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| This artistic preview image by the Seoul Metropolitan Government shows how Han River Art Pier, a planned facility at Ichon Hangang Park, will look like in 2026. The complex, inspired by Havnebadet Islands Brygge in Copenhagen, will include a floating pool, docks and exhibition halls. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Ko Dong-hwan
The Han River will likely see its first floating pool by 2026.
Coming to the riverside park at Ichon-dong in the central Seoul district of Yongsan, the pool is part of the Han River Art Pier project that will be built on a dilapidated dock site, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Tuesday.
Besides the pool, the new recreational facility, which will sit on a 5,000-square-meter site, will also include an observatory over the river and exhibition halls. To accommodate those who enjoy a bit of a splash in the water as well as culture buffs, the whole facility will be open throughout the year.
Besides the 900-square-meter-large pool, with 25-meter-long lanes, the new pier will also flank the docks, which can accommodate as many as 50 boats. The docks are the city government's measure to supplement the ship-docking infrastructure along the river, which is currently insufficient.
The city is looking to invest about 30 billion won ($23 million) into the project. The construction work is to begin in 2025.
The city government announced the project after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited Copenhagen's Havnebadet Islands Brygge, a popular public baths area near the city center, Sunday (local time). Introduced in 2003 and funded by Copenhagen's city government, it is the first floating pool in Denmark, attracting some 300,000 swimmers every year, according to the Seoul city government.
For Oh, the visit was an up-close example of how to develop Seoul's riverside areas along the Han River, and additional areas that he hopes will fortify his remaining mayoral term up until 2025 as a way to further develop the city's tourist hotspots.
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| Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, listens to the chief manager of the pools at Havnebadet Islands Brygge in Copenhagen, Sunday (local time). Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
"Right now world-class cities are harnessing the natural resources of their local water systems instead of coming up with new infrastructure," said an official from the Han River management bureau under the Seoul city government. "Just like the pubic pools at Havnebadet Islands Brygge in Copenhagen, Josephine Baker Pool on the Seine River in Paris and Badeschiff on the Spree River in Berlin."
Art Pier in Ichon-dong will be the starting point for the city government to expand similar facilities across the city, as the Han River runs through its center. Subsequent riverside facilities will not just have public pools but will also cater to those interested in riding yachts, paddle boarding or water skiing.
The Seoul mayor began touring four European cities in different countries on March 12 in order to gain some inspiration for city development projects.
In London, the mayor promoted Seoul's advanced digital financing environment and encouraged investment in the city. The mayor also enhanced diplomatic ties with Dublin and, in Hamburg, saw how HafenCity's urban regeneration and Elbphilharmonie concert hall changed the cityscape. The mayor's tour wraps up on Wednesday.
Shortly after his Elbphilharmonie visit during his stay in Hamburg, Oh said he will build a new exhibition center in Yeouido Hangang Park to create a new attractive vibe in the large riverside park. Dubbing it the "2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts," Oh said the new facility with two concert halls will have a spot just like Elbphilharmonie where non-paying patrons can also enjoy the venue while on a stroll.
Before he embarked on his latest trip, the mayor had announced plans to develop the Han River in order to boost the tourism industry in the area. This included erecting the world's largest spokeless Ferris wheel, called "Seoul Ring," introducing additional observatories and concert halls at riverside parks, putting a cable car line across the river and creating a riverside camping ground area.
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