International design studio KCAP Architects & Planners have won an international competition to redevelop Seoul’s Sewoon District 4.

The scheme, which has been approved by the city’s government, will transform the 280,000sq m (3 million sq ft) area into a mixed-use zone featuring offices, shops, hotels, entertainment facilities and schools.

According to the practice, they will develop a “people-oriented urban design that preserves the site’s historic and cultural values, and functions as a driving force for stimulating craftsmanship in Seoul.”

They added that the building mass “will be subtly integrated with the surrounding context,” with modulating unit combinations. These will be designed with adaptability in mind, providing long-term flexibility for the site. Areas of public realm will feature at ground and underground levels.

“This plan is generated through the preservation of historic traces and buildings and responds to future demands and lasting placemaking,” said the studio in a statement.

Seven other design teams entered the competition. The president of the jury, Professor On Young Tae, said KCAP had been chosen for presenting “the most suitable strategy for Sewoon District 4 based on an excellent understanding of historic and urban conditions of the site.”

The practice will further develop the schematic design throughout 2016. Construction is planned to start in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2023.

All the design entries are currently on public display in the lobby of Seoul’s City hall.

The city is developing a number of large-scale public development projects, including a vast new park designed by West 8 within a former military base and a music-led cultural complex called Nodeul Dream Island.

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