In October 2011 Park Won-soon was elected mayor of Seoul. Standing as an independent candidate he is a socially-minded politician of the centre-left who appears to have a sincere interest in the quality of Seoul's public realm. The previous mayor, Oh Se-hoon, used expensive and showy architectural commissions as a demonstration of both his aesthetic sensibilities and his authority. Foremost among these was the new $451 million Dongdaemun Design Plaza, designed by Zaha Hadid and built very much as a media showpiece. But an unfortunate consequence of its realisation was that it erased an important historic part of central Seoul, the former site of the city wall and the east gate, and a number of very active textile markets. There is little to evoke memories of these places now. This is not so unusual. In Korea, as in many East Asian countries, most buildings are designed to last only 15 or 20 years, and when they are replaced, almost nothing remains of the identity of the previous space. In obvious contrast, the new mayor is interested in alternative ways of redeveloping the urban fabric, backing a socially responsible design approach that respects the essential qualities of a place.
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