The Cheonggye Canal project is a seven-mile greenway within the heart of downtown Seoul.  Removal of an urban freeway that once divided the city uncovered a historic waterway, the Cheonggyecheon Stream, which is now celebrated as a public amenity.  The design of the source point park uses local stone from both North and South Korea, creating distinct points that represent their nine provinces, creating a cultural symbol of the possibility for reunification between the two countries.  Drawing pedestrians down from the busy city core, a two-tiered water feature serves as a focal point, tying the sunken garden to the at-grade Cheonggye Square.  This linear park is now a vital part of the city’s urban fabric and is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, who can now pause and sit along the stream banks, as well as enjoy programmed civic events and artist installations.  It has also restored the ecological systems, bringing native flora and fauna to this highly urbanized environment.

Image credit: Taeoh Kim and Robert Such

Awards

Honor Award for Design from the ASLA

Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award from the The Waterfront Center

Harvard University Veronica Rudge Green Prize

First Place International Design Competition, Seoul

News

• “ChonGae Sunken Stone Garden Opens Up an Underground River in Seoul” (Inhabitat)
• “The ChonGae Canal Turns an Auto-Centric Zone into a Pedestrian Haven” (Land8)
• “Peeling Back Pavement to Expose Watery Havens” (NY Times)