What Do You Think About Jamsu Bridge Being the Longest Outdoor Art Gallery in Seoul?

Seoul’s Jamsu Bridge* Is Transforming Into The City’s Longest And Most Special Outdoor Art Gallery

*Jamsu Bridge, located in Seoul, South Korea, spans across the Han River, linking the Yongsan and Seocho districts. Constructed in 1976, the bridge sits only a few meters above the water level, enabling it to submerge during heavy rainfall. Banpo Bridge was constructed atop Jamsu Bridge in 1982, forming a two-tiered bridge structure.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the winning design for the “Cultural Bridge, Jamsu Bridge Design Competition.” Seoul had been soliciting designs to transform Jamsu Bridge into the city’s first “pedestrian-only bridge,” with a design budget of 700 million won.

Jamsu Bridge, measuring 795 meters in length and 18 meters in width, is the shortest and most accessible bridge over the Han River. The project aims to capitalize on these advantages by converting Jamsu Bridge into a popular destination where citizens can stroll along the river.

The winning design, titled “The Longest Gallery,” by the Dutch architectural design firm, “Archimist,” was selected. The basic concept is to transform Jamsu Bridge into a cultural space stretching over 800 meters.

Particularly striking is the creation of a suspended pedestrian deck above Jamsu Bridge, allowing for three-dimensional viewing. This design feature enables visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the Han River while also incorporating a bold pink color scheme symbolically. The winning design intends to utilize Jamsu Bridge as an art gallery during regular times, with the flexibility to transform into various uses such as a fashion show runway, outdoor movie theater at night, or venue for weddings and festivals depending on the occasion.

Future Plans

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has outlined its future plans following the selection of the design competition winner. They emphasized that the core criteria for selection were feasibility and safety. Starting from June 2024, the city intends to enter into design contracts and proceed with basic and detailed design phases over approximately 10 months. The objective is to commence construction in 2025 and complete the revamped Jamsu Bridge by April 2026.

Budget

The project has been budgeted at 165 billion won. All aspects of the design competition evaluation process, as well as the results, can be accessed through the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s design competition website ‘Project Seoul’ and various YouTube channels.

Some reactions from Korean netizens:

• “If it submerges, will it be well maintained every monsoon season?”

• “The hot pink color looks too flashy.”

• “Once completed, it seems like it will become a great landmark like Cheonggyecheon. Looking forward to it!”

In April 2023, A Pre-fall Fashion Show By Louis Vuitton Was Held On Jamsu Bridge

In April 2023, a Pre-fall fashion show by Louis Vuitton was held on Jamsu Bridge. Models walked the runway illuminated by blue lights on the submerged bridge. Following this, Gucci hosted a fashion show in May 2023 at the Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace. This trend of holding customer-participatory events at landmarks has become increasingly common.

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