Seoul Forest Welcome Garden Opens: Families, Couples, and Friends Gather for a Little “Sky Fun”
Seoul Forest Welcome Garden Opens: Families, Couples, and Friends Gather for a Little “Sky Fun” - Following last year’s installation at Boramae Park, the Seoul Forest Welcome Garden is set to become a new urban healing space for citizens. - Framed by overlapping layers, the garden opens up scenic views of the sky, offering a restful place in the city to pause and enjoy quiet “sky-gazing.” - With a flexible layout, including movable bench facilities, the space can also serve as a multipurpose cultural plaza for busking, workshops, and other programs. - Featuring Seoul’s 2026 Color, “Morning Yellow,” the garden creates a distinctive nighttime landscape through light and is expected to become a symbolic landmark of the fair. |
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that, on May 1, it will officially unveil the Welcome Garden at Seoul Forest, serving as the first impression of the Seoul International Garden Show.
This project builds on the design innovation of the “Welcome Pavilion” introduced last year at Boramae Park. By presenting a new Welcome Garden that reflects the unique character of each year’s festival venue, the city aims to establish the garden as a symbolic icon of the Seoul International Garden Show, strengthen the spatial brand identity of the event, and further elevate the quality of Seoul’s public design.
< Welcome Garden “Haneul Fun Pavilion” >
The Welcome Garden to be unveiled this year has been designed to create a refined and sensuous atmosphere that harmonizes with the lush greenery of Seoul Forest. Within the Seoul Forest Welcome Garden, visitors will find an oversized pergola offering generous shade, a canopy inspired by the forms of natural light, and the “Haneul Fun Pavilion,” where they can pause and gaze up at the sky.
Set against the natural landscape of Seoul Forest, the garden is expected to become a welcoming place where citizens gather and relax, serving as both a landmark of the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show and one of its signature attractions.
The “Haneul Fun Pavilion,” newly created in Seoul Forest this year, was designed as a place where visitors can take in Seoul’s sky at a leisurely pace, framed between the city’s forest of buildings.
The core of the design lies in its “layered structure,” inspired by overlapping elements that evoke the light of the sky. The dynamic views of the sky framed between the canopies offer visitors a distinctive visual experience, while the naturally formed shade creates an oasis-like retreat in the heart of the city.
In particular, this garden focuses on creating a “restful experience” through which citizens can directly appreciate the value of design.
Beanbags have been placed beneath the main structure, allowing citizens to lie back comfortably and enjoy a moment of “sky gazing” as they look up at the open sky.
The 1,000㎡ lawn area is also furnished with movable benches, creating a flexible cultural space where families, couples, and friends can gather and capture memories against the backdrop of the sky.
In addition, the symbolic landscape design and night lighting based on Seoul’s 2026 Color of the Year, “Morning Yellow,” will create an appealing photo spot both day and night, adding further energy to the Garden Show.
After the event, the city plans to keep the structure in place as a permanent resting area within Seoul Forest, allowing citizens to fully enjoy the value of high-quality design in their everyday lives
During the event period, the city will conduct a satisfaction survey for citizens who visit the “Haneul Fun Pavilion.” Participants who freely share their impressions of the garden experience will be entered into a draw to receive a specially produced, limited-edition “Welcome Garden T-shirt.”
Further details are available through the survey link: https://naver.me/xsZweBxW
< Welcome Garden T-shirt >
Choi Inkyu, Director-General of Design Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “The Haneul Fun Pavilion is a place where people can pause for a moment amid the forest of buildings and take in the sky above Seoul Forest at a leisurely pace.”
He added, “Building on last year’s initiative, we will continue to advance the Welcome Garden brand this year, bringing inspiration to citizens’ daily lives and practicing design administration that enhances Seoul’s urban appeal.”
