Fun Design Rest Area “Handeul Handeul” Wins at the Red Dot Design Award
Fun Design Rest Area “Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying)” Wins at the Red Dot Design Award - Seoul’s Fun Design rest area “Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying)” has been named a Winner at the Red Dot Design Award 2026. - First unveiled at Seoul Plaza in 2025, the project has gained international recognition for both its design excellence and public value. - The rest area will be permanently operated at the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show in Seoul Forest, becoming a signature everyday relaxation space for citizens. - Marking the third year of the project, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue to expand public rest areas so that more citizens can experience the benefits in their daily lives. |
Seoul’s Fun Design rest area, “Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying)” has won the main prize in the Urban Design category at the Red Dot Design Award 2026 in Germany, widely regarded as one of the world’s three major design awards. The achievement once again demonstrates the global competitiveness of Seoul’s public design.
The Red Dot Design Award is considered one of the world’s three major design awards, alongside Germany’s iF Design Award and the IDEA Design Award in the United States. Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying) received high praise for its creative design, citizen-centered public value, and outstanding spatial versatility.
The rest area Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying) is a Fun Design rest area first introduced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government at Seoul Plaza in 2025. True to its name, it features soft curves that appear to sway gently in the wind, along with hammock-inspired materials. Developed in three different types, the installation offered citizens visiting the Seoul Outdoor Library at Seoul Plaza a unique relaxation experience and visual delight.
Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying) consists of a relaxation model that allows users to lie back comfortably and rest while looking up at the sky, and an interactive model that gently rotates, offering 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. Together, the models deliver the pleasures of both rest and play.
Inspired by the sculptural beauty of lotus flowers and leaves, and expressed in nature-friendly colors, the design was created to blend naturally into a wide range of outdoor spaces, including plazas and parks. Its easy-to-move and easy-to-install structure is another key advantage, allowing it to be used flexibly in various locations depending on the season or event.
Starting with Haneul Haneul(Gently Fluttering) at Ttukseom Hangang Park in 2024, Seoul’s Fun Design rest areas have expanded to Boramae Park and Seoul Plaza, establishing themselves as distinctive outdoor relaxation content. This year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to further expand Fun Design rest areas not only to major outdoor destinations such as Seoul Forest and Hangang Parks, but also to everyday neighborhood spaces such as riverside paths and forest trails, developing them into a signature spatial design brand unique to Seoul.
Meanwhile, Handeul Handeul(Gently Swaying) has been installed and is now in permanent operation at Seoul Forest, the venue of the Seoul International Garden Show 2026, which opened on May 1. Following last year’s Seoul International Garden Show, which surpassed 10 million cumulative visitors, this year’s event is also expected to offer more citizens a special relaxation experience through the Fun Design rest area.
“This award is a meaningful achievement that once again recognizes the excellence of Seoul’s Fun Design policy on the global stage,” said Choi Inkyu, Director-General of the Design Policy Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “We will continue to develop and expand our series of outdoor rest areas so that more citizens and visitors can experience Seoul as an attractive city.”
