After years of annual flooding and increased commercial and residential development on both sides of the Han River, the city of Seoul has decided to covert the Jamsu Bridge from a vehicular road to a pedestrian promenade that helps activate the waterfront and provide better connectivity to both sides of the river.

EDGEland’s design offers a new experience along the Han River where recreation, social gathering, and cultural performances synthesize into a new waterfront destination for the citizens of Seoul.  The design allows for a series of individual programs to occur simultaneously, or spaces can be combined to host larger events.  This programmatic flexibility allows for a vast number of amenities and experiences that ensure the bridge will remain active on weekdays, weekends, and seasonal events.

One of the primary constraints to converting the bridge into a pedestrian space is the annual flooding of the Han River which can completely submerge the lower parts of Jamsu bridge.  As a result of this flooding, the lower part of the bridge will feature flood resilient materials and finishes to minimize maintenance are repair costs to the city.  New construction and planting will be prioritized at the raised portion of the bridge and extend to the adjacent riverfront plazas.  This strategy is flexible and adaptable to the river flooding which helps the Jamsu bridge continually evolve to meet the needs of the citizens of Seoul.

The northern and southern parts of the bridge are intended to seamlessly combine the existing river bank parks and encourage pedestrians onto the bridge.  A significant amount of new program and spatial elements have been proposed for the raised area of the bridge as it is the most visible part from both sides.  The north side of the raised portion is dedicated to family activities and the south side provides a unique civic gathering space.  To maximize this unique area on the Han River we proposed widening this portion of the bridge by 8 meters on each side.  This extra width provides a larger program area and immersive experience in the fountain as water shoots overhead and falls to the river below.  This experience will help popularize the rainbow fountain for the citizens of Seoul and tourists abroad.