Gwanggyo New City to Adopt European and Courtyard-Style Architecture

A plan has been announced to connect the entire 630,000 square meter central area of Gwanggyo New City through a single axis penetrated by a stream and skywalks.

On the 4th, Gyeonggi Province released the draft of the 'Gwanggyo New City Central Business District (CBD) Space Connectivity Plan' established by world-renowned French architect Jean-Michel Wilmott.

A Gyeonggi Province official stated, "In response to various sectors pointing out the need for a comprehensive master plan for the central business district that houses key facilities of the new city, including the administrative town, convention center, Gwanggyo Techno Valley, and business park within the Gwanggyo New City special planning zone, we commissioned Wilmott, a world-class architect, to establish the CBD space connectivity plan."

The draft presented today reflects the characteristics of Gwanggyo New City, which boasts a high 41 percent green space ratio, with a concept of a space where nature and humans harmonize through trees, sky, light, and water.

Accordingly, the draft incorporates European and courtyard-style architecture, creating gardens in the central areas of buildings in the central business district such as the administrative town, and creating streams by drawing water from Woncheon Reservoir.

Additionally, the provincial government building will be constructed at 30 stories or higher, while the remaining buildings such as the convention center will be built low at approximately 10 stories to create a skyline that emphasizes the landmark status of the administrative town, and skywalks are proposed to be constructed in a 1.4 kilometer section of the central area.

The province plans to form a special planning advisory committee composed of architecture experts and others to supplement Wilmott's draft to suit domestic circumstances, and will announce the final plan by year-end.

Wilmott is a world-renowned architect who designed the Champs-Élysées street in Paris, France, and participated in establishing this plan at the request of Gyeonggi Regional Public Corporation and the Urban Design Institute, which are the executive entities of the Gwanggyo New City development project.