Seoul tries a 4th time with its city building design

The third design for the new Seoul city hall.

First three rejected for not taking into account city's historical identity

The Seoul city government said that it would submit a fourth design for its new municipal building early next year, after its previous three proposals were rejected by the Cultural Heritage Committee. Construction experts point out that the city has to do a better job of reflecting the environment and the city's historical identity in its design.

In April, the city government submitted its first design, a 21-story building, saying that it would be an office building "for an international mega city." The design was changed twice into one shaped like the Korean flag. But the amended design still did not satisfy the committee, which said that it does not suit and might "spoil the beauty" of 400-year-old Deoksu Palace located nearby.

A city official said that the unexpected rejection is mainly due to its unpreparedness. But construction experts say that it is not a matter of preparation but a matter of philosophy. The Seoul government was supposed to break ground for the building plans in May 2006.

Tokyo city hall

"Northern Seoul, where City Hall is located, maintains the city's 600 years of history as nation's capital," said Professor Lee Myung-joo of Myongji University's Construction College. "The designs that the city government has proposed could undermine the very historical identity [of Seoul]."

Professor An Chang-mo of Kyonggi University echoed this opinion, saying that the "development-driven construction seen in the 1960s-1970s should not be repeated."

The Seoul city government has pushed for an office building like Tokyo's, which was built in 1991 and turned into a tourist destination, attracting around 20 million people a year. "We need an office building that can attract tourists," a city official said.

But experts do not see it that way. "The Tokyo building is located in Shinjuku, an equivalent area of Seoul's Yeongdeungpo district," a commercial area not in a historic district, "so it is O.K. to construct such an overwhelming edifice. But things are different here, as downtown Seoul [where City Hall is located] is the nation's ancient capital city."

Considering that Mayor Oh Se-hoon has highlighted the importance of environmental protection, the building designs that Seoul has proposed are not in line with this philosophy, either.

London city hall

London city's office building is nicknamed "Darth Vader's helmet," or "Motorbike helmet." The builders reflected environmental concerns in building the dome-shaped edifice. It supplies 75 percent of its own electricity via solar power. The "green-powered" building reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 3,000 tons. In addition, the building uses underground water for temperature control, and the water is recycled to flush the toilets.

But Seoul city seems to have ignored environmental factors, focusing only on its exterior appearance.

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