Interview about Urban Grove Complex Cultural Space, winner of the A' Landscape Planning and Garden Design Award 2024
Urban Grove's landscaping was planned without interfering with the exposure of the façade and without causing inconvenience to pedestrians of all ages due to differences in floor level. In addition, the combination of resting space and landscaping allows users to enjoy a comfortable rest, and the outside air and landscaping are connected to the basement through the central pavilion, eliminating the boundary between indoors and outdoors. Through this, users can experience the same conditions of the external environment, such as weather, from underground.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe central pavilion functions as a focal point to naturally guide customers who enter the basement level by vehicle to the central plaza on the ground floor without any confusion in the pedestrian path. The characteristic of this pavilion is that the central part of the roof is open, and it is a sunken structure designed to let in sunlight and rain down to the basement. Through this, users who enter the basement can experience natural sunlight similar to the ground floor through the central sunken, and at the same time, it functions as a wayfinding function. Users can experience the weather outside according to the season from the basement, and experience various atmospheres according to the season in the same space.
When Urban Grove was planned, the design trend of commercial facilities in Korea was to reproduce world famous places. This is considered to be part of marketing for sales using symbolic keywords such as famous city or street names. We broke away from this framework and thought about the urban functions required by users who actually use commercial facilities in the urban infrastructure planned as an international new city. In the process, we realized that our target was divided into customers living in upper-floor apartments and customers visiting from outside by car or on foot. We also judged that residents of the adjacent old city center needed a convenient mall based on nature. As a result, we planned it as a common natural space within the city.
This grand commercial facility is planned to have retail in two layers on the floor plan. A circular alley is formed between these layers, and we decided to introduce different concepts and visual designs to keep users from losing their bearings and maintain interest and concentration in the commercial environment. From any point in the alley, the garden with the central pavilion is easily accessible, and it is easy to cross the garden to the other side. This allows users to efficiently conduct individual shopping and meet with their group.
First, we designed scenarios by target age and type. For example, couples in their 20s, strollers with infants in their 30s, and simple family pedestrians. Through this target analysis, we designed a landscape with a gentle slope without steps and landscaping that was not simply for ornamental purposes but also with tree species that could provide shade along with outdoor furniture. At the same time, we selected tree trunks that would not obscure the retail signs on the exterior. We added natural elements such as a pond to create a three-dimensional resting space.
We created a through passage connecting the east and west of Urban Grove, and we considered the local indigenous people to use this passage. Also, we planned to plant birch trees inside the sunken pavilion and create a spiral staircase to induce a natural passage along nature so that the main concept of this commercial facility, which is a natural garden, can be felt consistently from the underground. This staircase, which is only one floor, allows pedestrians to easily reach the center of the ground floor of the commercial facility without using the elevator.
We reviewed various types of pavilions, and the most important concept was that this pavilion should have an open roof so that the outside air can reach the basement. Considering the rainy season in Korea, we planned the basement level as a birch garden to ensure natural drainage, and we determined the width of the roof to prevent snow and rain when users use the spiral staircase. We applied metal to the indoor ceiling around the sunken area to spread natural lighting into the basement. Other technical aspects were resolved through collaboration with our partners.
In the case of large-scale commercial facilities, excessive emphasis on the concept can rapidly decrease the interest of users when they visit again. Urban Grove judged that it would be possible to maintain the interest of users through the various appearances of the landscaped garden according to the season using nature as a medium for a diverse user experience, and installed a fun sculpture called ‘Rabbit Met in the Garden’ at the main entrance to symbolize it. Through this, a welcoming image was conveyed to pedestrians across the street and to vehicle users approaching from a distance.
Typically, commercial spaces for sale focus on sales marketing, but Urban Grove was planned to target users who actually use commercial spaces. Based on virtual user scenarios for each type, the design of the facility was planned according to the narrative of the action, and as a result, it was easy to come up with ideas such as a garden without steps for strollers, selection of flooring considering snow and rain, a large outdoor flower pot and table set that does not easily fall over, and a bench under the shade of street trees.
The purpose is to intentionally blur the boundaries between the indoor and outdoor areas of commercial spaces by deeply flowing into each other. The reason is to three-dimensionalize and synchronize the user experience. You can see people resting in the sunken garden while walking down the hallway of an underground shopping mall, and you can rest in an outdoor shelter-type structure, which are all gradual phenomena. We are conducting research to eliminate physical boundaries in order to compound the user experience.
Through this project, we have proven that we can create a commercial environment that is attractive enough without having to reproduce famous overseas locations. What modern city dwellers need is to focus on the complex of experiences that can respond to various lifestyles and provide the experiences that actual users need. I think that a new model of sustainable commercial cultural space will emerge through a connection with nature. I think that design will be focused on being deeply studied and developed for this purpose.
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