Constructed Nature

“Constructed Nature” is a sanctuary for ecosystems that have been created by human hands. It is a double-decker bridge connecting a busy road to Seoul Forest. The upper level features a dedicated logistics road connecting major roads in Seoul, while the lower level offers green space for pedestrian walkways and bikeways. It also includes a research facility and park for studying nonnative species and ecosystems on the Korean peninsula. As logistics trucks pass through the bridge, the seeds of nonnative species will naturally fall to the green space below. They will grow, creating new nature through human hands. The research center on the lower level will collect and study the nonnative plants created by logistics movements to analyze changes in the domestic ecosystem. It will also identify nonnative plants suitable for the changing ecosystem of the Korean Peninsula due to climate change and seek coexistence with native species. The center will be connected to the existing green spaces and research facilities of Seoul Forest to maximize synergies. Water, essential for plant growth, will be supplied by the Han River under the bridge. The exotic plants that grow on the bridge will not be simply relegated to the status of ecological disruptors, as they have been in the past. Instead, they will provide a unique experience for citizens while contributing to the formation of a new ecosystem. “Constructed Nature,” an artificially created nature on the Han River that has never existed before, will connect green spaces in the north and south of Seoul. It will become a public infrastructure that allows Seoulites to experience Seoul with a sense of unfamiliar familiarity.