A new hub of tourism and water transportation allowing people to experience and to use the Han River.

Envisioning excellent cultural and space potentials through a lightweight consistent system.” wild seas, temple roofs,dynamic nature,leaves falling from ginkgo trees. All precious local inspiration which combined with material logics gave meaning to the proposal”.

The Spatial Planning and Ferry Terminal design are based upon a sensitive and sympathetic approach to the context and nature of Seoul. It encourages people to flow within a new cultural Hub that is linked to the rest of the city.

The proposal aims for a full harmony with the Han River and Citizens’ Park and covers the spatial arrangement of the 4 core projects of the Han-gang collaboration, establishing a new urban topography and a consistency throughout the programs within an holistic eco-friendly plan. Its integrated design enables smooth and efficient linkages between the 4 projects and does not involve modifications of the basic river plan, considering only minor surface treatments, paths and landscaping.

We want to create a subtle transition situation between the Water ecosystem, the existing Park and the urban ecosystem via a system of lightweight concave canopies which resemble the wave movements, that form the new Ferry terminal building, Cultural facilities, Pier Deck and the thin Multi-level interchange roofs. Using the single curved non-hierarchical canopy geometry supported by timber ribs, we generate consistency & continuity across the project, producing a feeling of lightness through out the different repetitive sections of the buildings.

We aim for an integrated social & natural ecology, promoting meeting spaces & introducing Green roofs as an integral element of the proposal, which not only will improve the thermal & acoustic qualities of the buildings, but serve as water harvesting elements that create biodiversity and are aligned with air quality regulation principles.

Thus, a particular stepping Silhouette of layers start showing when seen from both the water and the city. We end up having a project which is not just a beautiful and efficient piece, but a resulting expression of a higher urban strategy,merging itself into the overall complex.

The Ferry Terminal building

The proposal creates a flexible scenic tourist attraction on the waterfront commanding a fine view of the city and the nature, both merged into a common public system. The general public will enjoy a Lower level Plaza (steel pontoon) which is connected to land and directly located under the Terminal building (Upper part).

The Plaza will give access to a series of water terraces/recreational facilities, for kids to play, adults and elderly can enjoy a cup of coffee, eat, and have access to controlled rowing and pedal boats. The lifted Ferry Terminal building will have 3 main vertical circulation cores/services and will also be supported on thin metal columns on its perimeter. On the Upper part we’ll have the Tickets office, Gates area, restaurant/cafe, observatory/views, public toilets, Luggage area, info desk, shops, seating areas, kids zone and administrative offices.

Our intention is to have a free circulation space and to create a continuity between inside and outside via a Glazed facade on the perimeter, allowing amazing 360° views of the Water and the City. The terminal will be linked directly to the city and subway via the Multi-level interchange and will allow the flow of people to easily connect to the other water and in-land facilities.

As to the structure, we propose to use exposed and treated Structural cross laminated timber CLT for the main building parts (slab,roof,partitions), since it is a material with a low ecological footprint, faster to implement on site,has low maintenance, high quality control measures, and several thermal, acoustic & visual qualities, as well as a significant reduction of CO2 emissions.

Just as traditional korean temples or houses used wood as a basic material, we bet on proposing a “softer” and more visual friendly building which shows its wooden structure to the public, so that it can be easily related to the local roots within a contemporary design approach. As in the other buildings, the Ferry terminal will integrate a Green roof on top of its gently curving structure, a symbiotic gesture to nature, so that at some point when seen from the water it can difuminate within the Park.