Daewoo Engineering proposes 'Eight Views of Sinwol' for apartment reconstruction project

Daewoo Engineering & Construction announced Thursday it will partner with global landscape and urban design firm STOSS to bid for the reconstruction of Sinwol Siyeong Apartments in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. The company plans to transform the complex into a future-oriented residential space where nature, culture and art coexist.

STOSS was founded in Boston in 2001 and operates studios in Boston and Los Angeles. The firm is internationally recognized in the field of landscape urbanism, with resilience, vitality and equity as its core values. Its founder, Chris Reed, also serves as a professor in the landscape architecture department at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.

STOSS has an extensive portfolio of urban regeneration and public space projects. Its signature works include Moakley Park, Boston's largest waterfront park; the Brickline Greenway, a large-scale urban greenway in St. Louis; and the Suffolk Downs Master Plan, a major mixed-use development in Boston.

For the Sinwol Siyeong reconstruction project, STOSS has proposed a landscape concept called "Eight Views of Sinwol" — a modern reinterpretation of the scenic natural landscapes of the Yangcheon area during the Joseon Dynasty. The concept calls for eight distinct garden landscapes, each with its own character, to be created throughout the complex.

At the heart of the complex, "Luminous Stream" — a water feature integrated with artistic sculptures — and "Waterfall Valley," a resort-style water canyon space, will be installed. Additional spaces including "Wellness Garden," "Terra Play Garden" and "Forêt Lounge" will also be incorporated.

The eight themed gardens will be connected by four thematic walking paths — "Blooming Gallery Walk," "Green Gallery Walk," "Healing Walk" and "Forêt Walk" — forming a circular pedestrian network spanning 6 kilometers in total.

"Through our collaboration with STOSS, a world-class landscape and urban design group, we plan to deliver differentiated landscape value for the Sinwol Siyeong reconstruction project," a Daewoo Engineering & Construction official said. "We will create a landmark residential complex where nature, art and community come together, offering residents a new living experience and a sense of pride."

The Sinwol Siyeong reconstruction project involves replacing the existing 2,256-unit apartment complex in the Sinwol-dong 987-1 area of Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, with a new development of up to 3,155 units across a maximum of 32 floors. Daewoo Engineering & Construction designated the site as a strategic project this year and is actively pursuing the contract. The company's new orders in the first half of the year reached 7.13 trillion won ($5.2 billion), up 22.4 percent from 5.82 trillion won in the same period last year.