Mapo District Office Transforms into Seoul's First Government Building Featuring an Indoor Garden

Matching with the Korea Forest Service and Seoul City, Providing Green Healing Spaces for Residents through Indoor Garden Creation... Indoor Garden Design Contest Reflecting Mapo District Office Spaces and User Characteristics until March 28

Example of a vertical garden with wall and pillar greening applied

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) is promoting the ‘Living Proximity Forest Creation Project’ at the Mapo-gu Office building in partnership with the Korea Forest Service and Seoul City.

The ‘Living Proximity Forest Creation Project’ is part of the Korea Forest Service’s Green New Deal initiative, aimed at creating various types of gardens around public and multi-use facilities in residential areas. Mapo-gu is the first autonomous district in Seoul to undertake the creation of a living proximity forest (indoor garden).

Since April last year, after document screening and on-site evaluations, the Mapo-gu Office building was finally selected as a project site for the Korea Forest Service’s 2021 initiative. Accordingly, the project will proceed with government funding of 500 million KRW and city funding of 350 million KRW.

The district plans to utilize idle spaces throughout the building, such as the first floor and basement level 1, to create indoor gardens with plants proven to have air-purifying effects on walls and other surfaces. A smart automation system will be introduced to ensure optimal management.

Considering that facilities such as a library, youth center, and daycare center are located within the building, the project will reflect not only the spatial characteristics but also the diverse user traits visiting the office, providing a differentiated green resting space.

By transforming the Mapo-gu Office building into a living proximity green building forest, the district expects to actively respond to climate change issues such as high concentrations of fine dust, while offering residents easy access to garden culture.

To this end, the district is holding a contest until the 28th to solicit professional and creative indoor garden design proposals that will enhance the project’s completeness. The final design service contractor will be selected through a review by an evaluation committee in April.

Detailed information can be found on the Nara Marketplace (G2B) website. Interested companies should review the announcement and related documents and submit their proposals to the Mapo-gu Office Parks and Greenery Division by the deadline.

Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu said, “I hope the Mapo-gu Office will not only improve indoor air quality in enclosed spaces but also become a healing space that comforts residents weary from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We ask for the participation of many interested parties so that a high-quality eco-friendly resting space can be created through this project.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.