In brief
- The competition is organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
- The theme is 목멱상화 (木覓賞花), meaning “admiring flowers at Namsan.”
- The site is near Namsan Park, and the garden is expected to remain in place during and after the exhibition.
- Registration and submissions are open from 7–9 December 2026; the source lists two different deadline times: 16:00 KST and 00:00.
On 10 November 2026, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an open call for a show garden competition as part of the Seoul International Garden Show 2027. According to the announcement on ArchDaily, which is identified as user-submitted, the competition calls for a permanent garden near Namsan Park in Seoul. Its theme is 목멱상화 (木覓賞花), rendered in the English description as “admiring flowers at Namsan.”
Competition schedule and application requirements
The announcement gives the competition period as 10 November–9 December 2026. The stated registration and project submission window runs from Monday, 7 December, through Wednesday, 9 December. The competition information also lists a submission time of 16:00 Korea Standard Time.
However, a separate “Submission Deadline” field on the ArchDaily page shows 00:00 on 9 December 2026. This conflicts with the 16:00 KST time in the description. Applicants should check the competition information document and the organizer’s announcement to confirm the final submission time. The source says the information document can be downloaded, but does not provide its contents.
The competition listing says participation is free. The available announcement does not specify the jury, prizes, eligibility requirements, project file formats, or evaluation criteria. It is therefore not possible to infer additional requirements about the scope of the submission or the drawings and presentation materials needed.
A permanent show garden at Namsan
The proposed garden site is described as being near Namsan Park. Unlike a temporary exhibition installation, the project is defined as a permanent installation: the garden is to remain on site during the exhibition and after the event. This means the design should focus not only on creating a short-lived visual impact, but also on remaining in place after the show.
The theme explores flowers in the context of Namsan. However, the announcement does not provide details such as the site dimensions, existing landscape and infrastructure conditions, permitted materials, or maintenance requirements. If included in the competition document, these details could affect design decisions, but the brief announcement available does not confirm them.
What it means for architects and visualization teams
For landscape architects and design teams, the call offers an opportunity to develop a garden concept as a permanent, site-specific installation. Interior design, architecture, and archviz teams may also contribute to visualizing the spatial layout, planting concept, and visitor experience. These are not separate application categories announced by the competition, but possible workflows suggested by the permanent installation requirement and the theme.
Before starting work on a proposal, teams should review the full document for site information, submission formats, and application requirements. In particular, the conflicting deadline times should not be overlooked when planning the schedule. The source does not specify software, hardware, or licensing requirements, so no compatibility requirements for teams’ modeling or rendering tools can be inferred from the announcement.
ArchDaily also notes that the competition information was submitted by a user and that views expressed in such listings may not reflect ArchDaily’s views. The listing should therefore be treated as a starting point for applications; definitive rules and current information should be confirmed through the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s competition materials.
Sources
1 sourceSource texts are not republished; short quotes are marked, everything else is our own summary and commentary.
The permanent installation requirement means teams need to develop more than a compelling presentation image: they must propose a garden that will remain in place after the exhibition. The Namsan theme is also central to the design narrative, but the current announcement lacks details about the site, maintenance, and implementation, making it risky to proceed based on assumptions about those aspects.
For offices in Turkey considering an application, the first practical step is to review the full document and confirm the submission time. Although free participation is welcome, project costs, team capacity, and visualization workload should be assessed separately. The source does not specify software, hardware, or licensing requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is the theme of the Seoul International Garden Show 2027 competition?
The theme is 목멱상화 (木覓賞花), rendered in the English description as “admiring flowers at Namsan.”
When do applications for the competition close?
The registration and submission period is listed as 7–9 December 2026. The description gives the deadline as 16:00 KST, while a separate deadline field shows 00:00, so the exact time should be confirmed in the competition document.
Will the show garden in Seoul be temporary?
The announcement describes it as a permanent installation. The garden is planned to remain near Namsan Park during and after the exhibition.
