It's time to look back on the Seoul Design Olympiad, which was held at Jamsil Sports Complex from October 9 to 29. The festivity was another reminder of what design can do to revitalized and revive the everyday scenery that surrounds us.

During the festival, people saw a statue of Haechi, a mystical animal of Korean legend that has become the symbol of Seoul, sparkling in the sunlight. Those who went for a closer look understood the secret of its gleam. The whole statue was made of some 3,000 recycled PET bottles and, fittingly, its title was ?ecycling Haechi.?br>
That was not the only environment-friendly design that took up positions in many big and small districts of Seoul. Some 1,400 white plastic bags titled ?-sky?were flapping in the wind at Jamsil Stadium. The plastic bags, which were tied together with wire, supposedly symbolized the soft mountainous curves that surround the Seoul area.

The nearby exhibition site displayed green artworks from 25 districts in Seoul. Yongsan-gu district showed off a robot made of abandoned electronic parts, Seongdong-gu district had T-shirts printed with the artwork of a world-famous environment-friendly graphic designer and more. 

There were many overseas tourists in attendance. Ryu Shin, 23, from China said she was impressed with the Design Olympiad in the Korean capital city. Her favorite item was the two air domes placed on the green field of the stadium.

Events held inside the domes were the 2009 World Design Market, the Index Award 2009 Exhibition, the i-brand Market Place and more. ?he two most popular sites were the 2009 World Design Market, where visitors could directly purchase products with clever designs and Seoul Vision 2020, which helped people experience the Seoul of the future,?said Kwon Seong-hye, 25, a guide.

At the World Design Market, arranged like a big store, people feasted their eyes on witty design products such as a lamp shaped like an IV bag, a corsage made of plastic bags and paper. Visitors had a chance to talk on the spot with the designers who made them.

Seoul Vision 2020 had people standing in long lines just to see the futuristic wonders. One of the attractions was ?ooking around Seoul on a Bike?Visitors could sit on a bike-shaped chair under a 3D screen and be under the impression of riding around the streets of Seoul in the future. ? can't imagine how wonderful it would be if all the great technology that I saw on that screen turned out to be true,?said Yoo Mi-jin, 23, who took the ride.

Seoul Design Olympiad 2009 was held to commemorate International Design Alliance's designation of Seoul as the World Design Capital for 2010. This is the second Olympiad of its kinds -- the first one being held in the same month, last year. Events were held citywide, in the Han River Park and many other districts in Seoul, while centered on Jamsil Complex. There were conferences and competitions held throughout.

Many little children participated. ?esign is like wisdom of life that allows you to live more comfortably,?said Lee Seon-yeong, 11, who declared her dream to become a famous designer. ? especially liked Q-drum (a rolling water bottle that can carry 75 liters of water) that helps African children.?br>
I like the idea of making a chair out of the signboard at subway station. Design, with a little bit of twist, is a thing of delight in our everyday lives,?said Jo Hyo-jin, 17, a highschooler who majors in design.

The Design Olympiad received some 2.5 million visitors in total.

*Adapted from Weekly Gonggam Magazine

By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer

SOURCE : Korea.net