Gangnam Station is Seoul’s busiest subway station, serving over 70,000 daily passengers. It is the key transfer point to Seoul and the southern province, therefore the surrounding area is a major commercial and entertainment hub.

Both an architectural component and an urban landscape, The Lightwalk is a land art intervention between the two main avenues of Gangnam. It not only links the two axes, but also acts as a point of orientation from all sides. A simple yet striking gesture, it highlights the arrival of a major new public transport hub for Seoul.

The cohesion of this district is achieved through a strong emphasis on a green network that connects all streets and properties from the neighborhoods in the east to the west. The Lightwalk operates on an urban scale, engaging in dialogue with the Han River, Tancheon Stream, its surrounding mountains and introduces a new horizon for Seoul. Anchored in the earth, it symbolizes the city’s transformation towards greater pedestrian accessibility and stands as a global reference for underground infrastructure, bringing natural light and air deep into the subterranean realm.

A new planting strategy links the site’s existing green spaces and extends them across the block, towards the water, the Olympic Sports Complex, and over the Tancheon Walkway. New and existing tree rows form a “Green Block” stretching from the Central Park – Plaza to the eastern waterfront, gently sloping down as a park. The Central Park – Plaza stands out with its open lawn framed by tall trees like Ginkgo and Zelkova. These provide shade and create a pleasant place for people to gather. The central lawn is planted with grasses of different heights and colors, allowing the space to host year-round events, ice skating in winter, festivals and markets.