The project was initiated to return the space neglected after the construction of the Sanseong Tunnel to local residents, and was driven with the aim of restoring the zelkova forest path that had disappeared due to the construction of the Sanseong Tunnel to a forest again.
The Sanseong Tunnel construction project removed the old forest path, created the space above the entrance and exit area as a mere green area and then was completed. Geumjeong-gu, the district office responsible for the area, started a project to regenerate the abandoned green space into a space for local residents.
The site is located at the foot of Mt. Geumjeong, the guardian mountain of Busan. The place was a place abandoned above the remaining tunnel after completing the construction of the ‘Sanseong Tunnel’ in 2018 among the tunnels passing through Mt. Geumjeong. It is an incision formed by cutting the hillside of the mountain, and a terrain with high groundwater level. In addition, memories of the zelkova forest path that disappeared due to the construction of the mountain tunnel still remained for the local residents.
Resident participation
In particular, we appointed citizen supervisors who directly supervised the site through the voluntary participation of local residents in the vicinity to cope with various situations that occurred outside of daytime construction. In addition, we supplied flowers and trees with the money raised from the local residents collecting recycled cans and they also directly participated in planting them, and the place was created as a space with great significance to the local residents.
Return of the disappeared zelkova forest path
The 300m roadside tree road made of 53 zelkova tress was created around 1985. The roadside tree road that had been loved by the residents as a local attraction for its excellent natural beauty as the trees surrounded the road in the shape of a tunnel, and created a cool shade in summer, disappeared due to the construction of the underground access road for the Sanseong Tunnel in 2015. In 2020, a forest rest area “Surim Tteurak (forest garden)” for local residents was developed to create a zelkova forest path in the access area to recall the memories of the old roadside trees road.
Space containing the ecological conditions and the local stories
The site, where the slope was cut and which was abandoned after the tunnel construction, was a place with a lot of water. We selected the bola cypress, which can grow in water, as the main tree species, and applied root-barrier sheets to protect the pavement, and supporting bars for trees for the convenience of walking and scenery. The bola cypress forest, which was created in consideration of the ecological conditions, provides a forest landscape that is difficult to see in the city, along with the breathing roots. The three information boards installed at the entrance extend the area from Surim Tteurak to Geumjeongsanseong Fortress and Baekdudaegan to convey the geographical context and history of the place.
Design and spatial value
Despite its small budget and scale, it is a place with deep value in terms of contemplation about the identity of the place and the expansion of meaning, publicness friendly to local residents, a concise space design infused with the properties of the land, and the completeness of construction details.
Received the grand prize at the 2020 Busan City Beautiful Landscape Award
Although large-scale private apartments usually win the Landscape Architecture Award, Surim Tteurak, with the smallest-scale and lowest-budget, was awarded the grand prize. Regeneration of public spaces, collaboration with local residents, and completeness of construction details played a big role in winning the grand prize.
Project location: 104, Surim-ro, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea
Design year:2020
Year Built:2020
