As a bit of a tangent, from October 13 to October 21 my roommates and I traveled to Seoul Korea where we took the KTX train to Busan and then flew back to Tokyo.
One of the first interactions with the city of Seoul happened at night where we walked through this strip park on our way to enjoy some reasonably priced Korean BBQ. Our map told us to cross the bridge into Hongkik University area, but we decided to take a detour and enter The Line Book Street (it took some searching to find the name).
Park to Building
Program
a History
Leisure / Loitering
Start and End Points
is it successful?
Park to Building
The park width to surrounding building height is aproximatley 1:1. The surrounding buildings ranged from single storey shacks to three and even four storey restaurant and hostel spaces. The park was subjected to light for the majority of the day, a cool breeze could be felt consistently keeping the area breezy and fresh. The smells of the restaurants could be taken in at key nodes along the park, so its not like you had to smell BBQ throughout the entire park.
Program
I will break this area down into the program of the surrounding buildings and the program of the park
Biulding program is failry simple. A high use mix of restaurants and retail shops. Restaurants serving Korean BBQ, Fried Chicken, Izakaya Ramen, Waffles, Beer and Kimchi dishes. Not much sushi, but alot of fresh fish.
Retail included knock-off clothing stores, alot of vintage used clothing stores, electronic accessories, hats, shoes. many of the stores ranging from the higher class shopping to the lower class, kind of all intermixed.
PIC
The park however modified its behavior along its 10km stretch. In the Hongkik area, northeast of Hongkik University the park is lush with vegetation, trees and areas of grass and tall grass. Mixed with paves (which conduct the trail) and remnants of the train rail that composed its history. This area lies quite low and is therefore crossed by vehicular bridges. In addition, there is a stepped / terraced seating space, many sculptures and many pavilions / buildings with what seems to be rent to use art spaces.
Whats also interesting is the use of 1:1 scale sculptures of people sitting and what looks to be enjoying themselves throughout the park. Does this act like a duck call, drawing people into the space just because it looks like others are enjoying themselves?
PIC
The walking trail doesn't simply move straight through the park, but meanders from a single lane and multiple, moving from centre justification to side-to side. Winding and moving in a promenade sort of way.
The park does not exist in isolation. As one makes teir way toward the park; in the NE Hongkik University area, you can feel yourself walking down the hill, ducking under the first bridge and walking down the un-even stairs entering the park. This is an interesting and in my opinion a very successful design move. Additionally, when, the park intersects with roads, cars must slow down as this is a pedestrian zone. This could only be achieved with the use of zoning changes but on lots of land and the cities infrastructural network.
PIC
Moving SOUTH WEST and then SOUTH the park transforms into a retail and restaurant-centric space, completely dissolving into paving and hardscape.
Prior to this, the intensity of hardscape began to increase, creating stages and terraces for loitering. Then the softscape completely vanished, only to be seen by tall trees and the stippled patch of grass.
PIC
Finally, I would like to clarify that vehicles do appear from time to time throughout the park, but the roads are very meandering causing the single lane traffic to slow down heavily. These roads appear to only be used by deliveries. The roads traveling through the park only really appear in the area west of Hongkik University.
PIC
A History
Part of what makes the park rich with interest could be the use of the historic (a statement that still needs to be verified) rail tracks and equipment. Along the park in the Hongkik University area, the park is lined with discontinuous metal rails, drop gates and statues of historical people.
Leisure + Loitering
Whether during the day or at night, even in the wee hours of the morning, the entire park was occupied with young and old, pets and wild cats.
Start and End Points
At least in the areas I have explored, from the east, the park starts at Sinchion Transit Station and proceeds to move west then south west into a very retail heavy center. The park acts as a conduit or a tunnel for pedestrians to pass through, freed by the heavy vehicular traffic. The pace in this area is slow, time appears to stand still.
Is it successful?
You know what, I don't really care to answer that. And honestly I don't think Ill ever give a hoot. While in Seoul we made it a priority to find places in and around Line Street. Always coming to the same spot. I know that I enjoyed myself while being there, I spent my time well.
PIC
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