The Seoul city government said on the 13th it has additionally selected the Jongno-gu Hyoje-dong tourist accommodation facility "Urban Platanus" (UrbanPlatanus) and the Seocho-gu Yangjae-dong mixed-use development "Neo-Platform" (Neo-Platform) as sites for the "urban architecture design innovation project."
The urban architecture design innovation project offers benefits such as relaxed floor area ratio and building-to-land ratio standards, expedited administrative support, and project implementation consulting for buildings that apply creative and innovative architectural design. Including the two newly added sites, there are a total of 20 sites.
Urban Platanus reconfigures the previously disconnected low-rise space in the city center into an open space with a wooden structure and reinterprets Korean curves into a modern architectural structure. The low-rise section will include civic shared facilities such as an event plaza, an observatory park, and an exhibition lounge.
Neo-Platform is a core hub of the artificial intelligence (AI) special zone, with a concept of a three-dimensional mixed-use city where advanced technology and nature harmonize. The lower floors will operate AI-related exhibition and experience spaces, and the top floor will feature a garden-style indoor observatory overlooking all of Seoul.
To invigorate the urban architecture design innovation project, the city has switched from holding the call for entries once or twice a year to accepting applications on a rolling basis starting this year, allowing private developers to participate flexibly according to their project schedules. It also distributed detailed operating guidelines to provide advance notice of considerations for each project phase and to increase predictability. To prevent the design intent from being compromised during construction, the city will expand the application of "realization of design intent," under which the designer participates in every stage of the construction process. To ensure that specialized elements such as civic shared spaces and three-dimensional greening are created as planned, the city will sign agreements with project operators and district offices and conduct inspections and oversight.
Kim Yong-hak, director-general for future space planning at the Seoul city government, said, "We will realize 'spatial welfare' that allows citizens to enjoy emotional and creative spaces in their daily lives, and make Seoul a global 'K-architecture exhibition hall.'"