Yoonseul : Malli-dong Reflects SeoulClaimed by the owner

Yoonseul sits in Malli-dong Park in Jung-gu, at the western end of Seoullo 7017, the elevated walking path built on a former overpass near Seoul Station. It opened on May 20, 2017. The name means the sparkling ripples of light that sunlight or moonlight casts on water.

Shape and design

The installation is built like a giant lens, about 25 meters across, with a chamber sunk roughly 4 meters below ground. A circular run of 2,800 steps, each tread about 45 centimeters wide, connects the ground level down into the sunken interior in an amphitheater-like layout. The floor is permeable concrete, and the ceiling is made of stainless steel panels with a "super-mirror" finish that reflect the surrounding city in a soft, diffused way rather than as a sharp image, with lighting built in underneath. It was designed by the firm SoA after the practice won a 2016 public art competition for the site. The architects have described it as a deliberately empty space meant for quiet reflection rather than as a sculpture to look at, treating the site's low point as an opportunity to carve out an underground void.

Use since opening

Yoonseul was originally planned as a temporary installation meant to last three years, but it has remained in place well beyond that. It unexpectedly became a spot where street dancers practice and perform, after they discovered how the space carries sound.