Seoullo 7017 Skygarden Tour

During the vacation in late June (much gratitude towards the company), I went on a trip together with my family for a couple of days to the hallyu capital, Seoul. We visited several famous districts, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Dongdaemun Market, Hongik University, and Myeong-dong. I especially arranged an attraction my family were not familiar with— Seoullo 7017 — in an attempt to know more about this most recent case of cityscape renewal in South Korea.

Obsolete elevated bridge transformed into an urban green skywalk

The 1-kilometer-long Seoullo 7017 is a segment of the walking path between “Hoehyeon Station” and “Seoul Station” on Subway Line 4, whose name carries the meaning of “Symbol of Seoul’s Pedestrian Pathway” and “Road to Seoul.” The number “7017” represents the starting point and day of rebirth of this walkway. The skywalk in Seoul is claimed to be a favored attraction that has gained popularity in a very short time. The place is highly recommended by many travel articles, and even the well-known variety show“Running Man”and many drama series came here to shoot their scenes.

From Myeong-dong through Namdaemun Market, Seoul Station to Lotte Department Store, Seoullo 7017 connects many shopping districts along the way

After completing its mission of transportation, the bridge went through a rebirth and transformed into Seoullo 7017 in the form of recreational space and sky garden

Yes, you heard it right: Seoullo 7017 did not look like this in the beginning. It used to be an elevated bridge for cars, and had been opened to traffic since 1970. Since it is next to Seoul Station (including train, coach, subway, and high speed train), the bridge had almost 50,000 cars passing through each day. Not only was it the busiest traffic road in the city, it was also the first urban impression Seoul left on the South Koreans and foreign tourists visiting for the first time. 

The moment of change happened in 2006. The government discovered that this old elevated bridge, used for over 30 years, had serious safety problems. Thus, the government started to contemplate on how to overhaul this bridge. Surprisingly, they did not choose to dismantle nor rebuild the bridge; instead, they revamped the bridge into a green skywalk connecting to the surrounding buildings, commercial districts, and people. Seoullo 7017 is the result of the “road intended for vehicles” metamorphosing into a “pedestrian walkway.”

After determining the direction of the transformation, Seoul held an international architecture design competition. In the end, the famous Dutch architecture firm, MVRDV, won the competition with a design proposal that turned the half-century-old elevated bridge into a 9,661 m2 public space. The skyway has soon become the most popular tourist attraction and check-in location since it was open to the public last May.

On a Friday morning, we came out from Exit 5 of Hoehyeon Station and walked upwards along the ramp, and finally we slowly entered the range of Seoullo 7017.

Perhaps it was because of the drizzly weather, there were not a lot of people that morning. Later we found out that the shops there only open in the afternoon. Also, the torrid summer sun is unbearable (ladies avoid it like the plague), so many travel articles suggest that it is easier and more romantic for tourists to enjoy the night views there after darkness falls (this is why drama series only shoot their scenes there in the evening).

There are no stairs at the entrance of Seoullo 7017; instead, an accessible ramp is used to reduce the inconvenience that may cause to the elderly and people in wheelchairs

Taller and greener -expansion of Seoul’s low-carbon ambition

On the 17-meter-high skywalk, tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of N Seoul Tower, Namdaemun Market, Seoul Station, and the Ancient City of Hanyang. Photography enthusiasts will love it here. The government also planned routes with different themes, including history, architecture, and night views. The guided tour is available in three foreign languages, i.e. English, Japanese, and Chinese. Those who are interested can go to “Seoul City Walking Tours” (dobo.visitseoul.net) to make an appointment.

Looking down from the 17-meter-high skyway, the surrounding scenery of Seoul Station is in full view

Apart from giving back the urban space to pedestrians, MVRDV’s design proposal also contains an important idea, that is, increasing the recreational space and natural greenness in the crowded city. To achieve this, Seoullo 7017 is adorned with 645 flower beds and potted plants. In total, over 20,000 plants are planted. Entering this place feels like entering a sky garden. When the weather is nice, you can buy a cup of coffee and bring a book with you to admire the city views, which is the most enjoyable thing in life (unfortunately, I could only pass through with a baby stroller, very sad.)

Along Seoullo 7017, there are many shops and public art installations. It is also provided for civic organizations to hold activities

In fact, Seoullo 7017 is connected to many surrounding buildings. If the office workers in these buildings are tired at work (or cannot suppress the urge to talk back to the boss), they can come straight out of their offices to get some fresh air. It is perhaps a special way to relieve stress or can been seen as some sort of employee benefits. 

Without question, a good public space needs constant maintenance. When we passed through the skywalk that day, we saw many staffers straightening up the flower beds. Because a heavy fall of rain took place the night before, many facilities (even a piano) were carefully covered to prevent them from getting soaked in the rain or being damaged.

Staffers are busy straightening up the flower beds and various facilities before the crowds turn up in the afternoon and evening

While on the subject, people might want to ask: Although the intention of building a skywalk for the residents is good, wouldn’t the traffic in the neighboring area become hectic after the elevated bridge responsible for transportation was torn down? Don't tell me that tourists are supposed to go up there to enjoy the scenes of traffic jams.

Actually, the government had calculated that, among the 46,000 cars going over the elevated bridge of Seoul Station each day, 60% of them simply passed by the bridge to get to other destinations. Without the bridge, the road capacity of Chilpae Road, one of the alternative roads, would increase by 27%; in the meantime, the road capacity of Seosomun Road would increase by 6%, whereas the vehicle traffic of Toegye Road would decrease by 16%. Thus, the municipal government added many public transport services, such as subway and bus, to reduce the inconvenience that might cause to car users. At the same time, the general public are encouraged to use the more low-carbon pedestrian pathway and public transport. Don’t forget: increasing pedestrians and tourists indicate more customers for the surrounding shopping districts, which is exactly what the gradually declining Namdaemun Market yearns for.

In order to dissuade people from driving cars and persuade them to walk over the bridge, the municipal government already held three “Elevated Bridge Open Day” events in 2014 and 2015 before Seoullo 7017 was officially open to the public. On the one hand, people were invited to bid farewell to the elevated bridge from the past through these events; on the other hand, people were given opportunities to get used to the fact that this is the future urban trend and everyone should look over Seoul from a higher angle and with an eco-friendlier approach.

From the elevated bridge with heavy traffic to a green skywalk, Seoullo’s rebirth is a valuable example for Taiwan

The skywalk is not as big a project as “High Line” in Manhattan, New York or “The Greenway” in Boston. Nonetheless, Seoullo 7017, situated in a densely populated Asian city, serves as a successful example of city landscape reform. Also, it preserves certain relics of urban traffic and historical memory, while launching the initiative for environmental protection, low-carbon emission, and walkability in the new era.