Peter Ruge Architekten shared with us their entry for an international competition to design a new opera and theatre house in Busan, Korea. The city of Busan has a specific geography consisting of mountain areas that connect directly to the Pacific Ocean, great nature, a high population density, and an urgent demand for public spaces to be used by the inhabitants. By taking advantage of these characteristics, they were able to develop the concept for their design. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The two new public spaces in the concept could get a new importance for the city of Busan. One facing west to the mountain and city side of Busan reserved for public performances and one viewing east to the ocean side to celebrate the ‘New Years Sunrise Festival’. Connecting the two places are the two main functions of the Opera House (opera and theatre)that are allocated to these plazas. In general, the reference to the history of Madang, a traditional open, urban space used for gathering, happenings and performances is the base for the design of it.
A thin skin, protecting the design from the sun and water, connects the two buildings, leaving a pathway open for the public in between. This supports Busan’s natural flow from mountain to the ocean, creating a nice harmony between urban space and architecture.
The new landmark of Busan’s Opera House reflects the natural and urban energies and connects it to the performing arts spaces of ‘Madangnoli’. At the Mountain Plaza and the Sunrise Plaza, an urban harmony is created with a folk performance played by ordinary people. The construction of the building is like a wave of sounds as an environmental friendly building reflecting Korea’s path to local sustainability.
Architects: Peter Ruge Architekten Competition Team: Peter Ruge, Matthias Matschewski, Hyesook Ahn, Kayoko Uchiyama, Barbara Kubicka, Zubin Daboo Location: Busan, Republic of Korea Client: The Busan International Architectural Culture Festival Organizing Committee Program: Opera and theatre building including landscape design Status: Open international competition, 2011 Site Size: 34.928 sqm GFA: 54.000 sqm
