Let’s be honest. There are some very creative and forward-thinking people who really make the world a better place, and today’s story is a fine example of this. It may all look bizarre at first, but when you learn why it’s being done, you will certainly come to appreciate one man’s brilliant vision.
Our story takes place in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It’s a large city with a modern twist featuring incredible skyscrapers, a sophisticated subway system and a lot more. What has stuck out in the metropolis is something happening on the lower exterior walls of some white apartment buildings across the city.
The best way to describe the peculiarity is a set of weird-looking holes made of reinforced concrete and fiberglass. You can’t miss the odd, cup-like holes, and it makes you scratch your head, but one architect there has designed them for a very good reason.
His name is Jungmin Nam, and we believe no other place in the world has something like this. The holes were purposely put there for apartment dwellers and the entire city to enjoy.
Nam knows that people in Seoul really appreciate the greenery that is often hard to come by in a huge metropolis full of cement, glass and buildings. Those who reside in flats often try to make a special corner on their balconies or terraces that feature a little garden.
The award-winning, local architect believes in an eco-friendly planet and the beauty that gardens bring to a community, so he came up with a cool idea to create a garden on the lower walls of the apartment buildings he works on.
When you see these multiple holes filled with vibrant flowers hanging elegantly on the wall exteriors, the view melts your heart. It’s a gorgeous scene.
Nam is so smart, that he made the holes with a unique triangular shape. This feature helps any type of plant grow and maintain the water that falls when it rains. You don’t even have to water your plants because Mother Nature takes care of that.
Of course, the neutral walls of these apartment buildings are all the more striking with the garden walls the architect has designed. You cannot help but look at these flats and note how lovely they add to the city with garden appeal.
Jungmin Nam has also designed a kindergarten with curvy classrooms and colorful corridors and included the elegant wall garden on the lower half of the building, he says.
Nam has built the kindergarten with a roof terrace and a sunken courtyard to help children interact and learn about nature.
He’s quite a sensitive and intelligent thinker for contemporary living in Seoul. It will be interesting to see if his hole in the wall, flower planting idea picks up interest in other countries globally.
