UK-headquartered architect Heatherwick Studio has won a design competition for Soundscape to create a park on the artificial Nodeul Island on the Han River in the centre of Seoul, South Korea.
Visitors will be greeted by a public beach at ground level, moving through a landscape that evolves as the tides and seasons change.
An events podium will lead to a 1.2km skywalk formed of a series of floating islets in midair providing views of Seoul and the river.
The design is inspired by the surrounding mountains.
Thomas Heatherwick, Heatherwick Studio founder, said: “In this hyper-digital age, we’ve had so many amazing innovations in the way people live but there has also been an increasing sense of loneliness and isolation.
“We want to make a hyper-physical place that reconnects Seoulites with nature, culture and, most importantly, with each other.”
Neil Hubbard, Heatherwick Studio partner, said: “It’s not just about an exciting new aerial canopy, but developing a whole creative ecosystem, where spaces above and below the floating landscape are buzzing with activity.
“Upon first discovering a serene, restful island where the landscape focuses on native flora and fauna the visitors will then wander up from the water’s edge to experience drama and harmonies in the sky.”
Heatherwick Studio will work with Seoul’s Metropolitan Government on the design, with Soundscape on Nodeul Island due to open in 2027.
