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| A hotel room at Rogers Centre overlooks the baseball field, giving guests a chance to watch games live from inside their room in Toronto, Canada. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Domed stadium connected to hotel to be established by 2031
By Jung Da-hyun
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a plan to construct Jamsil Sports MICE Complex including a domed stadium in southeastern Seoul's Jamsil by 2031.
The urban development plan was unveiled while Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was on a visit to Canada and the United States.
The plan aims to expand the function of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), which was previously concentrated in nearby Gangnam's COEX. Through the creation of the Jamsil complex, including the domed stadium, Seoul expects to transform the landscape of industrial and cultural consumption south of the river.
During Mayor Oh's visit to Rogers Centre in Toronto, featuring a dome stadium with a capacity of approximately 41,000 seats, he found inspiration for a similar structure. The stadium, which hosts home games for the Toronto Blue Jays, is famous for being linked to the Toronto Marriott City Center Hotel, where guests can watch games from the window in their room.
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| An artist's rendering of Jamsil Sports MICE Complex / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Seoul plans to build a domed stadium with a capacity of over 30,000 seats, capable of hosting international sporting events.
The advantage of a dome-shaped stadium is its ability to operate stably, not being affected by weather conditions like rain or extreme heat, making it suitable for events year-round. The facility can be used for hosting large-scale performances and events during the off-season.
The envisioned stadium will incorporate various seating options, including skyboxes and family zones, reflecting recent trends.
Similar to Rogers Centre, Seoul plans to integrate the stadium with a hotel, providing unique experiences in various places in the hotel including guest rooms and restaurants.
In addition to the construction of the domed stadium in Jamsil, the city plans to create the exhibition and convention center, which will be the core part of Jamsil Sports MICE Complex. In that respect, Oh also visited the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
The Javits Center serves as a hub for exhibitions and international events in New York, contributing to the activation of the local tourism industry, accommodation and commercial facilities.
It generated an annual revenue of approximately 2.4 trillion won ($1,810 million) and led to the creation of around 16,000 jobs, according to the center's annual report.
The planned convention center in Jamsil will cover an area of approximately 90,000 square meters. Seoul also intends to utilize the unique landscape of the Han River to create a captivating viewing space.
Considering possible traffic congestion in Jamsil and Gangnam, the exhibition and convention center will introduce waiting spaces for distribution vehicles, and establish parking facilities linked to other facilities to actively address the problem.
With comprehensive negotiations for the complex being underway, Seoul aims to sign an implementation agreement by the end of 2024 after consulting with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
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| An artist's rendering of Jamsil domed baseball stadium / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Meanwhile, the mayor also presented a concept to create an attractive waterfront and leisure cultural space in Jamsil area utilizing its location near the Han River and Tan Stream during his visit to the Toronto Waterfront.
Toronto's Waterfront development project involves the redevelopment of Lake Ontario's surroundings into a mixed-use area for living, working and leisure activities.
Similar to the project, Seoul plans to enhance the utilization of the Han River and Tan Stream. Particularly, in coordination with recent projects like the Great Han River initiative, which is planned to develop various leisure spots near the Han River, Seoul aims to create spaces by establishing pedestrian bridges connecting various points across the international exchange complex and Tan Stream, enhancing the utilization of the area.
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