urban excavation

seoul 2016

unearthing commercialized public space

The underground GoTo mall (connected to subway line 3) is one commercial/ public space that is successful in drawing large crowds to its hundreds of stores everyday. The popularity and life of the underground malls will most likely continue over the years. Above the ground, however, there is a stark contrast in the level of activity compared to the subway malls. Wide and unused sidewalks line the low rise Banpo shopping town buildings, which will eventually become replaced along with the Shin-Banpo apartment complexes.

Introduction of mobile commercial modules has the potential to reconcile the severe split between the above and below ground conditions and concurrently redefine the notion of social spaces. Deployment of these modules that physically cross the above/below ground boundary is expected to bring the vibrant underground mall activity to the surface. These modules bridge the gap between the Han riverfront to the bus terminal, populating a street with vendors to create a commercial shopping promenade that is physically and visually connected to the underground GoTo mall.

The shopping promenade takes the form of an “interiorized outdoor corridor.” Moving walkways enable expedited pedestrian movement through the corridor, which takes various forms such as an open market, covered mall, sunken retreat, and a forested walk. The character of each space determines the wide array of commercial activity that can occur. The corridor terminates at the riverfront, where the moving walkway wraps and loops around a large landscape structure that houses more permanent commercial activity.