Following the April 9 residents' briefing, a YouTube briefing will be held until the 21st... Restoration of symbolic significance connecting past history and future at the Korea-France 100th Anniversary Memorial Park... Creation of waterfront space, activation of sports facilities, construction of community center, improvement of circular walking paths, and overall park space rebirth
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) has finalized the renovation blueprint for Mokdong Paris Park, created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations.
Mokdong Paris Park is a symbolic space with special historical significance, established to celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, and has long been loved by local residents.
The district began design work in August last year, completed reviews by the Seoul City Urban Architecture Joint Committee in February and the Urban Park Committee in March. After a residents' briefing session on April 9, an online briefing via YouTube is planned to start on the 12th. Based on residents' feedback collected until the 21st, the final design details will be adjusted, with construction scheduled to begin in May.
The basic direction for the Paris Park renovation respects the core values of the original 1987 plan while seeking new functions that reflect changing times.
The entire park space will be newly reborn, including the creation of water-friendly areas, revitalization of sports facilities, construction of a community center, and enhancement of the circular walking path.
First, regarding the water-friendly space, the existing pond’s steep level differences will be improved by dividing it into a floor fountain and a mirror pond, both designed as water-friendly areas where users can come into contact with water at any time.
The water level will be lowered so that even young children can safely interact with the water, and when drained, the area can be used as a plaza.
For sports facilities, the existing basketball court conflicted with the park entrance, making relocation unavoidable. Considering the many youths who visit nearby, half of the existing basketball court will be reduced to a half-court with multi-goals, and a new full court will be added in a separate space.
Outdoor fitness equipment, which has been widely loved by seniors and installed throughout the park, will be relocated inside a dense forest area with large trees to allow use in cool shade.
Additionally, a natural play area without fixed playground equipment will be introduced for children visiting the park, encouraging creative play.
A new community center building of approximately 204㎡ (61 pyeong) will be newly constructed around the pond. This space will serve as a place where visitors can enjoy simple food and beverages and rest, as well as function as a permanent exhibition hall. Adjacent to it, a lawn plaza will be created to host various events.
The new community center will be linked to the book playground, which has been popular with children and guardians, becoming a cultural space where residents of various ages can gather and enjoy diverse cultural events.
The district also plans to renovate the worn circular walking path. The Paris Park circular path is a quiet 540m trail extending into the forest on the park’s outskirts, but some sections connected by stairs made it difficult for seniors and strollers to pass.
Therefore, during this renovation, all three stair sections will be replaced with ramps to allow comfortable walking for everyone.
Furthermore, the central axis walkway will feature a modern interpretation of the four trigrams of Geon, Gon, Gam, and Ri, familiar to us from the Taegeukgi (Korean flag), incorporating Korean symbolic elements. The Hanbul Madang (Korea-France Yard) will be designed to create a new landscape while utilizing existing materials.
The Paris Plaza on the park’s south side will be planned with French-style embroidered flower beds and an Eiffel Tower sculpture to evoke the atmosphere of Paris, France, while the Seoul Plaza on the north side will reflect traditional Korean ambiance through traditional walls and plantings.
In addition to traditional Korean and French spaces, design motifs that allow visitors to simultaneously experience modern Seoul and Paris will be introduced, marking the park’s first step as a future-oriented smart park.
Accordingly, future-oriented elements such as a smart pergola equipped with virus-free functions using IoT technology, solar-powered benches, and smartphone charging facilities will be introduced, advancing the park as a leading smart park project.
In particular, the smart pergola with virus-free functions uses an air density controller and sensors to activate fine dust blocking and air purification functions depending on fine dust concentration. It can also remove viruses like COVID-19 and provide cooling and heating functions according to external temperatures. This area will feature wireless fast charging and display fine dust information, establishing itself as a safe and convenient resting place.
The district has promoted the Paris Park renovation by listening to residents’ voices on-site multiple times from the planning stage and has maintained communication with the French Cultural Center to properly embody the symbolism of Paris. For more details, contact the district office’s Parks and Greenery Division.
Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, stated, “We hope Paris Park will be reborn as a space where various generations come together, where past and present, and Korean and French cultures coexist, establishing itself as a space that can present the vision of future city Yangcheon.”
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