The new Busan Opera House will put the city on the international map, allowing it to become part of the network of world renowned opera houses. As another node in the network, the I-Opera will not only be integrated on an international level, but it will also serve as a landmark, on the local level. It will be present in the collective memory of the people of Busan and also be part of their daily life experience.
The design for the Busan Opera House relies on three main ideas:
To provide a strong urban statement in newly forming cultural district;
To develop a clear visual strategy for the identity of the Opera which is simultaneously familiar and never-before seen;
To create a unique building for the center of the cultural district with a contemporary architectural approach shaped to optimize active and passive energy use.
Busan is one of the most important Korean cities and its largest port. The project is located in the newly developed area of north port. We wanted to create an Icon. A monument that would shift the vision of the locals and international visitors alike and create new experiences for each visitor while on the same time is welcoming and inviting. And can be the city’s vision of future development.
Located in the North Port area of Busan, second largest city in the Republic of Korea, the New Opera House aims to bring the new maritime culture island a landmark character both at the city scale and at the international level. Surrounded by the sea, the city buildings and the mountains, \’operascope\’ is conceptualized as a musical instrument and an observation machine.
With the development of North Port also comes the exaltation of the city of Busan. A resonating voice glorifies the city and its inhabitants, and the strength in the capacity of this voice to evoke thought, inspiration and emotion increases with each successive stage of development. The voice carries forward throughout the world, ushering the city of Busan into a new cultural era while recognizing the history of the people who identify with it. From the mountains embracing the city, an echo resounds across the community and recalls the beacon mounds, which have been traditionally used as a method of communication beyond large distances and are currently celebrated for awe inspiring beauty. In North Port, the mountain’s echo joins the voice of exaltation in the design of the Busan Opera House, forming a harmonious relationship composing the new cultural voice of the city.
Project
Participation of wahag studio in the international ideas competition to establish a design for the busan opera house to start to construct in 2014 (expected). the opera house will include a variety of facilities that will foster a wide range of artistic activities all the while being accessible to the city’s citizens. the grand scale of this project will be suitable for busan’s status as an international city.
The concept starts from how multiple performance facilities can share common program. One way is to share public space such as foyers and the other is to share theatre function itself. We found out an interesting potential of theatre that when one performance facility share its theatre function with other facilities, various types of performance stages could be created by transformation of stage and chamber facilities. Unlike having a fixed performance stage and sharing common public space, it is a way of providing a variety of experience to the audience as well as using the opera house more efficient way.
Busan has a specific geography: Mountains areas are connecting directly to the Pacific Ocean. With great nature, a high density of population and an urgent demand for public spaces to be used by the inhabitants.
Busan is the fifth largest port of the world. The BUSAN OPERA HOUSE (BOH) is located in the Busan North Port development area. This zone is home to a cultural complex department, museums, a maritime culture center, a cruise center, waterfront causeway, public parks, an opera, a theater and a business district. It is crucial that the BOH program and its architectural form integrate into the existing master plan, and express the new and unique creative character of the Busan North Port.
Asymptote has been commissioned to build the World Business Center Solomon Tower through an international design competition sponsored by the Municipality of Busan City and the Solomon Group. Asymptote’s groundbreaking design of three separate, tapered towers rising out of a robust and powerful base will be among the tallest buildings in Asia at 550m. The World Busniess Center Solomon Tower was recently awarded the 2008 American Architecture Award by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.
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