On March 2, 2017, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that Dutch design firm KCAP Architects & Planners had won the international design competition to redevelop the “Sewoon District #4” area in Seoul, South Korea into a sustainable mixed-use area combining urban manufacturing and respecting its cultural heritage.
KCAP‘s plan proposes an integrated approach for the 280.000 m2 of mixed uses including offices, retail, hotel, entertainment, education and medical facilities, preserving the historical structures and at the same time developing a people-oriented urban design to function as a driving force for stimulating craftsmanship in Seoul.
The strength of the proposal is the subtle integration of the building mass in the surrounding context, the adequate modulation and connection that creates flexible unit combinations to respond to future demands and lasting place making generated through the preservation of historic traces and buildings.
Especially, the proposal of the public anchor program in ground and underground floors to enhance and adapt urban industry is highly appreciated.
A jury comprising six experts in the field of urban design and architecture from academia and industry selected KCAP out of eight national and foreign offices as the winning team. The president of the jury, Prof. On Young Tae mentioned that KCAP’s proposal “presented the most suitable strategy for Sewoon District #4 based on excellent understanding of historic and urban conditions of the site.”
KCAP will process the schematic design until December of 2017. Construction is planned to start in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2023. From March 6-17, 2017, all of the design entries will be exhibited in the lobby of Seoul’s City hall.
KCAP Architects & Planners does architecture, urban design and urban planning, and is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Kees Christiaanse in 1989.
All images courtesy of KCAP.