Post-human Urbanity: A Biosynthetic Future on Namsan

Description

The main goal of the international compétition, sponsored by the UIA World Congress, SgouI 201 7, is to so-licit new visions for a central site in Séoul, with a partïcular focus on biosynthetic Gcology as a vchiclc for urban régénération. The Metropolitan Government of Séoul has recently shifted its direction for urban growth toward a more socially sustainable model of urban ré­génération, encouraging the résidents and community groups to înitiate change from the bottom up. The com­pétition expects to generate thoughtful and provocative ideas for Haebangchon, which is a village on Namsan and one of the most important régénération sites in Séoul.

Thème

A challenge for the compétition is to formulate an up-dated vision of a more organic city, in which humans are but one among many participants in the intricately intertwinGd spGctrum of life. For non-human animais to occupy a more visible place in our cîties, we need to re-prioritize our urban infrastructures. The modem city's obsession with hygiGnG and sterilîty will be challGngGd by adapting a ncw filter of anîmality for assGssing the biosynthetic sustainability of a new habitat, conceived as a démonstration of posthuman urbanity.

Haebangchon on Namsan both real and imagined, and through architectural reincarnation in various forms of hidden public spaces, the idéal proposais shall address and challenge key concepts regarding post-human community, biosynthetic diversity, social sus-taînability, and urban régénération.

Site

Haebangchon ("Liberation Village") is located on the south side of Namsan in Séoul, between the forest of Namsan Park and the Yongsan US Army Base, which is planned for conversion info a large urban park. Used as a shooting range for the Japanese troops during the colonial period, the first settlers of Haebangchon were repatriates returnïng from overseas and migrants from North Korea after Korea regained independence in 1 945. After the Korean War, war refugees settled in the area and built one of Seoul's first shanty towns. During the rapid industrialization of the 1970s, Haebangchon provided homes for urban migrants.

Haebangchon's adminstrative name is Yongsandong 2-ga, and encompasses 2.04 km2 of area, with a population of 12,000 in 2015. The previous redevel-opment plans for Haebangchon, first labeled as "Kang-buk U-tum Project" in 2006 calling for large apartment blocks, and later replaced by "Green Corridor" plan in 2009 which would hâve turned the area înto a wildlife reserve, faced harsh criticism and were finally cancelled by the city. The current plan for Haebangchon calls for a more graduai urban régénération which will préserve the existing urban fabrîc and retain the current com­munity intact, while fostering économie revitalîzation.