BIG: Bjarke Ingels Group Chang-jo Architects

The site has been divided east and west by the Gyeongbu Expressway for over 60 years. Considering both the existing natural environment and urban context, while also anticipating the future park above the expressway, this proposal aims to reconnect fragmented areas, dissolve boundaries, and open the site to the public. This will create a space that integrates community, nature, and culture. We propose the SEOUL Playground, a place that all citizens of Seoul can enjoy. SEOUL Playground is composed of five rectangular volumes of varying floor areas stacked vertically. It has a unique form - the lower volumes are dramatically reduced to allow the upper volumes to gradually expand. By minimizing the building mass on the ground level, more space is returned to the public realm, while maximizing the upper mass enhances the value of the public space on the sky garden. As the tower rises, each volume shifts in orientation―wider faces of the lower levels are directed north-south, while the upper levels rotate to face east-west. This configuration ensures unobstructed views in the upper levels, avoiding interference from planned high-rise developments to the north and south. It also reduces direct sunlight exposure, enabling more efficient thermal energy management for the building. The shifting volumes create a series of continuous green terraces along the tower’s east and west sides, vertically extending the ground-level urban park. The stacked massing also produces cantilevered elements on the north and south sides, creating a dynamic and iconic architectural silhouette. The SEOUL Playground reconnects previously divided urban areas and is envisioned as a new landmark for Seoul―an open and inclusive space that all citizens can access and enjoy.