Mapo Tanks industrial park regeneration, Seoul, South Korea

The oil depot site has been forgotten and abandoned for a long time. Its historic character as legacy of the Korean industrial era has disconnected this area from its surrounding communities and prevented the otherwise irresistible flow of Seoul’s development and opportunities.

The key to unlock the potential of the site lies not only in creative ideas turning the former oil tanks into iconic cultural spaces, but also in the careful delivery process of remediation of the landscape and a weaving network of pedestrian links between the industrial objects.

The journey through this landscape evolves through different themes of each oil tank, connected through an elevated tree walk, which gently falls from its highest point at the entrance to the park, to the ground level at the end of the journey, leading to a new visitor center. The tree walk provides experiential movement between the tanks with spectacular views towards the city. A minimalistic approach to the spaces within the tanks allows their individual spatial character to come forward, creating five different immersive atmospheres that engage the senses through light, texture, scent and materiality.

The juxtaposition of formal and informal landscape around the tanks accentuates the wild natural surrounding forest rising steeply beyond the tanks, creating more formally landscaped spaces in the sheltered central space for social activities such as picnics, outdoor performances and play.