A city that never stops moving
In Seoul, space is a precious resource. The South Korean capital is one of the densest cities in the world. A vertical landscape where every square meter counts. And yet, high above the noise of Yongsan Station, something remarkable has happened.
On the roof of the I’Park Department Store, shoppers, commuters, and weekend visitors now share space with footballers. Not in a hidden corner or a suburban park, but right on top of a shopping complex that sits at one of the busiest intersections in the country.
This is the I’Park Rooftop Futsal Town, South Korea’s largest rooftop sports facility and one of the boldest integrations of sport, commerce, and community ever built.
From retail to recreation
When the I’Park Department Store first opened its doors in 2012, it was already an architectural statement: a high-end shopping center directly connected to Yongsan Station, a major transport hub linking Seoul with the rest of the nation.
But where most department stores stop at rooftop gardens or restaurants, I’Park decided to take a different route, literally. That same year, it became the first mall in Korea to install futsal fields on its roof.
The experiment was an instant success. Players lined up to rent the small-sided pitches after work, schools booked sessions for their students, and weekend leagues quickly filled up. Within five years, demand far exceeded capacity.
In 2017, I’Park completed a major expansion, creating a full “futsal town” with eight fields, five new ones added to the existing three (two outdoor, one indoor). Overnight, a department store rooftop had transformed into a sports district in the sky.
The design of a vertical sports city
Technically, the project is a marvel. Engineers reinforced the rooftop slab to support multiple synthetic turf fields, surrounded by high-tension netting to prevent any stray balls from escaping into Seoul’s skyline.
Each pitch is built with shock-absorbing turf, LED floodlights for nighttime play, and lightweight aluminum fencing that doubles as wind protection. Access is seamless, elevators from the mall deliver players directly to changing rooms, lounges, and the fields themselves.
From above, the layout resembles a compact sports village. Pathways connect the fields like narrow streets, with rest areas, vending kiosks, and shaded zones in between. The sound of a match, quick feet, laughter, cheers, mixes with the hum of trains below and the rhythm of the city around it.
At night, the rooftop glows, an island of green floating in the middle of Seoul’s concrete and glass.
“This isn’t just a rooftop, it’s how cities will play tomorrow.”
More than sport: a social experiment
What makes I’Park’s futsal town special isn’t just the engineering. It’s the social idea behind it: that a shopping center can become a social hub through sport.
Families come to shop and end up staying longer because their children have training upstairs. Office workers meet for friendly matches before heading home. Local leagues host tournaments that attract spectators, turning the rooftop into a mini-stadium.
Cafés and restaurants inside the mall see a surge in visitors on match days, as players and supporters grab meals before or after games. The synergy between retail and recreation is deliberate and it works.
By putting movement at the heart of the consumer experience, I’Park has rewritten what a modern shopping center can be: not a place of passive consumption, but an active part of urban life.
The economic and cultural impact
For Seoul, this project is more than an architectural curiosity. It represents a shift in how cities approach wellness, density, and design.
The rooftop futsal town brings thousands of people into regular physical activity, without building new land-intensive infrastructure. It creates jobs, drives traffic to local businesses, and transforms the city’s skyline into a canvas of possibility.
In one of Asia’s most technology-driven societies, where long working hours and digital lifestyles dominate, the idea of kicking a ball with friends above the city carries real meaning. It reconnects citizens with movement, teamwork, and joy, the very essence of urban vitality.
Lessons from Seoul
The success of I’Park’s rooftop fields offers lessons for cities worldwide:
- Think vertically. When the ground is full, look up. Urban rooftops hold vast potential for sports, gardens, and social spaces.
- Mix functions. Retail, leisure, and health can coexist and even amplify one another.
- Make vitality visible. Sport on rooftops turns physical activity into a public, inspiring spectacle.
- Design for community. Facilities thrive when they’re welcoming, accessible, and integrated into daily city life.
- By combining all four principles, I’Park has created not just a set of fields, but a prototype for the future of urban wellness.
A rooftop that redefines a city
In Seoul, innovation often happens in layers, one above another. Below the futsal fields, trains speed toward Busan, shoppers browse designer stores, and cafés buzz with conversation. Above it all, players sprint, pass, and celebrate.
It’s a living metaphor for the modern city: dense, dynamic, and human.
For those who play there, the experience is unforgettable, a mix of energy and elevation. You’re surrounded by skyscrapers, but for a moment, you’re part of something larger: the idea that even in the busiest places on earth, there’s always room to move.
The I’Park Rooftop Futsal Town is more than a sports facility. It’s a vision of what cities can become when they dare to think differently. By turning a commercial rooftop into a vibrant arena for movement, Seoul has proven that vitality, creativity, and commerce can coexist and even thrive together.