Another Attraction at Seoul Botanic Park... 'Moving Elevator'

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] Another attraction has been added to Seoul Botanic Park. Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH Corporation) announced on the 26th that it has installed an outdoor elevator at the entrance of the Plant Culture Center in Seoul Botanic Park, designed to resemble the structure of plant cells. This elevator serves as an accessible route for pedestrians with mobility challenges, such as wheelchair users and visitors with strollers, and is expected to become a new highlight of the botanic park due to its beautiful and unique design.

After successfully establishing Seoul Botanic Park, SH Corporation monitored visitor feedback and usage patterns to enhance customer satisfaction. They concluded that installing an outdoor elevator was necessary to create a safer and more convenient walking environment for visitors. In April of last year, they held consultations with Seoul city officials and related experts to improve the facilities. By October of the same year, the detailed design for the outdoor elevator was completed, followed by construction consultations in March and May of this year, including mock-up reviews of the kinetic sculpture, leading to the recent completion of the installation.

The elevator installed at Seoul Botanic Park features a hexagonal shape that mimics the plant cell structure of the existing greenhouse roof, incorporating kinetic art (artworks that move) to add vibrancy. The 225 hexagonal panels remain closed most of the time, forming a simple cylindrical shape, but at certain times, they sequentially open and rotate. The shimmering and waving surface during this movement gives the impression of a living organism.

At night, the elevator presents an even more dramatic appearance. Colorful lights projected from the floor continuously change in harmony with the opening and closing movements of the kinetic panels, creating a spectacular light show that beautifully decorates the nightscape of the botanic park and captivates visitors’ attention.

Kim Seyong, President of SH Corporation, stated, “Going forward, we will realize spatial welfare by building smart infrastructure that allows all users to safely and conveniently use all facilities in a universally accessible environment.”