British studio Heatherwick has designed a futuristic park on Nodeulseom Island in Seoul. The development is intended to be an oasis of greenery and culture in a city of almost ten million people. Today, the island in the Han River is uninhabited and somewhat neglected. Interestingly, more than a century ago, the island was part of the mainland. Its history dates back to 1917, when the Japanese occupied Korea.
The area of Nodeulseom Island was attempted to be revitalised back in 1989. Plans to build tennis courts and other recreational spaces fell through and the island was devastated. It was only in 2019 that the city created a small performing arts centre. This was the first step towards revitalising the island.
The park of the future
The Heatherwick studio’s plan is to radically change the appearance of the island. Soundscape will be a two-storey park. The green character of the island will be maintained in the lower part. The edges will be further landscaped with tree and shrub plantings. The focal point of the lower level is to be a new arts centre with a public beach. An open performance space will link the island to a park suspended above ground. The route will be 1.2 km long. Suspended several metres above the ground, a group of islands will guarantee a public view of the city skyline.
Heatherwick Studio already has experience working on similar projects. New York’s Little Island is a park created on an artificial island. Concrete pillars hold the area above the water and give it an irregular shape. You can read about this project HERE.
The erased village
The history of the unassuming island is much more interesting than you might think. More than a century ago, the island was part of the mainland. Around the 17th century, the Shincho-ri settlement was located on the present island. The village survived until the early 20th century. Everything changed with the arrival of the Japanese occupiers.
One Korean aristocrat claimed the island as his property and then announced the decision to the Japanese authorities. The villagers sued the aristocrat, but the process began to complicate to the detriment of the settlement. Over the next few years, the inhabitants were dispossessed and the village began to disappear. Eventually, the Japanese mined large quantities of sand connecting Shincho-ri to the mainland. This created the island of Nakanoshima. The authorities built the supports of a new bridge on it. The original Hangang Bridge did not survive the Korean War. The authorities of the resulting South Korea rebuilt the structure. Interestingly, in later years the Koreans began to extract even more sand from the island.
Reclaimed island
Soundscape on Nodeulseom Island is a park of the future. The design combines social utility with a futuristic look. Thomas Heatherwick’s studio will ‘restore’ a unique space on the river to the city. The next stages of design work are currently underway. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027. The city is also seeking to revitalise other neglected parks. You can read about Seoul’s revitalised park and the spearless Ferris wheel HERE.
Photo source: Heatherwick Studio
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