Netherlands-based architecture practice MVRDV is to turn an abandoned station overpass in Seoul, South Korea, into a public park and garden.

The studio won the Seoul Metropolitan Government competition to transform the 938m (3,077ft) long elevated highway, next to the city’s Central Station, in a similar fashion to the High Line in New York City.

MVRDV’s proposal, Seoul Skygarden, will see 254 types of trees, shrubs and flowers used to create an arboretum of local species, organised according to the Korean alphabet. The main overpass will be connected to 17 adjacent roads by placing light bulbs on them to give them the appearance of tree branches.

Cafés, flower shops, street markets, libraries and greenhouses will also line the transformed overpass, according to MVRDV. It said the project aims to build on the city’s ambition to be greener, more attractive and more user-friendly.

The Seoul Station Overpass was built in the 1970s but the 17m (55.8ft) high structure was deemed unsafe in 2006, with the original intention being to demolish and rebuild it.

Seven invited designers took part in the competition, with five local and international architects assessing the entries based on interpretation of the place, harmony with neighboring areas, preservation of the original overpass and feasibility.

A large team of partners assisted MVRDV, including Dutch landscape designer Ben Kuipers, Dutch designers Studio Makkink & Bey, local architects DMP, local landscape designers KDI, and Korean structural engineers Saman and Cross.

Seoul Skygarden is expected to cost US$35m (€30.9m, £22.3m) and is scheduled to be completed by 2017.

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FEATURE: Features – The High Line