PRISTINE FOREST

For a national wide competition calling for a memorial park in the historic area of Seoul, H Architecture proposed an innovative concept of reversed park that connects the past with the present city. <!--more-->The 24,078 m2 -area site located in Jungu, Seoul, was a place where people who had faith were persecuted under religious oppression of Chosun Dynasty. In order to create a place where Korean Catholic history of the persecuted Saints and citizens’ everyday-life coexists, H Architecture revived the very moment of death when Saints were beheaded, paradoxical moment of gaining eternal life through death.

The proposed scheme aims to reconnect the lost value of the place by opening up the boundaries through architectural operations of “Revealing, Cutting, Emptying and Linking.” Empty plazas and platforms reconnect the isolated city and the park; Pilgrim path along the “Valley of the Martyrs” filled with vivid day-light brings life to the underground structure; Green cracks link the divided ground plazas and the underground parks. Faith and courage of the Saints resides in the empty space of path ways and plazas and the sacrifices of numerous nameless martyrs are recollected into rocks and configures the space. During the fall season, beautiful red foliage reminiscent of the Saints’ blood will cover the space.