Futuristic Multi Floor Bridge for Seoul Creates Its Own Energy

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Bridges are a crucial architectural structure, but oftentimes they only serve one purpose - linking one landmass to another. Not so with firm <a href="http://www.planningkorea.com/">Planning Korea</a>'s vision for a new multi-level, multi-use, greenery filled bridge for Seoul. Called Paik Nam June Media Bridge (after world famous video/media artist <a href="http://www.paikstudios.com/">Nam June Paik</a>), the futuristic 1080m megastructure would serve as a park, meeting space, mall, museum and more. In addition to adding new green space to the city, the whole bridge would be covered with <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/solar-power">solar panels</a> to generate its own <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/energy">energy</a>.

The bridge would connect the Dangi-li Power Plant site (which is in the works to be redeveloped into public cultural space) in the north to the National Assembly Building in the south, while creating its own <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/24/parasitic-city-takes-over-decommissioned-italian-highway/">mini city</a> along the way.

Inspired by the water strider, the bridge's overall shape is organic, fluid and streamlined.

Horizontal and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/10/11/spiral-garden-is-a-lacy-mesh-vertical-farm-for-the-city/">vertical gardens</a> would be introduced on each floor and would be watered using river and rainwater.

In addition to collecting <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/solar-energy">solar energy</a> via PV panels, the skin of the bridge can be used as a canvas to showcase video installations and other media.

While the bridge can be traversed by car, it is also meant to encourage people to use cleaner forms of <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/transportation/">transportation</a>.

Programs such as a public museum, a library and an IT complex mall showcasing the foremost IT technology (a little odd, but cool nonetheless) along the bridge are all great reasons for people to ditch their cars and walk or <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/10/07/an-electric-bike-that-runs-on-water/">bike</a> across instead.

At the bottom of the bridge, there will be an area for water taxis, yachts and cruise ships to dock as well.

The project is currently in the progress of reviewing to be developed in BTL (Build-Transfer-Lease) project.

There are almost 30 other bridges over the Han River, but most of them were made in steel structure and concrete for better traffic.

A rendering of the bridge at night.