Seoul to resume redevelopment of Seongsu area after 12-year hiatus

From left: D-Tower Seoul Forest, Acro Seoul Forest, and Galleria Foret [Photo by Lee Seok-hee]

The redevelopment project of constructing high-rise apartments along the Han River is set to resume in the Seongsu Strategic Development Zone after a 12-year hiatus by lifting the height restriction to a maximum of 50 floors and create a waterfront-friendly residential complex with a pedestrian deck and park directly connected to the Han River.

The Seongsu area, including renowned luxury apartments such as Galleria Foret, Acro Seoul Forest and Seoul Forest Trimage, along with various exhibition halls, performance venues and cafes, aims to become a trendy neighborhood in Seoul through this transformation.

On Tuesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has prepared a revised redevelopment plan for the Seongsu Strategic Development Zone with the same content. In the past, Seongsu was a representative semi-industrial zone in Seoul, along with Guro and Yeongdeungpo. However, it had been aging, and although it was considered as a potential new town site, it was designated as a strategic development zone as part of the Han River Renaissance project announced by then-Mayor Oh Se-hoon in 2007. The project continued, and in 2011, a development plan was officially announced to construct buildings up to 50 floors in height.

However, the project faced significant obstacles when former Mayor Park Won-soon took office. There were large-scale infrastructure requirements that needed to be implemented simultaneously in four zones within the area, and the project progress was practically halted due to complex interrelationships with the local community, policy changes and institutional modifications.

In order to resume the project, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has coordinated the relationships surrounding the area through resident consultation groups and prepared a revised development plan to allow each of the four zones to proceed with their respective projects, taking into account recent policy and institutional changes.

This new plan includes measures to secure a level of viability greater than the original development plan formulated in 2011. Firstly, the height restriction, which was previously set at a maximum of 50 floors (150 meters), has been lifted assuming the designation of a special architectural zone.

Seoul Forest Trimage in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul [Photo by Lee Seung-hwan]

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seongsu Strategic Development Zone Cooperation, it is known that the maximum height in this revised plan can reach up to 300 meters. A representative of the association related to the Seongsu Strategic Development Zone stated, “We will gather opinions from members regarding the plan to increase the maximum height beyond 50 floors.” The land area has been expanded by 50,000 square meters, and the number of households has increased by more than 9 percent.

Improving the land conditions that were previously blocked by the Gangbyeonbuk-ro, the plan also features the ability to walk directly to the Han River. A notable feature is the creation of a multi-level deck within the complex to enable natural access to the Han River, as well as arranging the complex in a central concentrated manner to maximize openness and provide the best possible view of the Han River.

When a multi-level deck is created within the complex, according to building regulations, the deck area is included in the building coverage ratio and floor area ratio, significantly limiting the development space. However, if it is designated as a special architectural zone, the deck and the underlying open community facilities can be excluded from the building coverage ratio and floor area ratio, thus increasing the viability of the project.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also announced plans to establish commercial, business and leisure functions along the Seongsu Station to Han River Connection Axis and create linear parks and waterfront parks along the Seoul Forest to Han River to Ttukseom Connection Axis. The main public service functions will be located along the Ttukseom Road, which is part of the existing urban connection axis.

Furthermore, the envisioning of a higher elevated and interconnected riverside park has been proposed for the Han River waterfront. It aims to create a new scenic spot linked to the complex, constructed in a way that surpasses the height of Gangbyeonbuk-ro. The development industry is also showing interest in the possibility of the underground conversion of Gangbyeonbuk-ro, which is another key development plan for the Seongsu Strategic Development Zone, as the outline of the Seongsu area’s redevelopment plan emerges.