Seobu Line confirmed as Seoul's LRT top priority

Among the 10+ Light Railway Transit lines considered by Seoul Metropolitan Government last summer, I singled out the Seobu Line / Seobuseon as the logical priority to fill the biggest gap in Seoul subway system (see "Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 1/2)" - following "If you ain't broke, fix it: Seoul, Welfare and Railways Deficits", and preceding "Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 2/2)"). It seems that the final recommendations for "Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan", to be disclosed on October 24*, will confirm this priority.

Reminder: Seoul's LRT plans

Here's a more detailed map zooming on the Seobu Line, including the extention to Seoul National University Station (see my focus for all details regarding the expected stations and scenarii):

Note that:

• After all, Seobu Line could be connected with Subway Line 5 on Yeouido. Maybe my shout out helped...
• Nothing about a potential connection between the future Yonsei U Station and the Sinchon train station. Works have started on Yonsei-ro, Seongsan-ro, and in front of Yonsei University (reminder: "Yonsei-ro the first street in Seoul to ban cars in its transportation mix"):
• Until the end of this year, Maeul Bus Line 3 doesn't pass by Yonsei-ro, but draws a larger loop, near Ehwa University.
• The green island created a couple of years ago on Seongsan-ro in front of Severance has been removed, probably to make room for the new major crossroads: since Yonsei-ro is to become car-free, more traffic will come not only to but from Sinchonyeok-ro (and via Yeonhui I.C., further to the West). I really wonder how they'll deal with bottlenecks when a big fish passes away in Severance Hospital.
• Yonsei University seems to be opening a new gate between its soccer and baseball fields, which will relieve foot traffic at the main gate and towards the future LRT station... Bonus: I'll be spared a sweat when I come play soccer on week-ends (right now I have to carry my bike on a small staircase).  
• Mayor PARK Won-soon plans to visit Gwanak-gu this week-end to show his support for a project that happens to be the most profitable both economically and politically... Again, upcoming elections have a lot to do with the revival of a program he lambasted his predecessor for.

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* see among other sources "경전철 서부선 연장" 17일 발표... 민자유치 필요" and "서울 철도 중심시대]서부선 '새절역-서울대입구역'" (Money Today 20131017)

Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 1/2)

Here's the promised focus on the 10 Light Rail Transit lines proposed in the revised Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan*... Or at least the first half (I told you it would take time!):

• This post follows:
• a focus on the macro level of this master plan (the big picture, and Seoul's proposed 3 priority axes - see "If you ain't broke, fix it: Seoul, Welfare and Railways Deficits"), and
• a first glance at 7 projected LRT lines, a fortnight ago (see "Seoul Light Rapid Transit Back On Tracks").
• Today, we'll present the new full list of 10 lines supposed to be delivered during the next 10 years, introduce 3 more projects considered for a longer term, and study in detail 3 lines in this list of 10, which are interconnected (Seobu Line, Sillim Line, Nangok Line).
• The other 7 lines will be detailed in a further post
  UPDATE: here it is: "Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 2/2)"

So. Again, overall, I strongly support the development of new railways across a metropolis that lags behind its global rivals in that most crucial field, and I'm happy to see major holes in the net fixed, but I want to be sure that the right priorities are set, particularly considering Seoul's limited financial resources, and the usual suspicions surrounding grand scale infrastructure projects popping up out of the blue a few months before mayoral elections.

And again, at the macro level, the master plan didn't lay out a clear strategic vision based on the existing situation and the challenges to come, which didn't help challenge the priorities, including at the micro level we're about to investigate now.

Are we missing something? And in case a trade-off were needed, which lines should be kept and which ones should be dumped? I wish I had all the answers and all the elements.

And remember: this is only Seoul's wishlist, n projects at various stages of maturity, not even a final proposal. Don't expect everything to happen.


The full (?) list of future LRT lines: from 7 to 10 (to 13?)


First, two maps (I told you, I love maps). I already showed you the first one, a "before-after" Seoul where each orange dot corresponds to a 10 min. walk around one railway station:

before and after the new lines - about this map, see previous post

The second map presents all the lines I'll list below:



Seoul map with the projected LRT lines: the initial 7 in black, the updated list of 10 in red, a 3 other projects in blue

Here's the revised list of ten LRT projects (starting with the initial list of 7, in black on the map / the last 3 - in italic, in red on the map - have just been added), with their projected daily traffic and length:

• 7 lines in the initial list (in black on the above map):
• Dongbuk Line (183,276 users - 13.3 km extended to 14.3)
• Seobu Line (163,754 users - 15.7 km extended to 19.5)
• Sillim Line (119,743 users - 8.9 km extended to 10)
• Myeonmok Line (91,472 users - 9 km)
• Mok-dong Line (89,587 users - 10.8 km)
• Nangok Line (54,247 users - 4.1 km)
• Ui-Sincheol Extension (30,227 users - 3.5 km)
• 3 new lines (in red on the above map):
• Wirye-Sinsa Line (168,784 users - 14.8 km)
• Subway Line 9 Extension (65,159 users - 3.8 km)
• Wirye (33,081 users - 5 km)

Seoul says 10,000 users are enough to make a line profitable (regardless of its configuration?). Note that for the moment, private investors have already shown interest in two lines: Seobu and Myeonmok.

3 other LRT projects (in blue on the above map) shall be considered 5 years from now, provided the conditions change favorably:

• The now famous Sillim Line extension into Seoul National University, for which SNU would pay 50% of the construction (don't buy your KRW 1,400 tickets to SNU too soon!)

• A further Subway Line 9 extension: from Godeok-Gangil District 1 to Gangil-dong, Gangdong-gu on the other side of the circular expressway 100, in the westernmost section of Seoul, right before Hanam. Reminder: back in 2010, Subway Line 5 was the one supposed to be prolonged to Hanam (see "Spectacular extensions of Seoul Subway Lines 4-5-6-7 ?")

• A Hwagok-Hongdae Line that, judging by the sketches, would start from Hongik University Station, cross the DMC along Worldcupbuk-ro, take the Gayang Bridge across the Han river, and follow Hwagok-ro to Hwagok Station (Hawgok-dong, Gangseo-gu), joining subway lines 2, 6, 9, and 5 in the process. It would add a precious vertical link within Southwest Seoul (nothing outside of the Subway Line 2 ring), and bring the western halves of the city closer together (not to mention the DMC and Magok District). While Seoul is at it, why not consider a more ambitious second ring? Expensive, I know, but always keep an eye on the big picture

• Note that Seoul also mentions a potential Subway Line 6 extension, maybe the one projected in 2010 (see "Spectacular extensions of Seoul Subway Lines 4-5-6-7 ?")

Now back to this list of 10. I'll start with the longest, the one that fills the biggest hole in Seoul's railway network, and the one I mentioned yesterday (see "Yonsei-ro the first street in Seoul to ban cars in its transportation mix"): Seobu Line. But I cannot do that without mentioning two shorter lines that are connected to it: Sillim and Nangok.


A 3-Tailed Dragon or the Seobu / University Line all the way?

• If you see the proposed network, 3 new vertical LRT lines are connected to each other, like a 3-Tailed Dragon:
• Seobu Line - The longest and most structural project: a vertical through Western Seoul (thus the name) that to the North fills the biggest hole in the network (around Eunpyeong-Seodaemun), and to the South cuts halfway between the too distant verticals of lines 2 and 4 (Dongjak-gu, Gwanak-gu). Between the two stretches, Seobu Line crosses Mapo-gu and doubles the horizontal line 9 through the saturated Yeouido hub. In previous plans, the line stopped halfway between Yeouido and Seoul National University Station.
• Sillim Line - A vertical between Yeouido and Sillim-dong, but more to the west (closer to Line 2, at the Yeongdeungpo-gu / Dongjak-gu border), and reaching deeper to the south, to east-Sillim-dong (Sinwon-dong, Seowon-dong, Seorim-dong, Sillim-dong)
•  Nangok Line - Around its middle (Boramae Park Station), where the Sillim Line becomes a diagonal, this vertical heads straigth to the south and west-Sillim-dong (Jowon-dong, Miseong-dong, Nangok-dong, Nanyang-dong)

• Frankly, I don't believe in a "3-Tail LRT Dragon" scenario where all 3 lines (Seobu, Sillim, Nangok) get the nod. Among the possible scenarii:
• If your priority is to reach SNU (that's a joke), you don't need a Sillim Line, and all you have to do is to add one "Inside SNU" station after Seoul National University Station via Gwanak-ro.
• If you want to keep only one project, and if you consider that the Sillim Line vertical is less central than Seobu to fill the Line 2 - Line 4 gap, you can keep the Seobu Line all the way to Guam station, finish with the last 3 stations of the Sillim Line to serve Sillim-dong (plus SNU if you insist!) and, to draw a straighter line between both segments, to replace Seoul National Station with Bongcheon Station, and Euncheon Samgeori station with, say, a station at the intersection of Euncheon-ro and Yangmyeong-ro.
• If you can only afford two lines, you can keep the modified Seobu Line I just described, and a combination of Sillim and Nangok (Yeouido-Boramae Park-Nanyang)

Seobu Line (approximative) list of stations

Seobu Line shall run from Saejeol Station in Eunpyeong-gu to Seoul National University Station in Gwanak-gu (in previous plans, it stopped at Jangseungbaegi Station):

• Saejeol Station (Subway Line 6) in Sinsa-dong, Eunpyeong-gu: where Gajwa-ro, a major diagonal axis in Seodaemun, crosses Bulgwangcheon
• Chungamgo Samgeori in Eungam-dong, Eunpyeong-gu (Baengnyeongsa: in front of Choongam High School, at a strategic fork betweeen Gajwa-ro and Baengnyeongsan-ro, which borders the recently erected Eungam New Town. After that, the line continues along Gajwa-ro and turns right at Geobukgol-ro, where it reaches the next station.
• Myeongji University in Namgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu: the first major university on this line (Myeongjidae), with another new new town, Gajwa New Town. Another right angle but to the left this time: the line follows Jeungga-ro, crosses Hongjecheon to reach the center of Yeonhui-dong.
• Yeonhui in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu: at Yeonhui Samgeori (intersection between Jeungga-ro and Yeonhui-ro), near Yeonhui Elementary School. The line takes Yeonhui-ro to the right, then Seongsan-ro to the left.
• Yonsei University in Sinchon-dong and Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu: at the main gate of the university, in front of Yonsei-ro. About the impacts between this station and the next one (and my wish to see a connection with the Sinchon Station of the Gyeongui Line), read "Yonsei-ro the first street in Seoul to ban cars in its transportation mix".
• Sinchon Station (Subway Line 2) in Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu and Nogosan-dong, Mapo-gu. University-wise, that's very close to the entrance of Seogang University, and one station away from Hongdae and Ehwa. Note that we just passed 4 new stations since Line 6: if you look back to the "before-after" map, that fills the "white" triangle in Northwest Seoul.
• Gwangheungchang Station (Subway Line 6) in Seogang-dong, Mapo-gu: we've been following Seogang-ro from Sinchon Rotary, and will continue straight across the Han river to Yeouido under the Seogang Bridge, where the avenue becomes Gukhoe-daero.
• Seogang Bridge Southern End (Seogangdaegyonamdan Sageori) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: at the intersection of Gukhoe-daero and Yeouiseo-ro. Instead of continuing straight and joining National Assembly Station, the Seobu Line takes Bokeum-gil to the left to draw a parallel to Subway Line 9, both lines cutting Yeouido in 3 almost equal slices.
• MBC (Munhabangsong ap - Potential connection to Sillim Line?) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: on the other side of the park, we're now on Gukjegeumyung-ro, at the intersection with Yeouinaru-ro, exactly halfway between Yeouinaru and Yeouido stations (Subway Line 5), less than 400 m on each direction on . It would be completely stupid not to make a direct connection with Yeouido Station, which is also on Subway Line 9: a simple corridor would do. But there is also a potential connection with the future Sillim Line (LRT), in case both are built. Note that 3 years ago, no connection was planned and that was quite a shock.
• Yeouido St.Mary's Hospital in Yeoui-dong, Yeoui-gu: at the Catholic University of Korea hospital, where Gukjegeumyung-ro meets Yeouidong-ro.
• Noryangjin Station (Subway Lines 1, 9) in Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu: beyond the old fish market, a significant transportation hub, even if Seoul city has sidelined Noryangjin New Town. The line heads south, following Jangseungbaegi-ro, drawing a vertical line halfway between Subway Line 2 and Subway Line 4.
• Jangseungbaegi Station (Subway Line 7) in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu: typically, line 7 runs for 7 stations between line 2 and line 4 without meeting any other line, and Jangseungbaegi is the one in the middle.
  THIS IS WHERE SEOBU LINE STOPPED IN PREVIOUS PLANS.
• Sinsangdo in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu: that's the intersection of Jangseungbaegi-ro and Yangnyeong-ro, which the Seobu line will follow after that.
• Guam in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu: more precisely at the intersection of Euncheon-dong, and Seonghyeon-dong, an area densely populated, on the other side of the Yangnyeong Tunnel. The line then takes Euncheon-ro to the left.
• Euncheon Samgeori in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu: at the intersection of Euncheon-ro and Gwanak-ro (between Seonghyeon-dong, Jungang-dong, and Haengun-dong). The line takes Gwanak-ro to the right.
• Seoul National University Station (Subway Line 2) in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu: on the stretch of 6 stations between Daerim and Sadang, Bongcheon Station would have been more central.

Sillim Line (approximative) list of stations

Sillim Line shall run from Yeouido to Nanhyang-dong:

• MBC (Projected station - Seobu Line) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: see above
• Saetgang Station (Subway Line 9) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: where the line used to start before someone realized it would be interesting to connect the line with Seobu. The line takes Yeouidaebang-ro, towards South-Southwest.
• Daebang Station (Subway Line 1) in Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu: at the intersection with Noryangjin-ro.
• Seongnam Middle & High School in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu and Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu
• Boramae Station (Subway Line 7) in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu and Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu
• Boramae Park (LRT Nangok Line?) in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu: at the park and hospital. That's where Nangok Line is supposed to start. The Sillim Line heads to the East along Bongcheon-ro.
• Danggok Sageori in Boramae-dong and Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu: the intersection with Sillim-ro, which the line will take towards South
• Sillim Station (Subway Line 2) in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu: the Sillim line will reach for the serpentine Dorimcheon
• Dorimcheon in Seowon-dong and Seorim-dong, Gwanak-gu: near the second Sillim Bridge.
• Sillim-ro near Sinseong Elementary School in Seorim-dong and Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu: back to Sillim-ro, heading in the direction of SNU. On the other side of Dorimcheon starts Hoam-ro, along which Sillim New Town is under construction. Hoam-ro leads to Nangok-ro and Nanhyang-dong, where the Nangok Line ends. A potential Sillim Loop Line?
• Seoul National University main gate in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu: main gate, at the intersection with Gwanak-ro.

Nangok Line (approximative) list of stations

Nangok Line shall run from Boramae Park to Nanyang-dong:

• Boramae Park (LRT Sillim Line?) in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu: see above
• Sindaebang Station (Subway Line 2) in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu and Sinsa-dong, Gwanak-gu: the line follows Nangok-ro
• Nangok Sageori in Miseong-dong, Gwanak-gu: intersection with Munseong-ro
• Nangok-dong in Nangok-dong, Gwanak-gu: the heart of a small valley of Gwanaksan.
• Nanhyang-dong in Gwanak-gu: a cluster of apartments, and if you continue, Huam-ro, Sillim New Town (see above) 

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* see "'서울 어디서나 도시철도 10분' - 철도 중심시대가 열립니다" (seoul.go.kr 20130725)

CHUN Doo-hwan for the record

The other day, my dictator neighbor received a visit from prosecutors who, beyond his Yeonhui-dong house, raided several homes and companies belonging to his relatives. CHUN Doo-hwan was said to be relaxed and polite while they searched his house. For show, he did leave them a little bit more petty cash than usual for their pain (provided they can link him to the over two hundred artworks collected, including some from famous painters such as Park Soo-keun), but nothing close to the KRW 167.5 bn he still owes to the nation.

I'm surprised to learn that prosecutors were surprised to find his safe empty*:

• Arguably Korea's most hated politician (NB: no small feat, particularly across the aisle these days), CHUN had probably been tipped off thanks to his pervasive network. Judging by his impunity and the frequent visits of V.I.P.s to his place, the man still knows how to pull the strings - if not call the shots (no sick pun intended for the victims of the Gwangju Massacre).
• But you don't need to be a crime genius to know something was coming: lawmakers had just voted an extension of the search for his illegal funds in time (until 2020), and in reach (to the relatives). Even if several members of CHUN's family are now under interdiction to leave the national territory, many suspect that significant slush funds have already traveled to friendlier destinations.





Among Monday tweets: "This time, media don't come to #Yeonhuidong to shoot a drama. Prosecutors raid my neighbor dictator #ChunDoohwan" (http://twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/357023321507889153) / "Reminder: #ChunDoohwan got not only a "Get out of jail free" card, but his hands deep into the Community Chest" (http://twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/357044770637492226)

Anyway, Korea needs to recover more than the money still owed by its former strongman**, and even more than the undisclosed total of additional public or private assets rumored to have been offered to his friends.

Korea must recover its credibility as a democracy where justice is not only independent, but respected. Where being a top politician or a top businessman shouldn't mean being granted an unlimited supply of "get out of jail free cards".

I'm not a supporter of death penalty, and I'm glad CHUN's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. I also understand some of the reasons why KIM Yong-sam and KIM Dae-jung pardoned him, but still, putting him out of jail sent a very wrong message to the nation and to the world, and every episode of the saga that followed confirmed the nuisance**.  Now I hope that this time, the record is set right, and that all culprits pay, including in terms of prison time.

Now I guess I've made my point: I'm not exactly a fan of this convicted criminal.

But since CHUN Doo-hwan's record must be set straight, I'd like to mention a lesser known part of his legacy. He banned private tutoring and hagwon the way dictators do (the ugly way, leveraging on coercion and squealers), but towards the end of his rule, students could reach top universities on a merit basis unseen ever since.

I don't know if this can explain a boom in successful independent entrepreneurs one decade later. I don't know the backgrounds of people like the founders of Naver, NCSoft, or Daum (LEE Hae-jin, KIM Tae-jin, or LEE Jae-woong, respectively SNU, SNU, Yonsei U), and I know that anyway, the internet boom offered a unique opportunity for non-chaebol players to emerge in brand new arenas, just one click away from endusers.

But maybe, in his own wicked way, the dictator ironically*** helped rise to the top some of the university leaders who accelerated his fall. Who knows?

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* "Prosecutors Find Empty Safe in Ex-President's House" (Chosun Daily 20130718)
** see previous raids, or last year's episode of "Neighborhood watch"
*** irony: Chung used to be basically Park Geun-hye's bodyguard, and in charge of the security of the predecessor he removed from power

Seoul Light Rapid Transit Back On Tracks

Seoul Mayor PARK Won-soon, who earlier during his term shelved some of his predecessor's Light Rapid Transit projects, decided not only to revive them, but to push even further, adding more than a few stations. As a matter of fact, these lines often fill major gaps in the capital's railway system, and should spectacularly improve public transportations... not to mention the Mayor ratings in a still depressed real estate market.



Seoul's 7 LRT projects

Of course, there are other  LRT lines or projects in the greater Seoul region, like Uijeongbu's U-Line, or the EverLine (a.k.a. the "Samsung Line" between Yongin and Everland).

So what has changed since our February 2010 focus ("Subway news : Sillim line, Line 3...")?

• Already well under way, the Ui Line (Ui-dong to Sinseol-dong) will be prolonged by the Banghak-Sinseol Line. Instead of ending at the feet of Dobongsan, it will reach Subway Line 1 in front of Dobong-gu Office.
• The Sillim Line will be prolonged to Seoul National University, and will now connect Yeouido to Seoul Dae. NB: that's the first line inside the university, who will pay for half of the extension.
• The Seobu Line (West) will connect Saejeol Station in Eunpyeong-gu to Seoul National University Station in Gwanak-gu via Yeouido, Sangdo, and Jangseungbaegi Station in Dongjak-gu). NB: this time, CHUN Doo-hwan will not prevent the subway from passing by Yeonhui-dong!
• The Dongbuk Line (Northeast) will connect Wangsimni to Eunhaeng Sageori, the 'Bank Crossroads' in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu. NB: ideal to reach Baeksa maeul!
• The Myeonmok Line will connect Cheongnyangni to Sinnae-dong, across Jungnangcheon.
• The Mok-dong Line will connect Dangsan to Sinwol Sageori, and feature a new rail yard
• The DMC Sunhwa Line / DMC Circular Line would have given yet another boost to the Digital Media City, but that's neither a priority nor economically viable NB: definitely a plus for its "Connectivity, continuity, and consistence" (see "Songdo, DMC: sequence is of the essence (Part II)")!

Fine, but who'll foot the KRW 2 tn bill? The BTO (Build-Transfer-Operate) system is supposed to split the cost between local authorities and constructors, but Line 9 proved that you'd better always keep an eye on all the elements of the equation.

Theoretically, in a not too distant future, your admission to Seoul Dae should only cost you about KRW 1,400.

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20130712 Edit - DMC line

Seoul National University, a league of their own

Korea's most prestigious university, "Seoul Dae", has always been a laughing stock as far as sports are concerned : Seoul National University never leaves the bottom of national rankings in collective sports, and a ten goal deficit in soccer or a twenty run loss in baseball are more than commonplace.

Chosun Ilbo Senior Editor OH Tae-jin nailed an hilarious tribute* to SNU's baseball team, but keeping one's seriousness is not that easy when you consider the bold facts : in 2004, SNU stopped a 199-game losing streak only to start a 56-game losing streak the next match, and personal statistics against this team have not been taken into account in the league standings since 1992.

Now this joke of a team just hired a prestigious coach : LEE Gwang-hwan won the KBO title (Korean pro baseball league) in 1994. Imagine Jose Mourinho taking over the perennial underdog of Portuguese university soccer.

To tell the truth, I find that a bit unfair and disrespectful to essential traditions. Seoul Dae may produce the Korean elite of tomorrow in a campus roughly the size of a small "gu" (Samsung founder's former golf club in Gwanaksan), it may boast an art museum designed by Rem Koolhaas, it still used to be the symbol of meritocracy : a lot of poor students, served a food so miserable you sometimes felt on the wrong side of the DMZ, and not much funding for sports.

But the times they are a-changing. Meritocracy became hagwonocracy nationwide, and SNU starts caring for its image as a sports powerhouse.

Well. "Powerhouse" at least in the meaning "equipped with electricity".

Seoul Village 2010

* "서울대 야구감독 이광환" / "LEE Gwang-hwan Seoul National University baseball coach" (오태진 20100529 - Chosun Ilbo)

Otto Dix in Seoul

Etching is about torturing metal, generally with acid or a blade, to create an image. With Otto Dix, the process starts in the artist's brain and ends up in yours.

Dix survived hell : "Der Krieg", WWI, the trenches, and the aftermath - the Weimarian madness that followed. His two series of haunted and haunting etchings contrast with the minimalist halls designed by Rem Koolhaas : death, decay, the nightmarish charge of Stormtroopers wearing gas masks, fake love for sale, the absurd freak show of veterans, either powerless (like this blind man who lost all arms and legs, surrounded by legs... including the one lifted by a dog as it passes by), or allzu machtlich ('Lustmord' as the ultimate PSTD ?)...

There's humor under the knife and the acid - the only way to escape total madness. But compared to this, even Max Beckmann looks like a Disney cartoon.

OTTO DIX - Critical graphics (1920-1924), War (1924) / 오토 딕스 - 비판적 그래픽, 전쟁
20100401-0530
F3, SNU MoA (Seoul National University Museum Museum of Art), Seoul National Uiversity, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Korea

Seoul Village 2010

Rem Koolhaas on Seoul and Prada Transformer (CNN)

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas was recently Interviewed on CNN Talk Asia in front of his Prada Transformer, an advertocultural event which has at least the advantage to make more people visit Gyeonghuigung. Most Gangnam hypists won't even notice the presence of the royal palace, but many Seoulites will (re)discover the area and who knows, some may even pay a visit to Seoul Museum of History next door (and paying a visit doesn't cost much : you can enjoy many exhibitions for free or just a few hundred wons).

Koolhaas chose the location with taste : Joseon rulers themselves picked a perfect spot with Inwangsan in the background. Note that for his Seoul National University Museum of Art, the Pritzker Prize winner already enjoyed good vibes from Gwanaksan. But if the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art offers an interesting view from Itaewon heights, there's not enough room around the Samsung Child Education & Culture Center Koolhaas designed to appreciate it from a distance. Both buildings are less striking than this Transformer anyway.

What you have here is basically a tetrahedron with one circular face, its metallic structure poking under a light white skin. Not as light as the contents though : an alibi to justify the design and architectural bravado, and to leave some room for the sponsor. Cranes turn the pyramid in various positions, each one hosting a specific event.

The 3 parts of the interview :

Part 1 - "Living differently" (around 1'40" - 2' into the video, the construction of Transformer, with Inwangsan and Gwanghwamun Space Bon in the background)


Part 2 - "Staying relevant"


Part 3 - "Seoul Man" (SNU Museum of Art...) :



Seoul Village 2009

see also OMA's website : oma.eu (Office for Metropolitan Architecture founded by Rem Koolhaas)