Nature, not traffic: MVRDV greens highway

Seoul Skygarden, Renderings: MVRDV

Blooming glory instead of exhaust-belching traffic: an unused stretch of highway in Seoul is now to be transformed into an attractive promenade.

This project, brainchild of the Dutch architecture studio MVRDV, represents a particular form of upcycling. Instead of tearing down the highway on stilts in order to build something new, the creative architects want to rededicate the unused road as a park for city residents.
A bit of nature 17 metres off the ground, with 254 types of trees, bushes and flowers, all organized according to the Korean alphabet, will allow passers-by to discover new plants and interact with the green world. Cafés, flower shops, markets, bookshops and greenhouses will give the promenade its finishing touches.
The project is called Seoul Skygarden and has won MVRDV the international transformation contest. The highway was built in the 1970s and declared unsafe for motor traffic in 2006.
"Seoul Skygarden will improve daily life for many citizens of Seoul," says Winy Maas of MVRDV. "It will offer a lovely shortcut through a green oasis, right there among all the traffic and concrete of the city."

by editorial office Detail Daily on 06/09/2015