GREEN TOWERS IN THE PARK: Seoul Commune 2026
by Emily Pilloton
There are green towers and then there are green towers. Subtitled “Rethinking Towers In The Park,” the Seoul Commune 2026 project by Mass Studies is just sheer genius. Aside from its futuristic green aesthetic, the concept is an investigation into the viability of future sustainable community structures in dense metropolitan areas. The organically-shaped towers take the classic architectural idea of towers in the park, and literally turn the park into the towers themselves, offering a cheeky yet profoundly sustainable and forward-thinking solution to community development.
The towers’ internal functions are separated into public, private, and commercial, offering purely-private rooms called “cells” and communal spaces for public activity. Members of the commune may range from permanent residents to nomadic short-term lodgers. “Bulb” areas serve as commercial spaces including offices, public services, and welfare/medical facilities.
The skeleton of the towers is constructed using different types of glass, from photovoltaic glass to recessed glass panels that create shaded balconies. Atop the glass is a geotextile that allows for the growth of vines and other flora that provide additional cooling and environmental advantages to the building and surrounding site.
The towers’ organic forms come from a system of building components that range from dome shapes to conical and cylindrical modules. Each lends itself to specific functions, and when stacked, provide a variety of tower shapes that are each different yet geometrically related.
The project by the Korea-based firm came as a response to Korea’s rapid technological and architectural development, which the designers describe as “anarchical.” The Seoul 2026 proposal offers a fully-functional community development that is efficient, high-tech, and immensely sustainable.
Visit Mass Studies’ website to view a full slideshow of the project.
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Wow. Faaaar out! I’d love to see this when it’s built. (I also I think those yoga gals need glass and/or railings at the building’s edges so they don’t downward dog onto the concrete some 20 floors down.)