Korean Job Discussion Forums

Gal · Joined: 28 Feb 2010

I disappear for a couple of months and Seoul City Hall vanishes. Please tell me they didn't knock down the old building, or that they have permanently replaced it with the current abomination.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

They knocked down most of it. They're keeping the front piece but are adding a bit tidal wave looking thing (I don't live in Seoul so I don't know if it's finished or what). Looks awful, truly awful.

The Marmot's Hole, a prominent blog written by a fairly well-known writer and photographer here in Korea, is of course displeased by all this, citing that Seoul always talks about attracting tourists, but continues to tear down its history. Here's a look at the design, from his site:

http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/02/18/oh-no-the-blob-is-swallowing-city-hall/

You can search around his site for more commentary on what Seoul's doing.

Gal · Joined: 28 Feb 2010

What I don't get is this. If they want to build a new, larger more modern city hall, fine. Lots of city's build new city halls, but they don't tear down the existing one. They could have built the new city hall in another part of Gwanghwamun and turned the old building into a library - or simply kept it as a wing of the new city hall, or some other type of government building.

Tearing down old buildings is not the answer.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

It is the answer in Korea when it's something the Japanese built, though.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

flakfizer · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:07 pm Post subject:

Koharski · Mod Team Joined: 20 Jul 2009

Apparently, the old City Hall was designed and built during Japanese occupation. The current administration decided it was time to redesign City Hall in more of Korean architectual style. Just as they are redoing the front gate at Gyeongbukgong.

Koharski

Gal · Joined: 28 Feb 2010

Sorry, but I'm not seeing "Korean architectural style" in what I saw today. I saw an eyesore that should have been vetoed at planning stage. And if every nation started to tear down old buildings that were built during an "occupation" the Irish would need to pull down half of Dublin.

crisdean · Joined: 04 Feb 2010 Location: Seoul Special City

carleverson · Joined: 04 Dec 2009

what a monstrosity.... Mad

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

I think the design is pretty cool and unique. 100 years down the road people will be raving about it, or not, not sure.

They did keep the original part of the building that the Japanese built. The parts they torn down were built in 1962 and 1986.

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

I looks like I should bring a surfboard.

How funny would it be if there was a flash-mob of people carrying surfboards, life vests, bodyboards, etc....

Or, everyone can pose like they are running away from a tsunami wave.

Gal · Joined: 28 Feb 2010

For a country that boasts a long history, increasingly I'm not seeing much old stuff. Stop knocking stuff down.

English Matt · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

Wow.....I did not know this was happening. I saw that building for the first time last winter and was really glad to see something of the old Seoul survive into the present; something that didn't reek of modernism, something that gave a sense of being connected to Seoul's past, something that looked pretty compared to the drabness that is today's Seoul architecture. It seems short sighted as well, because (IMO) it had great potential as a tourist attraction......I can't imagine many people will be flocking to see this eyesore.

anjfqhk · Joined: 11 Feb 2010

what the hell...looks like a tsunami. I wonder who the designer is.