Eco-Friendly Transformationsby Jeonghyun Lee | 16-02-2015 12:36 |
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![]() ![]() ![]() In recent years, there have been numerous efforts to renovate old-fashioned sports arenas around the world. One example is the DDP(Dongdaemun Design Plaza), which was built in the place of Dongdaemun Stadium, an old stadium built in the 1920s. Another example can be found in Japan: the city of Tokyo is debating over the usage of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. What I want to talk about today is the Jangchung Gymnasium. Built in the 1960s, it was one of those deserted places in the heart of Seoul, due to the lack of users and its saggy structures. Although it was one of the most historic sports monuments in Seoul, it had been facing continuous demand for renewal. The city of Seoul decided to renovate the stadium instead of demolishing it, which would be both economical and efficient. The stadium went through an extensive renovation that spanned over two years. Instead of simply renewing the structures, the engineers actually transformed almost every single aspect of the stadium. They redesigned the exteriors for a better look, and tried to improve the "user experience" of the stadium by connecting it to subway stations as well as adding a few more sports facilities. Yet what caught my attention the most were the parts related to the usage of renewable energy. In order to drive down electricity costs, the engineers had planted water drains for geothermal energy production. It is projected that these pipes could decrease heating costs in the winter considerably. Moreover, the 102 solar panels installed on the roof of the stadium is projected to be able to generate as much as 19.39kW of energy. The fact that more people would enjoy their visit to the stadium thanks to better heating and cooling was heart-touching. A lot of contemporary buildings built before the 1950s are facing threats of demolition nowadays. I believe that in most cases, renovations would be a much wiser solution, as it can preserve our memories of these monuments as well as being more cost-effective than building a new structure. Most importantly, renovations would have much less impact to the environment! |