Seoul City Selects Two Additional Private Creative Innovation Design Sites

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 19th that it has additionally selected two pilot project sites under the ‘Urban and Architectural Creative and Innovative Design Pilot Project Contest.’

'Urban Platanus' Innovative Design Plan. [Image provided by Seoul City]

On the 12th, the city held the 3rd Urban Architecture Design Innovation Committee meeting to decide the final selection status of seven projects that required further review. Previously, on the 31st of last month, the city evaluated 17 planned design proposals and put seven on hold; among these, two sites were newly selected this time.

The remaining three sites were judged as ‘not selected,’ and two were ‘on hold.’ For the design proposals that were put on hold, the city deemed additional review necessary regarding ▲consistency with the surrounding urban context ▲the need for changes in urban management plans ▲appropriateness of securing public interest. The city plans to receive supplementary documents for these design proposals and conduct a re-evaluation.

The newly selected sites are ▲Urban Platanus and ▲Creative Ground. Urban Platanus was praised for its excellent public accessibility and connectivity in the underground passage and the urban plaza installed on the first floor of Jongno 5-ga Station, as well as for effectively expressing vertical green spaces expanded from street trees. Creative Ground demonstrated a new residential model, including rental dormitories reflecting locational characteristics, and was recognized for its public contributions such as a public observatory.

'Creative Ground' Innovative Design Plan. [Image provided by Seoul City]

Kang Byung-geun, Chairman of the Urban Architecture Design Innovation Committee (Seoul City Chief Architect), commented, “Creative and innovative design does not simply mean a visually unique or original design. It can also be expressed through how public interest is creatively represented or how various spaces such as underground and aboveground are organically connected and utilized.”

The design proposals of the selected sites will be exhibited at the Seoul Gallery (the wall passage connecting City Hall Station and the Press Center) from September 1 to October 29, in conjunction with the Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale, allowing all citizens to view them.

With this additional selection, a total of eight projects have been decided as pilot projects so far. The city plans to determine detailed incentive items such as floor area ratio and height, as well as the degree of incentives, through the review of the Architecture Committee for future project implementation. For planned design proposals requiring the establishment (or modification) of urban management plans, the city will review and adjust their consistency and appropriateness with related plans.

Even after this contest, the city will continuously promote the activation of design innovation in the private sector by thoroughly reviewing various methods such as additional contests or rolling submissions, project timing and targets, and operational plans.

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