Chapter 4: Landscape Urbanism
4.4 The Projects of ‘Landscape Urbanism’ in South Korea
4.4.3 Projects Highlighting an Arts-based Approach Anyang Art City 21 (2005-2007) 142
A project which takes an altogether different stance is the Anyang Art City 21 in Anyang city by MVRDV, introduced with much fanfare in 2007. Its ultimate goal is to turn Anyang, marred by negative perceptions following its rapid
industrialization and modernization, into a far nicer place to live, full of culture and the arts. Hence what distinguishes Anyang's initiative from many other urban policies is its very strong emphasis on art. It squarely places art at the centre of its project, as the catalyst that will drive the movement and reach out to other financial and cultural sectors for collaboration.
141 Source: Source: Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 60.
142 Architect: MVRDV. Location: Anyang art park, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
184
Figure 4.23: The Anyang Art City 21 in Anyang city by MVRDV.143
The policy revealed its first tangible fruit to the citizens on 5th November 2005, in the form of the First Anyang Public Arts Project held in the resort area of Anyang. In an era when aesthetics or environmental concerns are taking centre-stage, the act of shaping urban life requires an appeal to the sentiments of the general public, not the elitist views of the ruling elite, as in the past. In this context, Anyang's art-based project is a truly meaningful attempt at city
regeneration, and is likely to provide an important case study for other urban programs in South Korea in future.
A path which is leading to a small peak is located on top of central summit in Anyang resort. One way to revitalize this area is to emphasize the natural wonders that are already. Nature could be intensified. A viewing tower is proposed,
supercharging the hill into Anyang Peak. The path leading up the hill, an essential element of the park, is used as a tool to generate this idea. The spiral path becomes the tower, extending the hill seamlessly. Reshaping the peak. Two
143 Source: http://www.aaa.org.hk/Collection/Details/47897.
185
contour lines from the top were used to shape the path. One forms the outer spiral and another one forms the inside spiral line. As these two contours offsets inwards, the width of the path varies.144
Seoul Performing Arts Centre (2005)145
Yet another variant is the Seoul Performing Arts Centre in Seoul, by Andres Perea Ortega. This project proposes an event that is stranded in the river, and is surrounded by the flow of the river. Over many days, nights, months,
autumns, winters, springs, there will be multiple episodes of social, cultural, religious, familiar, personal events. The project is hence conceived as an enclosure for all forms of communication. These forms include: introspection, interpersonal interactions, familiar or tribal affairs, and metropolitan/
cosmopolitan connections. And for this environment to be created, the architects aim to provide systems adapted to information needs, using the latest technologies, but starting from the traditional systems of direct relations, or shared activities.
The project will be a state-of-the-art answer to the demands of a sustainable environment. Architecture will use all natural resources in running the complex, and its maintenance and transformability will be tomorrow’s soft technology. The time
144 Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 96. The minimal width which is 1.5m was the guiding line for these two contours. And the inclination of the path was fixed as 1/10 slope. A 146m long path with a four rings forms the 14.6m height peak which covers 160m² areas. The internal void acts as a pavilion; it can hold a small exhibition or installation. The space can also be used as a performance space, allowing visitors to look down on the stage on top of the hill. The path encircles the peak turning it into a destination.
145 Architect: Andres Perea Ortega. Seoul performing arts centre ideas competition project 1st prize. Location: Seoul, South Korea. Design: 2005. This project is not going to be built.
186 for lightness and flimsiness has arrived.146
Figure 4.24: Seoul Performing Arts Centre.147
Multi-functional Administrative City (2005)148
With this aspiration in mind, it is worth looking at the design for a new Multi-functional Administrative City in the city of Yeongi, by Andres Perea Ortega.
Through this project, the city is intended to be given a continual structure and
146 Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 90. The kit program of the contest is incremented by complementary activities that enlarge the character of the anticipated functions, or that establish new overlaid programs, coincidental and contradictory in some cases.
147 Source: http://europaconcorsi.com/results/20745-Seoul-Performing-Arts-Center.
148 Architect: Andres Perea Ortega. New multi-functional administrative city competition project winner. Location: Yeongi, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. Design: 2005. This project is not going to be built.
187
form without any boundaries. It is already a complex and dense place of inhabitation, with just 20,000 inhabitants. The city’s foundation systems
intersect with each other, and there are plenty of spare spaces as buffer zones.
The city, changing rapidly and diversely, is intended to become full of thousands of visual stimuli. The city is hence conceived as a chromosome aged for urban mutations, and the intersecting and accumulating foundation systems make it possible to use national and local facilities to provide for other activities.
Figure 4.25: Multi-functional Administrative City. Nature, infrastructure, structure and urban form.149
149 Source: Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 90.
188
Figure 4.26: Multi-functional Administrative City. Residences and services forming the outer ring.150
This city is the “city of democracy” and “city of people”, in which the only representation is the people. Being a very different place, this is an ideal city for people to realize their dreams and desires. This city is an unspecialized and timeless cooperative development project, a city established by people’s
affirmative public works, and not by politicians. Therefore, the urban space is not a symbolic one, but a practical one. The concept of private property is replaced by that of common property, and especially when it comes to the management of land, the residence and the privatization of nature is distinguished. This will be a vibrant
150 Source: Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 91.
189
place where a complex and efficient environmental system for life is established, in which rural, urban and cyber spaces intersect with each other in a harmony of urbanism and the natural environment.151
Handsome Hotel (2005)152
Figure 4.27: Handsome hotel. The building and site form.153
Very different too is the so-called Handsome Hotel in Namyangju by Cho Min-suk, another unbuilt design. This project was based on the premise that architectural productions by people have to co-exist with the natural
environment. In order to maintain the boundaries of nature, this project used
151 Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 92.
152 Architect: Min-suk Cho, Mass studies. Location: Namyangju, Gyeonggi – Do, South Korea.
Design: 2005. This project is not going to be built.
153 Source: Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 185.
190
organic shapes and materials taken from near to the site. It aimed to build on the traditional Korean architecture theme of ‘co-existence with nature’, as well as enhancing the concept of living in ‘harmony with nature’.
An amenity/support facility stands between the hotel and ballroom/mansion buildings, providing functional support to both sides while connecting them as one entity. The property’s southern section faces the freeway that serves as its approach and has two separate driveways that each leads to the hotel and reception hall at the southern and northern ends, respectively.154
Figure 4.28: Unit systems.155
154 Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 186. The five-story hotel on the southern end and the pair of two-story buildings to the north, housing the ballroom and mansion, each establish its own domain through a dedicated entrance and differing levels and be used independently.
155 Source: Sang-leem Lee, Consilient Mapping:Nine Probes for Architecture Korea (Seoul, Space Publishing Co, 2007) p 187.
191 Figure 4.29: Circulation system.156
However, to observers it looks very much like a big ‘UFO’ which just landed on earth. This project paid too much attention to the boundary between nature and building and as a result neglected the boundary with reality.
4.4.4 Projects Highlighting an Environmentally-friendly Approach