The Seunsangga complex is a megastructure based on the utopian ideals of the Modernist movement of the last century. It is a symbol for Seoul and the central point of the Seun District. After four decades of existence, a series of factors has brought the complex to a stage of stagnation and possible dissolution as a whole. With the Seun Citywalk competition in 2015 it is time to rethink the functional approach of the complex in its entirety: how to pump life and joy back into the complex and brighten the soul it used to have in order to rebuild the symbol of Seunsangga.

Our main inspiration for the project is the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. The structure is seen as one of the first megastructures of modern times. The base of the bridge was founded in medieval times and over time, the Ponte Vecchio revealed the strength and flexibility of its structure by its ability to accomodate the ever evolving programs it hosted. The power of change brought, in the case of the bridge, a creative result which was not programmed at one moment in time, but is a sum of several decisions made by different communities at different times. It’s a symbol of diversity and continuous creation. In order to bring life and joy back into Seunsangga complex we focus on developing a platform that enables people to act as a creative entity.

In volume, the SeunSangga complex equals the tallest skyscraper in the world, and like most skyscrapers, the complex had a similar strict zoning (retail, office, residences). Without being projected vertically as a skyscraper, our land-scraper sprawls out across the city, offering great possibilities to connect the building with the street-life around it, thus making the project a potential platform to activate and structure the surrounds.