Transformation is an act or process of changing places. Formal or informal urbanization are the direct output. This phenomenon of massive ‘metapolisation’ is physically transforming both urban and rural land scapes by creating diffuse and in-transit habitats.The beginning of the 21 st century is defined by the radical urban transformations in Asian mega-cities and specially South Korea. How do the incessant urban dynamics affect the infrastructural quality of cities mainly regarding the right to public spaces and clean water? How can urban parks transform brown fields into vivid ecological wetlands? The design brief aimed to advance water transportation connecting the Han River to the Yellow Sea, while creating a well developed waterfront environment that houses all necessary facilities and amenities and transform the area of Magok into a tourist, commerce, and environment friendly waterfront area (117 Ha) in line with Seoul’s Han River Renaissance Project, through the participation and input of various professionals and experts from Korea and abroad. The core planning objectives were: creation of a leisure area equipped with related facilities and amenities; promotion of a sustainable ecosystem and environment of Magok; and alignment with the HanRiver Renaissance Project.
This study explores the urban co-existence between restored nature and eco-artificiality of a grand basin along the Han River of Seoul, which analyses the spatial and environmental capacities of the Magok area as an ecological aquatic park through a series of water scapes, transport structures and building types.This design strategy is not only a physical recovery but also covers radical concepts on water scape. Landscape is understood both as cultural catalyst and also dynamic process rather than a finalized object. By underlying eco-formations the design scheme offers a distinctive landscape recovery strategy on site.These land forms accommodate an archipelago of ecologies supported by leisure and recreational amenities through water terracing networks. With a complex system of land-transport infrastructure currently being implemented at Magok, the scheme takes a pragmatic bio-remediation approach by utilizing the surface water networks, grey water treatment plants and existing slope.
RMR