Seoul City announced on the 6th that it will hold an international planning and design competition to transform the submerged road under Banpo Bridge into the Han River's first pedestrian-only bridge and develop it as a leisure and cultural space.
On the 18th, the '2022 Car-Free Jamsugyo Walking Festival' held at Jamsugyo Bridge in Seoul was bustling with citizens. This festival, which runs every Sunday until October 30th, features a variety of programs including a flea market, street performances, food trucks, and an outdoor cinema. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
This competition will be conducted in a 'design first, then business plan' approach. Through the competition, proposals for design, content, scale, and construction costs will be received, and after gathering public opinions, a business plan will be established. Once a verified budget is secured, a design competition will be held.
Domestic and international experts in related fields such as urban planning, architecture, landscaping, culture, and structural engineering are eligible to participate, and after evaluation, eight works will be selected without ranking.
Seoul City will provide the selected participants with equal compensation and plans to select a priority negotiation candidate to carry out the basic design service through a designated design competition next year.
Depending on the competition results, projects for the upper space of the bridge and the north and south access roads that can be executed in the short term will be immediately promoted.
Participants must propose innovative designs and utilization plans for the submerged road, considering the hydrological and ecological characteristics of the Han River, the structural and functional features of the bridge, and the fact that it will serve as a new leisure space for citizens.
Additionally, participants should present designs and construction costs for the upper space of the submerged road bridge and the north and south access roads, and propose how to connect these with the surrounding areas and water spaces.
Registration for participation will be open on the Seoul City design competition website from the 7th until the 29th of next month. The results will be announced on September 13 after review by the judging committee.
Detailed information such as competition schedule, design guidelines, and registration methods can be found on the website.
Previously, Seoul City announced plans to convert the submerged road into a fully pedestrian bridge by 2026, creating a space not only for riverside walks but also for small-scale performances and movie viewings.
The submerged road is the shortest and lowest bridge among Han River bridges, making it easily accessible on foot and advantageous as a pedestrian bridge.
Seoul City explained, "The submerged road has sufficient potential to transform into a new type of citizen leisure and cultural space, as it has the roof and shade of Banpo Bridge and is the closest to the Han River's surface."
Recently, the 'Car-Free Submerged Road Walking Festival' was successfully held, and in a public opinion survey last November, over 80% of citizens supported converting the submerged road into a pedestrian bridge, indicating a certain level of public consensus.
In April, the world-renowned luxury brand Louis Vuitton held its first-ever Prefall fashion show on the submerged road, transforming it into a runway that captured the fashion world's attention.
Hong Seon-gi, Director of Future Space Planning at Seoul City, said, "Once the submerged road is fully pedestrianized, citizens will be able to walk and enjoy the closest spot to the Han River surface whenever they want," adding, "We hope for collaboration among experts from various fields and active participation in the competition."
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