COMMUNITY SERIES
“First I saw the mountains in the painting.
Then I saw the painting in the mountains.” Chinese proverb
“...It was a late afternoon in Busan, with typically mild spring temperatures and a gentle ocean breeze. After a relatively short but steep hike, we waited for an hour to see the sunlight soften. And what a treat it was. As the sun started its descent to the horizon, the leaves of the trees turned golden, and shadows danced to the sound of silence. There was no thought of yesterday or tomorrow – just a soothing flow of fleeting moments. All that is left now is a series of paintings, imprinted in our memories...”
mountains of sea
“First I saw a sea of mountains. Then I saw the mountains of sea.”
year
size
location
theme
status
2021
632.000 m2
s.korea
busan
mixed-use
development
competition
h.mention
it is not always easy to grasp the spirit of a city at a glance even you are living full, seizing the day, as a happy local tourist, and even then, you might not be that lucky, and again, you might just be lucky enough to come up to a proverb and follow it to a sea of mountains, in which then you might instinctively find your way to the mountains of sea.
a new form of light is born in the outskirts of Busan mountains that merge with the sea, as silver waves meet the setting sun of the East Sea, an incredible scenery of a coral, blush, flaming sky takes place, a visual feast to be eternized not only in minds but also in the eyes of the beholder, so we re-framed this memory to live happily ever after.
as high-rise buildings has its charm, especially now with the pandemics, to maintain our physical and mental resilience. we need more life outside both in private and public spaces. the mountainous blocks gather around a central courtyard, forming an inner and outer loop of activities around a big heart with a wavy flow to lengthen and vary the potential routes, creating unexpected interactions. as public shopping or office elevated streets turn into your personal and communal terraces, you get one of the best views of the day, either you are facing the mountains or the sea. you are halfway through all the terraces and there are still some friends out there who are waiting for exciting encounters. there is always someting new to explore, today and every day, at least for the upcoming decade.
how can we gift an old glass production factory site with a new life, leveraging the identity of the surrounding natural landscape to the center of its regeneration strategy?
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the mountainous terrain of the city merging with the rough wavy coasts shape the new grounds as a continuum of the topography transitioning from land to sea, from earth to water, from green to blue, replacing mountains and waves within, letting them pass through and invigorate the daily life of this thriving community
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'mountains of sea' provides a transition from the mountains, the topography of the crust, into the waves, the topography of the sea, generating a hybrid tide of the mother nature,
going back and forth, up and down!
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existing situation
served as a production center for many years to the old Hanglas factory, the site is now an empty lot, a vast plane without its history of production and the aspects of nature, in between the intersection of the magical Busan mountains and the urban ocean, with splendid panoramas and great potentials.
connecting nature
having a massive transformation, this piece of land has lost its bindings on its environment both physically and sensually. “MoS” reunites this land to its physical environment seamlessly, as if always been a part of the nature of the city, to become a vibrant and vital connection point, that helps regenerate a natural continuous flow between the ground and the water, the wind and topography.
prospective strategy
taking the unconditioned, actual flow into account while creating an approach throughout the project, the context evolves around an organic, inartificial, and instinctive land-use strategy, as if navigating through hiking on a mountain. “MoS” derives the natural vibes of geography and nature, and its relation with urban life, mimicking natural forms to care, connect, and give back by sustaining a vigorous environment supported by smart technology, closed-loop self-sufficient life, a micro-ecosystem.
new topography
spreading from the natural terrain, “MoS” becomes a part of nature while recreating, strengthening, and connecting the terrain of Busan with the ocean, rising above the periphery while keeping the center low to create a courtyard for recreational and relaxation use, and organizing outside for multipurpose activities and waterfront use. as the topography inspired by the city, also aquatic functions like surfing, takes us to the rough winds shaping the freak waves, the mountains of the sea.
One of the very unique locations of S.Korea, Busan dwelling on a unique natural topography, stranding down to the ocean, accommodates a moderate climate that welcomes easy open space interaction that is shaping the daily life and the culture of the territory. “MoS” takes natural landscape inside the living spaces to generate a balanced and ecological environment between nature and the residents, also giving the opportunity to directly get in touch with nature either through gardening or horticulture therapy, which most cities and communities have lost the connection for long with very fewer options. New topography will trigger a new community that is much more open, connected, and creative with all the positive potentials of the space, which harbors the power of change; to change into our better selves with healthier lifestyles.
