Seoul City creates five writer gardens in Namsan... Designer selected through international contest

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will select five works from the artist garden to be displayed at the Seoul International Garden Expo held in Namsan in May next year through an international contest, and provide support of 100 million won per work.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will hold an international contest for a writer's garden to represent the '2027 Seoul International Garden Expo' from December 7th to 9th.

The theme of the contest is ‘Mokmyeoksanghwa (木覓賞花) – Seeing flowers at Namsan.’

Mokmyeok is the old name of Namsan, and it contains the history and sense of place of Namsan, which was a daily space where citizens enjoyed flower viewing and where there was a laundry and a village.

The subject of the contest is five garden works measuring approximately 250 m2 each.

Selected artists will receive 100 million won per work, including design, construction, and maintenance costs. After document screening, 10 teams are selected, and then the final 5 teams are selected through presentation screening.

The work must be created in harmony with Namsan’s ecological environment.

Avoid installing excessive sculptures and recommend eco-friendly materials and universal design.

As the garden will be maintained even after the event, perennial plantings that can be enjoyed all year round and sustainable management plans are also considered in the evaluation.

The selected works will be created at Namsan Park next spring.

The city of Seoul will select 1 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze award teams through an on-site screening in April next year, and will award them at the opening ceremony of the expo on May 1. The prize money is 10 million won for gold, 6 million won for silver, and 3 million won for bronze.

The 2027 Seoul International Garden Expo will be held in the Namsan Park area from May 1 to October 27 next year under the theme of 'Seoul, Green Life'.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to divide Namsan into five bases, including Baekbeom Square, Korea Forest Garden, Namsan Seoul Tower, Namsan Yejangjarak, Namsangol Hanok Village, and Jangchungdan Park, and create a space that encompasses history, culture, gardens, tourism, and citizen participation.

Detailed contest details can be found on the Seoul Metropolitan Government website notices and announcements and the Seoul International Garden Expo website.

Kim Young-hwan, director of Seoul City's Garden City Department, said, "We will discover creative garden designs so that gardens can become part of the city's culture and art in everyday life," and added, "We hope for the participation of many capable garden designers so that Namsan can provide a new daily life to its citizens."