PARKKIM

topo revival

양재고개 녹지연결로, 4등작

Year of Completion: 2016

Project Location: Seoul, Korea

Client: Seoul Metropolitan Government

 


The proposal was PARKKIM’s submission to Yangjae Ridge Eco Bridge International Competition which won the 4th prize. PARKKIM consortium was the only winning team led by a landscape architectural practice.
PARKKIM proposed an eco- bridge of shell arch that would structurally revive the preexisting topography of Umyeonsan Mountain lost in the construction of the Gyeongbu Expressway, the first highway of Korea built in the 1960s.
The eco-bridge was sited by connecting the gentler portion of the ridges so that animals could easily find their way. The deck was leveled and positioned, aiming for the shortest passage to ensure the smoothest wildlife movement. A pedestrian passage is attached to the deck with enough buffer from the animal passage.
So the horizontality of the upper part works for the fundamental function of the ecological bridge, that is, to provide animals with a passage in the city. On the other hand, the shall arch reveals the aesthetics of a gateway to Seoul and boldly supports the weight of soil and water required for the artificial habitat to thrive. Run off will be retained in the pipes composing the arch so that the structure itself acts as an aquifer.