Seol Yunju Korean Traditional Architecture Program, Class of 2024, Instructor : Kim, Jung Soo

Jamsil Sports Complex is a multi-purpose stadium that hosted the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympics, making it a historically significant site filled with the cheers of sports enthusiasts. Nearly 40 years have passed since its completion, and the facilities have become outdated, leading to a gradual decline in usage. To preserve and continue using this historically significant location, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing for the remodeling of the Jamsil Sports Complex.

According to the current winning remodeling proposal, the existing main stadium will be revealed, and the space will be redesigned as a citizen park with over 90% green coverage on the roof, primarily focusing on commercial facilities. However, is this plan, which transforms the grounds of the Jamsil Sports Complex—a site once filled with excitement and cheers—into a park for citizens and a commercial-centered multi-cultural facility, the most appropriate approach?

To preserve and continue the historical significance of the Jamsil Sports Complex area, the design should emphasize enhancing daily sports facilities for the general public rather than focusing mainly on commercial facilities and extensive park areas.

Existing sports facilities typically consist of simple exercise programs in stacked or single-story layouts, with external spaces primarily used as parking lots. This leads to a lack of connection with the surrounding environment, limiting the sports center to just a place for exercise. Therefore, we propose a horizontal sports center that overcomes the limitations of traditional designs. A horizontal sports center allows for natural access from pedestrian pathways to sports programs and facilitates more active connections with the city, nature, and other external environments. By introducing such horizontal sports programs to the Jamsil Sports Complex, we propose a remodeling plan that strengthens public sports facilities and promotes more active citizen participation.