The Seoul City Wall was originally built in 1396. It stretches along the ridge of the city’s four inner mountains - Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan, and Inwangsan - covering a total of 18.6km. This wall delimits and defines Old Seoul and is an important element of the city’s cultural heritage. Today, only fragments of the wall remain.
As a strong linear monument which connects a network of public spaces and parks, the Seoul City Wall has the potential to become a catalyst of a people-centred Seoul. One of the historic districts that lies along the wall is the Yangdong neighbourhood, characterized by rich detailing and a varying topography, but dominated by car-oriented roads.
Mecanoo’s design for the Gureum Gil, an elevated pedestrian walkway in the Yangdong neighbourhood, creates a people-friendly connection between the Seoullo pedestrian walkway and Namsan Park.
Journeying along the walkway is a unique experience, overlooking a terraced landscape. Visitors are led through dense trees and open areas with beautifully framed views of the Seoul City wall. The deck and inner side of the balustrades have a warm wooden finish. On the outside, reflective metal creates a ribbon that picks up and blurs the colours of the surroundings. Holes in the deck frame the trees underneath, allowing visitors to vividly experience the landscape below.