[Restoration project]

Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project: Seoul, Korea

This project is one of the influential project in Korea. I live not far from here so I have a chance to go there sometimes. I remember that the site was fully covered as a four-lane overpass and the site next to the overpass housed a dence warren of small business. It had caused heavy traffic jam and the area was polluted.


The project required the dismantling and demolition of an elevated highway, and the uncovering of the historic 5.8 km waterway that ran underneath. This was transformed into an ecologically sensitive green pedestrian corridor.


Zone 1: History
The Japanese colonial administration first began dredging Cheonggyecheon stream.
National and imperial motifs highlight this zone’s emphasis on history. The foundations and stones of earlier bridges were included as decorative elements.

Zone 2: Urban+Culture
The middle zone has recreation areas, waterfront decks, and stepping stones that bridge the two banks. Its design focused on using environmentally friendly materials.

Zone 3: Nature
The stream widens as it enters the final zone, which was designed to look overgrown and untamed.



They used a very smart and interactive design which included 22 different intersections and bridges. The developers and urban planner also looked at the cultural activities that took place at this site decades before the expressway existed and integrated them with effective lighting.
It has benefits included, increased tourism, increased pedestrian traffic resulting in boosting health, and the redevelopment of old streets within Seoul that boosted business, economy and real estate.

Field trip in Sweden: 15-18 Jan

Skogskyrkogården (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Skogskyrkogården is located in the Enskededalen district south of central Stockholm. Skogskyrkogården means woodland cementery which reflects the development of architecture from national romantic style to mature functionalism.

It uses the natural landscape created an extraordinary environment of tranquil beauty that had a profound influence on cemetery design throughout the world.

[Restoration project]

Houtan Park, Shanghai: Landscape as a living system

My final third year project site is Greenwich peninsula in south east London. As you know that the site includes the Dome also known by the O2 arena as landmark. Nevertheless, much of the buiding and many of the site lies vacant and nearby waterfont is dominated by industrial wharves. These characters of site remind me to look at a restoration project. I found very interesting regenerative design which was promoted by 2010 shangjai world expo.


The site is a brownfield littered with industrial and construction debris. The water of Huangpu River is highly polluted and is considered unsafe for swimming and recreation and devoid of aquatic life.


Regenerative design strategies used to transform the site into a living system that offer comprehensive ecological services included: food production, flood, water treatment, and habitat creation combined in an educational and aesthetic form


Through the center of the park, a linear constructed wetland, 1.7 kilometers (one mile) long and 5- 30 meters (16.5 – 100 feet) wide was designed to create a reinvigorated waterfront as a living machine to treat contaminated water from the Huangpu River. Cascades and terraces are used to oxygenate the nutrient rich water, remove and retain nutrients and reduce suspended sediments while creating pleasant water features; Different species of wetland plants were selected and designed to absorb different pollutants from the water.

The Park demonstrates a living system where ecological infrastructure can provide multiple services for society and nature and new ecological water treatment and flood control methods. The post-industrial design demonstrates a unique productive landscape evoking the memories of past and the future of the ecological civilization, paying homage to a new aesthetics based low maintenance and high performance landscapes.

Project: Shanghai Houtan Park: Landscape as a living system
Location: Shanghai, 2010 Shanghai Expo Park, China
Size: 14 hectares
Project Type: Park, ecological restoration
Landscape Architect: Turenscape (Beijing Turen Design Institute) http://www.turenscape.com/
Date of Completion: 2010

Field trip in Sweden: 15-18 Jan

Streetscape

Field trip in Sweden: 15-18 Jan

Hammarby Sjöstad

Hammarby Sjöstad is Stockholm's biggest urban development project. Hammarby Sjöstad means ‘city surrounding Hammarby Lake’ and this 200 ha brownfield development was conceived to expand the inner city with a focus on the water, while converting an old industrial and harbour area into a modern, sustainable neighbourhood. This project very similar to my final work, including ecology and environmental sustainability.


When I visited the site already covered in snow everywhere. The view was obstructed by snow but even though it happend the site was the most attractive place.


Key Principles

• Inspiring sustainable development



• Developing an eco system



• Integrating with surroundings

Hammarby Sjöstad is a good example of the Swedish “green welfare state” approach to Eco-towns and shows how it can “promote sustainable development, new jobs, growth and welfare” into the future. As well as being ecologically innovative, it is also socially ambitious inline with the Swedish government mandate that all citizens should be provided with a decent, safe, affordable home that will be sustainable in the long term.

Stadt Lounge, St. Gallen, Switzerland

This is exactly unique public design and good inspiration. This project designed by Carlos Martines collaborated with artist Pipilotti Rist.
The red carpet flows through the space and over everything in its path including seating elements, water features, vehicles and walls. Curvacious benches and water features call out to passersby, encouraging them to sit and linger.




Even the areas designated for cars and bikes is artistic and bold and yet subtle at the same time. No confining lines, just a simple pattern in the shape of the object that should sit within.




I feel like more intimate and very indoor feel.