Hangang Guardians
The Han River flows from east to west. Gangbyeon Expressway and Olympic Expressway along the river connect downtown with the suburbs. The Han River ditch lies between the road and the waterway. The river has many routes, carrying time and the memories of people living in Seoul. Thus it can be called a repository of social ecology made up of roads. Hangang Guardians is located in Nanji Hangang Park. Seoul Metropolitan Government, the client of this project, required a building of 540m² to be used for observation of the flora and fauna beside the river and for civic participation programs such as education and exhibitions.
Hangang Guardians is a three-dimensional platform that combines public lifestyles to play and enjoy the river. Considering the nearly flat topography of the river, Hangang Guardian is the only tall building around it. The stand in the courtyard enables visitors to enjoy the view of the river at various heights and picnic on the stairs. The inner floor of the staircase is a multi-purpose space to lead people to the 3rd floor and rooftop garden and to accommodate various programs such as education and exhibitions. The skipped roof garden enables people to relax and spend time silently overlooking the river. In this way, Hangang Guardian provides a place like a picnic mat laid out in a garden of Seoul.
Pilotis in the courtyard make a shaded area to avoid the strong sunshine. The architectural structure reacts to the biological demands of the human body which controls temperature and light like the shade of a cap. The corridor and the staircase with circular perforations play the role of concrete screen. They filter the altitude of the sun which changes over time and change the direction of the light.
On the platform of Hangang Guardian, everybody can secure a seat for oneself and also become a guardian of one’s time by oneself.
Project: Hangang Guardians / Location: Hangang Nanji-Park, Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea / Architect: IDMM Architects (Heesoo Kwak) / General contractor: Lotte E&C / Structural engineer: Halla Eng. / Electric engineer: Saman / Mechanical engineer: Taeyoung / Use: Neighborhood living facilities / Site area: 937,856m² / Bldg. Area: 564.40m² / Gross floor area: 543.66m² / Bldg. scale: one story below ground, two stories above ground / Height: 12.49m / Structure: Reinforced Concrete / Exterior finishing: Exposed Concrete / Completion: 2009.9. / Photograph: ©Wansoon Park (courtesy of the architect)
