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BUILDNER
Urban Balcony — Abandoned Overpass for Abandoned Elderly
In South Korea, older adults have become Subway Nomads. They ride public transit not out of necessity, but out of having nowhere else to go. As senior facilities have grown increasingly stigmatized, they have lost their place in the city. Bolstered by free transit benefits, they have made the subway their surrogate living room, but even this refuge is under threat from backlash against the benefits. Simultaneously, the overpasses that symbolized Korea's post-war modernization have met the same fate. They are being treated as obstacles to the city for obstructing traffic and damaging the cityscape. This project identifies the point where these two forms of abandonment meet and proposes to convert the overpass into an Urban Balcony for the older adults, restoring to both a reason to exist.
The two qualities of the overpass—accessibility and openness—restore the value the older adults have lost. The Noksapyeong Overpass, which is more likely to be demolished due to the crosswalk below, clearly exemplifies both. Located near a subway station and at the node where the transportation system intersects, this overpass functions as a base located in the urban pedestrian network. The elevated deck commands an unobstructed view of Namsan Mountain, unavailable within any conventional senior facility, and gives the older adults a simple right to gaze upon the city and feel part of it.
The program is organized into three zones. The Work Zone redefines the older adults as active participants, anchoring a senior barista café as a hub for social engagement. The Rest & Play Zone consists of a lively outdoor space and cozy indoor shelter rooted in the seated communal culture of older adults—a social space where people enjoy food and enjoy traditional games such as baduk, janggi, and hwatu. The Sky Street Zone turns the passageway into a place worth lingering. Wooden decks invite pedestrians to pause, and the central garden gives the older adults a pastime while giving visitors an unobstructed view of Namsan Mountain.
