GANSAM NEWS
[Winner] International design competition for Nodeul Global Arts Island
▴SOUNDSCAPE in Seoul: Nodeulseom, recreated by the combination of art and nature
The work ‘Soundscape’, which Thomas Heatherwick and Gansam Co.,Ltd. worked on, was selected as the final winner in the International design competition for Nodeul Global Arts Island hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
This competition is the first public sector project of the ‘Urban Architecture Design Innovation Plan’ promoted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government with the aim of innovating urban and architectural design. Nodeulseom, which was selected as the first pilot project site, was planned to be developed into a world-class cultural attraction as a ‘new landmark of the Hangang River where nature and art coexist.’ To this end, the Seoul Metropolitan Government invited seven teams of renowned architects from home and abroad in November 2022 to conduct a planning design competition and then held a large-scale citizen forum, a citizen idea contest, and open screening.
In the open screening, Thomas Heatherwick presented the Skywalk canopy as the core design element to recreate Nodeulseom as a place where visitors can feel the culture and energy of Seoul through SOUNDSCAPE. This was designed with inspiration from nature and patterns created by live music, along with dramatic spatial production at different heights.
The Skywalk Canopy evokes the beautiful mountainous terrain of Korea, and the structure was developed in a way that maintains the beauty of Nodeulseom while also being easy to maintain and cost-effective. The aerial garden and walkway created in the canopy are harmoniously connected through the waterside park and various layers of programs on the ground. This connects the active place on the west side with the static and natural place on the east side, thereby uniting the entire island and creating a beautiful landscape.
Now, citizens will experience for themselves the beautiful scenery of nature, which changes every moment according to the water level of the Hangang River and the seasonal changes. The various links planned along the ground level allow you to explore every part of Nodeulseom. The carefully planned facilities and programs will transform Nodeulseom into a center of the arts.
This work was highly praised for making the most of Nodeulseom's intrinsic location and preserving the existing architecture as much as possible, and for creating a fantastic landscape with various curves using stainless steel curved metal. It was also praised for making the columns pinpoint, enabling eco-friendly and sustainable construction and allowing construction to be carried out with minimal interference.
Tom Main, the chairman of the jury, said, “This Nodeulseom International Competition is a very interesting large-scale project. We had to think about new ideas for boundaries, how to create an icon for the city, and the relationship between architecture and landscape.” He also said, “We also focused on the message of Nodeulseom's ’sustainability' from a bigger frame rather than just looking at the competition itself at the global level and evaluated it as such.”
The city plans to sign a design contract with the winner in July this year and then proceed with the working basic before starting construction in February next year and completing the project by 2027.
Images by MIR & Heatherwick Studio
International Design Competition for Nodeul Global Art Island
【Competition Overview】
· Site location of the site : 445, 446 Yangnyeong-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Nodeulseom)
· Site area: 119,854㎡ (Upper part: 60,078㎡ / Lower part: 50,036㎡)
· Design Scope: Expansion
【Design overview】
· Building area: 10,617.47㎡
· Gross area: 11,406.96㎡
· Building coverage: 20.15%
· Floor area ratio: 21.65%
· Size: 4 floors above ground, maximum height: 43m
· Consortium: HEATHERWICK STUDIO
【Participants】
Kyounam Jin, Heekyung Choi, Junseo Son, Eulyoung Moon, Billy Tan,
Kangin Choi, Youngchan Kang, Junyoung Choi, Wonjun Woo, Youngdo Kim,
Hwasoo Park, Jaehyuk Choi, Hongil Noh, Hanna Lee, Hajung Shin,
Sunghee Lee, Jiyoung Kim
2024.06.17