Saturday, June 4, 2011

Momente din Seul 15. Cladirea 63 / Seoul Moments 15. 63 Building

If you want a panoramic view over the city, one of the option would be to climb into the 63 Building. The premises of the Korea Life Insurance company was erected on 1985. It is 249 m high and has 63 levels, of which 3 are underground.


The building is on Yeouido Island, nicknamed "Seoul Manhattan". Even if its name means "useless island", during the Japanese occupation, the first international airport was built here. Then, on 1975, the building of the National Assembly, with a characteristic green cupola, appeared. It houses the Korean Parliament. Banks and media companies, followed.

In the 63 Building, a nice construction, placated with copper plates, the tourist finds restaurants, fast-foods, shops, a post office, an IMAX theatre, an aquarium. It is said that the Observation Deck at the 63rd. floor offers a view to 50 km, in very clear days. As these are rare in the Seuolite capital, you can see only nearer views and even those ones are bad enough for a photographer, mainly because of the dirty windows. I imagine they have not been washed from the construction time...Nevertheless, I try to show what I saw:)

When I left, on a block, actor Song Il Gook, who had successfuly personified the mighty King Jumong, gaining a lot of female fans, was smiling when advertising for his new crime series, Crime Squad. If you are a fan, you may follow the series here: 
http://www.mysoju.com/korean-drama/crime-squad/

Daca vrei sa ai o privire panoramica asupra unei parti din Seul, una dintre optiuni ar fi sa urci la ultimul etaj al Cladirii 63 a companiei Korea Life Insurance (KLI). Aceasta a fost construita in 1985, are 249 m inaltime si numara 63 de etaje, din care 3 subterane. Pana in 2002 a fost cea mai inalta cladire din Coreea de Sud.

Vorbim despre un zgarie-nori din Insula Yeouido, rasfatata de localnici cu porecla de "Manhattan din Seul", centrul finaciar, politic si media al metropolei. Se ajunge acolo cu metroul, Linia 5, statia Yeouinaru, iesirea 4. Acolo, in apropiere se afla un mini-bus care te transporta gratuit pana la Cladirea 63. Eu am luat-o insa pe jos, paralel cu fluviul Han care trece prin capitala si, in aceasta sectiune, este tivit cu parcuri.
Pana in anii '60, insula era parasita, chiar  numele ei insemnand "insula inutila". In timpul dominatiei japoneze, aici fusese construit primul aeroport international. In 1975 s-a construit in zona cladirea Ansamblului National, cu o cupola verde caracteristica, care adaposteste Parlamentul. Apoi, s-au mutat aici banci, sedii de partide politice, companii media.
 in fundal, cladirea Parlamentului
Ziua era cam mohorata. De altfel, in Seul se pare ca doar arareori ai norocul sa prinzi o zi absolut clara. Smogul cauzat de poluare iti ameninta intotdeauna fotografiile de perspectiva. Trec pe langa o padure de blocuri, in curtea carora vad insa copaci Gingko biloba, cu frunze de un verde crud. Si pe sosea sunt tot felul de arbusti, unii infloriti.
Cladirea pe care o cautam, imbracata in placi de cupru, are un impact estetic deosebit, mai ales cand soarele poposeste asupra ei (ceea ce nu a fost cazul cand am fost eu acolo).
 Cladirea 63
In interiorul sau se afla magazine cu articole de tot felul, de la flori la papetarie si imbracaminte. Mai exista un teatru IMAX, cu un ecran de 25 m latime, o sala de bowling, un acvariu, un oficiu postal si numeroase restaurante (corean, chinez, japonez, italienesc). La parter, exista cateva fast-food-uri si chiar restaurante, mai ieftine, in timp ce cele de la etajele superioare sunt mai scumpe. Intra in pret si privelistea...

Asa-numita Punte de observatie de la etajul 63 adaposteste expozitii de arta. Intrarea costa 11000 won, adica aproape 7 euro si include urcarea cu un lift rapid. Se spune ca intr-o zi perfect senina s-ar putea vedea pana la 50 km distanta. In realitate, distanta este mult mai mica, putandu-se vedea doar constructiile din imediata apropiere si cateva poduri de pe Han. Geamurile, nespalate cred de la construirea cladirii, cu siroiri de apa pe ele, blocheaza si ele privirea, ca sa nu mai spun ce fac ele fotografiilor...Totusi, daca tot am urcat pana acolo, iata ce pot sa va arat si voua asa, ca sa va faceti o impresie...
La plecare, am luat mini-busul pana la statia de metrou. De pe zidurile unui bloc imi zambea...Jumong, regele Goguryeo-ului, adica actorul Song Il Gook, care joaca acum intr-un nou serial, Crime Squad, pe care fanii dar mai ales fanele il pot urmari pe internet aici http://www.mysoju.com/korean-drama/crime-squad/

24 comments:

Liliana said...

E una din poze care arata ca un caiet de matematica, perfect aliniate blocurile alea ...

VP said...

The spectacular modern side of Seoul!

Traveling Hawk said...

Ha, ha, cam asa, Liliana! Cred ca maine dau o tura la vecinii sarbi:)

Traveling Hawk said...

A part of it, yes, VP!

Randy said...

I like the nature shots best. The last one is a nice one too.

Doug Hickok said...

Spectacular views from the tower. I like this series of modern architecture contrasting with earlier posts of the old palaces and gardens.

cartim said...

Interesante aceste ckadiri care iti ofera sansa de a vedea un oras in toata splendoarea lui.

Atentie la cei cu fobie de inaltime :P

Liliana said...

Wow, ia-ma si pe mine intr-una din turele tale la sarbi :)!

Traveling Hawk said...

I tried, on purpose, to mix the posts, old/modern, Doug:)

Traveling Hawk said...

The last one is an advertising for a new crime series, starring a popular actor, in Romania.

Traveling Hawk said...

Pacat ca erau geamurile prea murdare, Cartim:)

Traveling Hawk said...

Liliana, am facut aproape 800 km ieri, dus/intors. Voi povesti dupa ce termin Coreea.

Unknown said...

oricum imaginile de panorama imi plac. chiar asa cu fog(chiar ceatza din punctul meu de vedere le da un farmec in plus) cu geamuri murdare. iti da un sentiment de furnica, de umilinta in fatza maretiei altor lucruri, facute sau nu de mâna omului.

Traveling Hawk said...

Aici ai dreptate, pharaonx, pacat ca n-am cuprins cu privirea o zona mai extinsa, ci doar cea a fluviului Han. Padurea aceea de blocuri parea o macheta facuta din cutii de chibrituri. Cand stateai lipit de geam si priveai in jos, chiar pe langa el, te cuprindea ameteala...

escape said...

all those structures are just perfect for photoshoot. whether taken from the top or from below.

Traveling Hawk said...

That's so, dong ho, you are right!

RIZALENIO said...

63rd floor!!! Wow! The tallest i've been was 33rd floor only. The views up there are fascinating.

Traveling Hawk said...

They say it's the tallest in Asia, Rizalenio but I suppose that meantime there are others, taller.

joo said...

Modern Seoul looks also fascinating!

Traveling Hawk said...

You have not seen enough yet, Joo...:)

magda said...

Wonderful photos of very modern and interesting town!!!
Many greetings

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks for the visit, Magda!

J_on_tour said...

Spectacular views and very ordered rows of those blocks of flats, although I would be at the back of the queue as a volunteer to wash the windows.

Traveling Hawk said...

Ha, ha, me too, J_on_tour! Thanks for the visit.