Gwanghwamun square is the heart of Seoul as well as the Republic of Korea. It is the symbolic spatial manifestation of the governing institutions dating back to the Joseon period. The competition for the New Gwanghwamun square is an opportunity add new meaning. Ten issues and tasks outline the multifaceted nature of these competition and reveal the spatial, symbolic and historic dualities of the site.
The projet for the New Gwanghwamun square is a proposal for a new type of urban public space. It is a square and a forest in the same place. It is city and nature. It is a flexible urban public space; yet it is also a self-sustaining forest ecosystem.