A rendering of the renovation plan for Tongin Market / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Authorities
Tongin Market, an 84‑yr‑previous conventional market in central Seoul that dates again to the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of Korea, is ready to bear a significant design overhaul as the town authorities strikes to mix heritage with trendy infrastructure.
In line with the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities on Monday, the renovation is a part of its “conventional market design innovation” initiative, which additionally contains Sinjungang Market close to Sindang Station in central Seoul. Officers say the mission is meant to modernize getting older infrastructure and strengthen Tongin Market’s function as a cultural and tourism anchor for the neighborhood.
“By this system, we’ll attempt each to protect the distinctive historical past and id of the market and to make sure that it could actually take root as a sustainable city asset,” mentioned Lee Hae-sun, a senior official on the metropolis authorities.
To hold out the overhaul, the town authorities plans to speculate 9.75 billion gained ($6.63 million) in a complete redesign slated for completion by the top of subsequent yr. The mission might be led by Jiyo Architects, which has been tasked with bettering the market’s circulation, security and total buying surroundings whereas sustaining the jumble of small distributors and the historic character which have lengthy outlined the house.
Tongin Market traces its origins again to 1941, when it was established as a public market to serve Japanese residents close to Hyoja-dong throughout the colonial interval. After the 1950-53 Korean Struggle, it developed right into a full-fledged conventional market as distributors and outlets clustered within the rising Seochon neighborhood. In the present day the market stretches some 200 meters, overlaying 3,034 sq. meters and housing 76 outlets.
Because of its location subsequent to Seochon Hanok Village and Gyeongbok Palace, Tongin Market has change into a well-liked cease for each locals and overseas vacationers.
Nonetheless, getting older amenities have lengthy contributed to a considerably outdated picture. Specifically, the market’s important passage is simply about 6 meters huge, which many guests have lengthy complained about.
The initiative goals to alter that. The brand new design ― titled “Origin of Place, Accumulation of Time” ― proposes turning Tongin Market right into a dynamic house the place time and tales overlap, emphasizing its twin nature as each a avenue and a market. Jiyo Architects will deal with the present columns as bodily information of a significant social settlement reached between market stakeholders about 20 years in the past and hold them in place as key historic components.
A brand new, wider beam system might be put in above these columns, conceptually separating the time-worn helps from the newly added arcade construction whereas permitting previous and new to coexist inside a single framework, in line with the design group.
At alley intersections, new amenities might be added to increase the stream of the market into facet streets, strengthening its reference to the encircling neighborhood.
