Sejong M-Bridge

In 2003, the government of South Korea announced ambitious plans to move the capital out of Seoul, in an effort to encourage more balanced development and political influence across the country. Seoul was eventually retained as the national capital but many governmental departments and ministries were moved to Sejong City, a new planned metropolitan center designated as a special administrative zone. Construction on the new city commenced in 2009, following a unique masterplan for a network of government and civic buildings linked end-to-end by skybridges and rooftop garden paths. A corresponding network of private and commercial buildings would be joined by a walkable ‘high-line’ at the third story.

The Sejong M-Bridge is one of the first large-scale commercial projects to be completed in the new masterplan, with a multi-bridged form that references the lifted connections of the neighboring governmental buildings. The development is tasked with nurturing a welcoming public realm in this new city, with a green park, outdoor amphitheater, and riverwalk connecting to ground-floor retail and cinema. Further retail and dining outlets line the lifted pedestrian walkway, while at the eleventh story a skybridge links the three office towers with a public observation deck and retail space. Supporting the client’s desire to create an exemplary green building, the façade is wrapped in a distinctive brise-soleil, designed to allow for optimum shading, energy conservation, and views.