The Lightwalk, South Korea (2019)

Intermodal hub of the Gangnam International Transit Center, Seoul

Seoul’s Gangnam International Transit Center was conceived and designed by architect Dominique Perrault as a piece of land art, a minimalist gesture that creates an incredibly powerful new transportation hub right in the heart of the city. Built along the two main roads that run through the Gangnam, Bongeunsaro and Tehrananro neighborhoods, LightWalk is a landscape project that connects the two roads together and serves as an urban landmark. This new intermodal hub of 167’000 m² entirely constructed underground will accommodate, in addition to a shopping center, a new train station with 4 lines, metro stations, a bus station and a conference center. In the context of this project, GEOEG has designed an energy geostructure system to meet 100% of the thermal energy requirements of naturally and mechanically ventilated areas.

41’000 m² of energy slabs, 18’000 m² of energy walls et 1’382 m of energy piles

The energy geostructure system designed by GEOEG comprises approximately 41’000 m² of energy slabs, 18’000 m² of energy walls and 1’382 m of energy piles to make this project autonomous from the perspective of its energy supply. The considered system involves a coupled operation of energy geostructures with a thermal labyrinth. 100% of the thermal energy requirements of this building will thus be met via renewable geothermal energy and aerothermal energy, with an efficiency that has been determined to be three times higher compared to other thermal energy systems. The estimated return of the investment for this application is of 6.5 years. Completely constructed underground, this structure will absorb/reject heat from/to its surroundings to ensure a resilient and comfortable living space for building occupants.