Old Seoul Station 'Parking Ramp' Reborn as Art Landmark After 20 Years... 'Docking Seoul' Opens on the 18th

Seoul Station Parking Ramp Closed for 20 Years Transformed into Public Space through Public Art

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 18th that it will open 'Docking Seoul,' a cultural and artistic space for citizens created from the old Seoul Station parking ramp, for free starting from the 19th. Docking Seoul was promoted as part of a regional public art project for museums.

Docking Seoul is a space that was once a vehicle passage (parking ramp) connected to the rooftop parking lot of the old Seoul Station building. After two years of renovation, it has been revived as a public art platform where artists' imagination and science meet, welcoming citizens. The name Docking Seoul was inspired by the characteristic of Seoul Station as a gateway where people and the city meet. The parking ramp, which has been closed since 2004, reconnects with citizens through public art works, symbolizing a connection to a 'new universe.'

The interior space of Docking Seoul has a unique structure with an elliptical courtyard in the center, surrounded by upward and downward ramps that do not intersect. Citizens can walk along the approximately 200-meter spiral space, where traces of the old automatic road remain intact, and enjoy the artworks. This project, completed through cooperation between the Seoul City Design Policy Office and the Balanced Development Headquarters, involved Hanwha and Seoul Station Northern District Development. To complete the artworks, Seoul Arts High School, which nurtures the next generation of artists, participated, completing a public-private-academic project.

Docking Seoul was planned and promoted as part of the revitalization project around Seoul Station, connecting Malli-dong, Seoul-ro 7017, and the old Seoul Station building. Je-hyun Han, Deputy Mayor of Administration of Seoul City, said, "With the opening of Docking Seoul, 'Yunsul' and 'Seoul-ro Media Canvas' installed at Malli-dong Square will be connected, turning the area into an open-air museum." He added, "Instead of installing massive sculptures, we will create a beautiful and emotional city of Seoul through urban art that resonates with citizens and comforts their daily lives."

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