This bird’s-eye view of the planned renovation of Jamsil Olympic Stadium is provided by the Seoul city government.
SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – Jamsil Olympic Stadium, the main venue of the 1988 Summer Olympics, will undergo a three-year facelift to be reborn as an urban sports and cultural complex, the Seoul city government said Tuesday.
Renovation work began Tuesday on the nearly 70,000-seat stadium in southeastern Seoul that also served as the main venue of the 10th Asian Games in 1986 and concert stages for world-class musicians since its completion in 1984.
The remodeling is expected to be finished by the end of 2026, city officials said.
The main focus of the project is to significantly beef up the stadium’s function as a sports venue in order to prepare for the possibility of the country’s hosting of another Olympics.
The stadium’s running tracks and some 30,000 grandstand seats will be completely replaced to be made fit to host international competitions, while more than 350 seats will be added to accommodate spectators with disabilities.
The renovation will also include the installation of one more electronic display, the expansion of some entrances and the remodeling of the VIP room.
The exterior of the stadium, including its symbolic canopy, will, however, retain its original design so as to preserve its historical value, the city officials said.
With a concept of an urban park, the city seeks to turn the stadium into a sports and cultural complex surrounded by a public park.
As part of that goal, concrete decks that currently adjoin the exterior of the stadium will be replaced with a 30-meter-wide pedestrian plaza that will connect the stadium to the Han River and the Tan Stream in southern Seoul.
The renovated stadium will also have a public place where people can visit and work out.
As part of an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, hydrothermal energy harnessing the power of the Han River’s water will be used to replace 35 percent of the energy used to air-condition and heat the stadium.
The energy plan will help cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 1,450 tons each year and the annual electricity expenditures by 220 million won (US$166,477), the city officials said.
(Yonhap)
