The South Korean capital has, finally, witnessed the opening if its 983-meter-long ‘Skygarden’, located in Seoul’s central station district. The 16-meter-high walkway was designed by the Rotterdam-based firm MVRDV, and it features a wide variety of local plants. More than 24,000 individual plants from 288 species and subspecies were used to turn the former highway into a linear park that floats above the city. “The idea here is to connect city dwellers with nature, while at the same time also offering the opportunity of experiencing these amazing views to the Historical Seoul Station and Namdaemun Gate,” said Winy Maas, founding partner of MVRDV.
© Ossip van Duivenbode
The Skygarden was, also, given then name Seoullo 7017 in reference to 1970, the year in which it was originally constructed, and 2017, the year in which it transformed. It is was designed as “a collection of small gardens”; each has its unique identity which is defined by composition, color, and fragrance. The landscape of these gardens will change with seasons: “the bright colors of leaves in autumn of the Aceraceae family (maples), the blossom of cherry trees and rhododendron in spring, the evergreen conifers trees in winter and shrubs and trees bearing fruit in summer.”
© Ossip van Duivenbode
The floating garden will be accessible via stairs, escalators, lifts, and bridges, which will connect the development to the surrounding facilities: shops, hotels, services, and entertainment venues. It will be open to visitors 24/7, and it will be illuminated at night with nature-friendly blue light whose color can be changed on different occasions.
Yosra is an architect, writer, and teacher. She is always into learning something new. Her life motto is: "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” One day she will travel the world and visit its architectural wonders. In the meanwhile, she contends herself with reading and writing about them.