A wander through Banpo

Constant rhythm of APTS

Perplexing Rationality: Banpo APT 반포한ㅅ히

The first complex, or area that I visited form a part of the vast ‘wall’ of APTs that you can see from the North side of the River. These buildings represent Seoul expanding its territory during the years of its economic growth, beginning in the 1960s.

Having read quite a bit about the urban growth of Seoul, I was expecting the city to be haphazard and dense, reflecting surges in the growth of industry. (Perhaps more of a Blade Runner, Hong Kong feel about it) However arriving at Central bus terminal, the nexus of the Gangnam (South of River) area of Seoul, the truth is a picture of order and rationality. From Google earth, the South’s regular grid layout contrasts to the messy, organic nature of the grain above the river.

Banpo from above

On the ground, despite the clarity of the street layout I felt rather disorientated. Although I had crossed the Han River on the subway, i could not tell where north or south was having arrived in Banpo. (Also the maps are not oriented towards North) The only way I could find my way was to look at the names and numbers painted onto the blank walls of the APT buildings. This was also necessary because there was little visible difference between the outside of the APT buildings. The APT create a very different kind of urban landscape for Seoul, in a city that is very much anchored and oriented by its natural features- its mountains and its rivers.

The constant scale of extra large buildings, and large roads that organise the Banpo area create a very particular, relentless urban rhythm. There are no small roads to create a sense of spatial hierarchy and the interiors of the blocks are just car parking spaces. I was later told that this generation of APTS, built between 1973-1978 for civil servants was designed around the car. This is very apparent walking around - there are few designated pedestrian areas, so if you attempt to walk where humans are not supposed to, you are likely to stray into the path of a vehicle!

It is possible to assert that the architecture of Banpo is oppressive, devoid of personality, and monolithic. But there is something that prevents me from saying that the entire place was inhumane, and that I felt thoroughly depressed when I left. There were many trees and shrubs planted in and around the buildings, and lining the pathways. These help bridge the scale between the buildings and the human as well as tempering the pollution from the road. There were also a lot of mothers and children in the open, using one of the designated playgrounds. I did get a sense that there was a relatively content community living here. This place seemed to be the Korean equivalent of the American suburb, a place to raise your family. The men go out to the city whilst the women stay at home. However, like the American suburb, the place had an unsettling air about it. The projected facade of contentment, stasis of American family life and its values has frequently been subverted by the world of film, but the world of the Korean APT has not yet been tampered with.