International Federation of Landscape Architects
ASIA Pacific Region
A report on a visit to South Korea by John Easthope FAILA - AILA's IFLA representative.
>> many more images
On a recent trip to Korea for an Asia Pacific Region meeting and congress I had the opportunity to stay in Songdo, Incheon, a satellite city 45km from Seoul.
Songdo is one of three cities under construction each with a projected population of around 2.5m. The three cities to be developed as an International Free Economic Zone that would encourage expats to live in an accessible environment free from the language barrier.
The three cities Songdo, Yeongiong and Cheongna are set to transform the old Incheon from a manufacturing based economy to a knowledge based one.
Each of the three major districts will take on a special function, Songdo will focus on the biomedical field and global eduction institutes: Yeonggjong will focus on transportation and logistics hub, and Cheongna will host a robot themed amusement park.
To support the future large population Songdo has invested a considerable amount of capital to provide the ultimate infrastructure, such inground services, roads and parks.
The city has been under construction for the last 3 years with the ultimate population expected to peak around 2020. This enormous commitment to providing facilities up front leaves the impression of a city not yet alive.
A city on landfill
In providing the ultimate traffic free super technological city the transportation planners have had a field day in undertaking there “conquest of spatial separation” have created huge empty intersections that no doubt one day will allow for a city with no traffic problems.
Peak traffic.
The city does have impressive new buildings that integrate high technology impressive design outcomes.
One of many new buildings
City Plaza
In an attempt to provide an image of a completed city three new parks have been constructed to form the main open space system within Songdo. Two parks “Sunrise Park’ and Michuhol Park are strong linear parks that have been developed. Sunrise Park is located within the residential core.
Sunrise Park.
The park symbolizes technology, with its artificial lake (sea of technology) elevated viewing hill, musical fountain and rose garden. The park covers an area of around 21ha with the main axis around 1km. Within the park there has been attempt to provide a diverse activity opportunities with interactive fountains adventure play ground, cycle and running tracks and concert facilities.
Adventure playground
Musical fountain.
The park however does not have a logical movement pattern that links the activities unless you follow the running track around the extremities. There are also a number of installations that do not seem to have any logic
Very strange installation
The beached whale, apparently signifies technology. The floating plant communities appear randomly within the pond. Windmills that do not generate any power and finally the parks orientation from the main viewing hill is towards the sunset.
Floating grasses
Windmills
Walking around the park you discover a “Rose Garden” that looks as though it was an after thought in its installation and its maintenance.
New Rosed Garden
One final interesting note was the lack of the public. In the 3hhour visit to the park I only noticed 5 people three of which were children.
Michuhohol Park is located at interface of residential and the start of the hi-tech business park zone. This park has been designed around the historical and cultural symbols of Korea. Again the park is linear matching the Sunrise Park in size. The park contains a Cultural Hall, traditional tea building a large ceremonial open square and a large water body known as the “Michuhol Sea”.
Traditional Tea House
Formal Plaza
This park has incorporated large advanced plant specimens in an attempt to give the feeling of an established landscape with dense tree planting on berms surrounding the entire site. Workmanship is of a high quality for most parts of the park with the introduction of boardwalks and a ecological pond filtration system.
Lower section of filtration pond system
The third and final park is Central Park, this park is the largest in Songdo with an area of around 50Ha. It is located directly adjacent to the main business core of Songdo. The park consists of a large cannel water body and a main open space system built over a multi-storey car park. The resulting park again consists of a significant planted berm to create enclosure from the surrounding streets, as a result access into the park is gained by ramps and steps.
Main Entrance
Entry through the berm.
The park has number significant trails that incorporate elevated viewing areas of the cannel and surrounding business district.
Central path
Canal View
The park is traditional Korean with the introduction of dense planting, enclosed spaces, larges amounts of local rock unusual planting formation and traditional viewing structures.
As there are no residences in close proximity there are very few people using the facility, once development has been completed however the park will provide significant benefit to those people.
A final comment in relation to the ambitional development of Songdo as a major technological city, there is a sense of achievement in the built form outcome and potential futuristic buildings that eventually will provide a living place for 2.3m people. The people are the ones that have not been catered for, the streets are too large, the building are set back a considerable way, there is no sense of place or indeed no character. The vehicle is going to dominate the city and the public, well they will just ghost around.
>> many more images
other contributions welcomed - please make contact to discuss the possibility