontier between two Gwanghwamun Squares: Historic Square (North), and Citizens Square (South).

Again, it's not just the gate that's brought closer to the center, but also the traffic. Again, merging Sajik-ro with Sajik-ro 8-gil means merging transit circuits with neighborhood circuits, and creating new unnecessary bottlenecks. And yet again, what about the bus and bicycle lanes? I'm afraid I have to stick to what I wrote last April: "Unfortunately, like with Seoullo, impact surveys have obviously been eluded in a race to meet electoral deadlines, and authorities chose to worsen traffic situations by not tackling them". Before heralding the future Gwanghwamun Square as the equivalent to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Mayor PARK Won-soon should have learned that for all Parisians, Place de l'Etoile is a symbol for extreme and messy traffic.

I'm not the only one to wonder if every impact is truly taken into account: as soon as the new blueprint was revealed, the authorities in charge of policing and traffic said that they had yet to agree with what's proposed, and a key administration wished it had been consulted for the road cutting through its premises.

If Seoul City is very unlikely to drop the piece de resistance from its master plan, it is also very unlikely that a satisfying solution can be found to the problems it generates. Before the end of this year? Impossible. I wish it could be compensated with public transportation, but even if the GTX A (Unjeong Paju to Dongtan) and Shinbundang Line eventually join Subway Lines 1, 2, 5 in the ambitious transportation hub envisioned, new bottlenecks will severely limit its multimodal potential.

I guess I made my point on this crucial issue, so we can move on. Now shall we further look into 'Deep Surface'?

3) Deep Surface Inside Out

Just a few elements from this very rich and complex project:

• 2 squares instead of 1: that makes storytelling much more simple. Picture on one side the changing of the guards on Woldae (the ritual stage to be rebuilt in front of the gate), next to the hanok cluster already under reconstruction (next to the Museum of Contemporary History), and on the other side a k-pop concert at the feet of Sejong Cultural Center. Also, it's easier to contain a demonstration on the aptly named Citizens Square, while tourists claim their safer haven by the palace and its museums (not to mention pictures of the landmarks not photobombed by PARK Geun-hye supporters). Of course, there's still that humongous Government Complex ruining Historic Square's narrative and perspective, but you can always say it's a tribute to Sejongno's Yukjo tradition**.

• Underground extensions and interconnections: Overall, you can seamlessly walk for four kilometers from Gwanghwamun to City Hall to Euljiro to Dongdaemun. Yes, the biggest section remains the one mentioned in our recent focus ("Euljiro v. Wide? My Alleyway or the Highway"), and I presume it's connected to the soon to be inaugurated space in front of the Anglican Cathedral (see "Sejong-daero winner announced"). I'll still prefer walking outdoors between Seochon, Bukchon, Sajik-dong, Jeong-dong, Cheonggyecheon, Gyeonguigung et al, except under extreme weather... or under extremely bad air quality, provided the program includes air purification systems.

• In Jeokseon-dong, Jeokseon Hyundai Building seems to be turned into a 'Seoul Metro Museum'. I wonder what the tenants (e.g. Bloomberg, Korea's youth hostels association) think of it.

• There's a lot of fuss about the potential moving of King Sejong and Yi Sun-shin statues (closer to Sejong Cultural Center), but I'm not a fan of these erections, and to me that's nothing compared to the road mess I mentioned earlier. Note that Haetae statues move back, closer to where they were in Joseon times, but nobody seems to care. 

• Sejongno Park might at last find some purpose and relevance. 

• I wonder why Terrace Lawn, the new slope connecting above with underground, doesn't have an actual  slope, accessible for wheelchairs or baby strollers. I hope they'll fix this ASAP.

• ...
  

I'm curious to see how Seoulites will roam the space, rediscover Sejongno's Western sides, how 'Gwanghwamun Samgeori' will join 'Sejongno Sageori' in our vocabulary, how History will keep unfolding on Gwanghwamun Square 3.0.

Whatever happens, this will remain Seoul's political and cultural epicenter, and its most defining perspective (Sejongno-Gwanghwamun-Gyeongbokgung-(Cheong Wa Dae)-Bugaksan-Bukhansan).


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* ICYMI:

'#Seoul announces new plans for #GwanghwamunSquare. #Gwanghwamun will eventually have a #GTX station, even if it slows the whole 'express' promise. The square itself will, as expected (http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2018/04/gwanghwamun-square-enters-third.html), be on the #SejongCulturalCenter side.' (20190121 - https://twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1087168047687753728) 'On the bright side, trees will make the new #GwanghwamunSquare slope more enjoyable. (For the dark side, see http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2018/04/gwanghwamun-square-enters-third.html)' (20190121 - https://twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1087169753074946049)

'Reminder: #Gwanghwamun V.3.0 will cause traffic nightmares in downtown #Seoul. Maybe that's what Mayor #ParkWonsoon meant when he compared the project to #Paris' #CharlesdeGaulleEtoile Plaza...' (20190121 - https://twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1087470786531581952)

** the notorious six ministries. Note that the project still includes a Yukjo Street tribute and its restaurant tradition. Reminds me of that old joke with a mobster telling his staff he went to Sejong Cultural Center last night, only to be asked in return 'which restaurant?' by thugs for whom the name only refers to a foodies neighborhood.

Gimme Shelter

I was back to town right on time to attend the inauguration of the Young Architects Program exhibition at MMCA Seoul*... and to enjoy a bit of the rainy season, even if this one looks much milder than the biblical downpour of 2010 (see "Chusoaked").

Luckily, the ultimately MOMA PS1-ish theme was about 'shade, seating, and water', and the winning project provided the perfect shelter for both Tuesday's rain and Thursday's sun. 

Named Temp'L, like for a temporary temple, Shinslab's structure does have, with its whaleish white ribs, something of Niemeyer's Brasilia Cathedral. It also honors the 2015-2016 France - Korea cultural years (see "Bleu Blanc Rouge"): based in Paris, Shinslab Architecture is led by Franco-Korean couple Claire and Tchely Hyung-Chul SHIN.

In the middle of the museum's courtyard, Temp'L is a big chunk of a boat's shell upcycled into a welcoming space with windows to Gyeongbokgung and Bugaksan, and trees breathing life within it.

Could this non threatening, upside-down hull in the heart of Seoul, just hectometers from Sejongdaero, help post-Sewol Korea at long last start healing?

"Shinslab's TempL - YAP winner at MMCA Seoul. A cathedral-like boat shell, a shelter, not a haunting Sewol-ity (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/750246322247114752).

Back to MMCA SEOUL (and the hull of YAP's winning project) (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/750956684613283840)

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* hors les murs de MOMA PS1, this edition involved Santiago de Chile's Constructo, Istanbul Modern, MMCA Seoul, and Pippo Ciorra's MAXXI in Rome

OH Se-hoon returns... but did he ever leave?

Wondering what OH Se-hoon's face is doing on a giant ad towering over Seochon (here seen from Gwanghwamun)?

Fun to see former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon run in Jongno-gu, and his ad in Seochon (20160215 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/698941061637533696)

ICYMI, the former Seoul mayor is running for a seat in Jongno-gu. Of course, OH eyes the other end of Gyeongbokgung, Cheong Wa Dae, and the presidential elections he thought were tailored for him, back in 2010, when he got reelected in spite of his party's defeat across the capital.
 
Winning in 2017 may be a bit early, but conservatives lack a clear leader: CHUNG Mong-joon had a rough year, Kim Moo-sung is too divisive a figure, and if BAN Ki-moon renounces, OH stands a chance.

For his return, picking a left-leaning district sounds like a rather risky bet, but what a symbol: in the heart of Sadaemun, in the Seochon where his administration got hundreds of traditional houses preserved (remember: OH didn't start as a hanok hugger, thank Peter Bartholomew and friends for that bitter lesson*)...

A face off with PARK Won-soon in 2017 could be fun watching. While his successor reluctantly inaugurated his three architectural follies (new city hall, DDP, Some Sevit), and took the helm of ICLEI, OH was on a world tour, first at the Kings College in London, then advising for the Koica (Korea International Cooperation Agency) two emerging capitals for 6 month each: Kigali, Rwanda, and Lima, Peru. He published two diary books about these experiences when he returned to Seoul last year.

Looking back at these five years, OH's spell in the wilderness seems like a nice marketing plan: an exile to beef up the global / human / compassionate leader side, with interviews every six month or so to keep in touch with voters...

If you're kind enough to follow Seoul Village on Twitter (that's @THEseoulvillage), you haven't skipped a beat. Here are a few of my tweets mentioning OH (sorry for the recurring expression 'former Seoul mayor', these tweets usually don't appear next to each other):

OH Se-hoon eventually picks Jongno-gu for his return to Korea politics ("Former Seoul mayor announces bid for parliamentary election" - Yonhap News 20160117). Failure would doom his 2017 dreams. (20160117 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/688672052467773440)

Former mayor OH Se-hoon won't run again for Seoul (itw w Korea JoongAng Daily), but Korea? To "fulfill political and social responsibility" (20150225 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/570373874262544384)

Interview of former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon, now advisor to another capital city: Kigali, Rwanda: "Oh Se-hoon reflects on battle of parties’ welfare policies" (20141119 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/534851138252595201)

Former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon pleads guilty. Failed referendum did offer capital city to rivals. Planning a comeback? (20140628 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/482682493133258752)

Former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon sharing his experience with Lima, Peru. also on his legacy, welfare, PARK Won-soon: "Since leaving City Hall, Oh’s career has been going places" (20131204 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/408019959344672768)

Ex Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon plans an international studies tour: China (Northeast Asian security), Stanford (NAFTA), Europe (20120208 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/167189481462562816)

PS: If you haven't much read from me on these lines lately, that's because I've also been out of town, in Europe and Africa. Don't worry, Seoul remains on my mind, and I'll be back in a few weeks, but I won't run.


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* see "Am I My Hanok's Keeper? Peter E. Bartholomew's Defense and Illustration of Korean Architecture"

"K-Experience Culture Complex" To Replace KAL's Songhyeon-Dong Project. Really?

The Songhyeon-dong drama reminds me of the 'Trou des Halles' feuilleton in Paris. In both cases, a massive lot in the dead center of the capital remains empty for years while all stakeholders debate over its purpose. I wish a better ending to Seoul than the site of the former Paris wholesale market: then mayor Jacques Chirac opted for the behemoth of an urban mess that to this day cripples the city center (under renovation, Le Forum des Halles will reopen next year).

Left: Les Halles, Paris (from the 'trou des Halles' to the Forum des Halles to the new - and improved? - Forum des Halles) / Right: Songhyeon-dong, Seoul (from a hole in downtown Seoul to Mario Botta's caprice for KAL, to...?)

In case you missed the previous episodes*: 

• Korean Air wants to build a 7-star hotel on prime land, the 30,000 sqm site formerly used for US Embassy staff in Songhyeon-dong, between the Gyeongbokgung and Insadong. 
• To tame conservationists opposed to the project, KAL pledges to give it a 'hanok-ish' look.
• But the main hurdle is legal: regulations forbid certain activities in the vicinity of schools. Intense lobbying to move the school and change the law ensues.
• CHO Hyun-ah's "Nutrage" incident torpedoes KAL's ambitions on a land Hanjin Group (the chaebol piloted by her family) doesn't even own
• Last May emerges a new path, more culture-oriented:

twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/600102138790825984 (20150518 @theseoulvillage)

Since yesterday's presser**, we have a clearer picture of what may come next:

• all the land shall be occupied by a "K-Experience Culture Center", to be completed by 2017
• the government and Hanjin Group shall collaborate on the project
• the building will respect hanok architecture, but with top notch technologies
• no hotel (even if KAL didn't abandon all hope), no casino - but no formal pledge that they'll never appear...

Authorities seem trapped by binding engagements with Hanjin. Politically, they cannot let KAL do what they want, or they would face public outcry. But at the end of the day, behind the cultural alibi, the group must somehow get some decently fat cash cow to milk.

This "traditional" "K-Experience Culture Center" is a classic gimmick for empty cultural shells build in downtown Seoul, and I don't think that at this stage authorities have more clues about how they will fill it than they do for the similar hanokish traditional center planned across Changdeokgung (see "Gwanghwamun, Donhwamun, and the Tale of two Royal Roads"). Expect some tribute paid to long-gone Choseon landmarks.

Worse: the "K-Experience" part has the sirupy "hallyu" flavor Korea must ASAP stop spreading all across its cultural spectrum (see "Heralding cultural diversity - a stronger and more sustainable Korean Wave"). That's more like the "classic gimmick for empty cultural shells" built on the other side of the river (BTW yet another kpoop / kdrama center has been announced near Jamsil).

Meanwhile, on the other side of Sejong-daero, the Four Seasons Seoul is getting ready for inauguration (October). The 'hanok' touch lies mostly on its curves (not to mention Hwang Ran's installation in the lobby!)...

Hanok curves for the Four Seasons Seoul (Jongno, Seoul) - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/631776061731139585

... and Airbnb keeps growing its base in the Korean capital, still under regulatory radars...

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* e.g. "From The Outside, KAL's "7 Star Hanok Hotel" Showcases Excellence in Freight", ""Korean Air Grounded : Seoul 7 Star Hotel Delayed"
** featuring the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as KAL's JO Seong-bae - see "[일문일답] 조성배 대한항공 상무 "송현동 부지에 호텔 건립 포함 안돼"" (Newsis 20150818) or "Korean Air hotel plan turns into culture center" (KJD 20150819)