Project
Namsan Yejangjarak

Location
Yejang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Architects
Siaplan Architects

Namsan Yejangjarak (jarak means “the foot of a mountain”), with a total area of 22,330㎡, was initially a martial training ground for soldiers during the Joseon dynasty. However, it was isolated and lost its original status during the Japanese occupation. The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to restore it and turn it into an urban public park.

To revive the original landscape, the redesign of Yejangjarak focused specifically on pedestrians, benefiting nearby tourist areas and providing interconnecting paths between the eastern and western parts of Seoul. This pedestrian network, branching out from different parts of the city to the park as the point where the paths converge and end, is themed around nature, history and culture.

The optimally located park is isolated as an island surrounded by roads. The area around the park, its entrance areas and tunnels are thus clad with Tempio’s ceramic facade tiles in a neutral colour that blends in perfectly with the natural surroundings.