Since being completed in 1972, the facilities had become outdated, prompting Seoul City to conduct a landscape design competition in February. The final winner was announced on March 17.
The winning design by Site & Partners Co., Ltd., titled ‘A Central Platform for Children’s Grand Park,’ introduces the concept of the greenhouse as both the starting and ending point of the park, offering a plant-focused cultural space to oversee the entire park. The architectural design is based on last November’s selected design by Urban Architecture Firm 1999’s ‘Plant Encyclopedia.’
The remodeling will change the existing two-story central structure to a single-story layout for convenient viewing routes, creating a natural connection between the greenhouse’s interior and exterior. Inside, a Tropical World and Central Greenery World will be constructed, surrounded by a bamboo forest-deep garden around the large greenhouse and a children’s play area around the small greenhouse. The interior will also feature new water spaces like wall fountains and event zones.
Through this project, the Children’s Grand Park greenhouse is expected to transform from a simple exhibition space into a cultural area where citizens can directly experience and enjoy plants. Seoul City aims to complete the designs by August 2025, finish the construction by June 2026, and reopen in August.
Kim In-sook, Director of the Eastern Park Leisure Center, stated, “This remodeling will be the driving force for the park’s revitalization, providing an opportunity for family visitors with children to engage more closely with plants.”