Renowned architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) reveals a new proposal for the Ulsan Performing Arts Venue in South Korea. Submitted as part of the second phase of an international design competition, the concept presents a ribbon-like structure, envisioning a cultural landmark that bridges the past, present, and future of Ulsan.

BIG reveals a new proposal for the Ulsan Performing Arts Venue in South Korea | all images via @big_builds

two architectural ribbons connect city, river, and public life

The concept by BIG is defined by two sweeping ribbons that extend from opposite directions: one reaching into the urban fabric, the other stretching toward the river. Together, they frame the site while creating a dynamic dialogue between the city and its natural surroundings. Beneath the ribbons, a continuous public realm unfolds, featuring plazas, promenades, and outdoor stages. These open spaces are intended to encourage gathering, performance, and cultural engagement, making the venue not only a place for staged events but also a living public landscape.

With this proposal, the Copenhagen-based firm emphasizes flexibility and openness, allowing the building to host a variety of cultural programs while maintaining visual and spatial connectivity with the surrounding environment. The ribbons themselves become both architectural signature and functional structure, guiding movement across the site and shaping the experience of the venue.

beneath the architectural ribbons, a continuous public realm unfolds

the concept presents a ribbon-like structure, envisioning a cultural landmark that bridges the past, present, and future

the building hosts a variety of programs while maintaining connectivity with the surroundings

the ribbons themselves become both architectural signature and functional structure

project info: 

name: Ulsan Performing Arts Venue
architects: BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) | @big_builds
location: Ulsan, South Korea

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Stocker Lee Architetti completes the MANMADE flagship store for Wooyoungmi in Seoul’s Itaewon district. The 970-square-meter building occupies a compact, curved plot along a slightly inclined road, a condition that becomes the primary design driver of the project. The architects allow the perimeter of the site to define the volume, resulting in an architecture that bends, adjusts, and aligns itself with the movement of the street.

The geometry of the building follows the curvature of the road and sets the tone for the project. The architecture does not compete with its surroundings or the garments it houses but instead constructs a measured spatial framework that supports both.

Exposed concrete, cast using OSB formwork and finished with a mineral glaze, carries visible traces of its making, allowing texture and patina to develop over time. The surface recalls the logic of fabric, with a woven appearance subtly echoing the sartorial world of Wooyoungmi. Glass blocks define the facade, filtering daylight into the interior during the day and transforming the building into a softly glowing volume after dusk. 

all images by Simone Bossi

Stocker Lee Architetti designs a mezzanine-based spatial sequence

The Swiss architects organize the program through a sequence of mezzanine levels connected by a central vertical core that functions as the project’s structural and spatial backbone. Moving through the store becomes a continuous journey, with changing ceiling heights and proportions introducing variation across the exhibition spaces. This sectional strategy allows each area to develop its own character while remaining part of a cohesive whole.

Concrete, glass, steel, stone, and wood form the material palette of the MANMADE flagship store, selected by Stocker Lee Architetti for their structural and functional qualities rather than decorative effect. Their sobriety establishes a neutral yet tactile environment in which the clothing assumes visual priority. The MANMADE flagship store operates as an urban interior that translates site constraints, material logic, and spatial continuity into an understated but highly controlled architectural experience.

Stocker Lee Architetti completes the MANMADE flagship store for Wooyoungmi in Seoul

the 970-square-meter building occupies a compact, curved plot

the architects allow the perimeter of the parcel to define the volume

an architecture that bends, adjusts, and aligns itself with the movement of the street

the geometry of the building follows the curvature of the road and sets the tone for the project

glass blocks define the facade

the glass blocks filter daylight into the interior during the day

transforming the building into a softly glowing volume after dusk

exposed concrete carries visible traces of its making

the surfaces recall the logic of fabric

concrete is cast using OSB formwork and finished with a mineral glaze

the Swiss architects organize the program through a sequence of mezzanine levels

moving through the store becomes a continuous journey

project info:

name: MANMADE flagship

architect: Stocker Lee Architetti | @stockerleearchitetti

client: Wooyoungmi | @wooyoungmi

location: Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea

site area: 490 square meters

gross floor area: 970 square meters

volume: 5,600 cubic meters

photographer: Simone Bossi | @simonebossiphotographer 

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Held from November 3 to 8, 2025, the Department of Industrial Design at Seoul-based Hongik University presented its annual Graduation Exhibition under the theme ‘The Use of Uselessness: What If.’ Moving beyond conventional purpose-centered design, the exhibition serves as an open dialogue between function, emotion, and culture, challenging students to find creative value in concepts that exist beyond conventional utility.

The theme embodies a future-oriented design attitude that celebrates curiosity and imagination, encouraging graduates to break free from binary thinking. From product and mobility to spatial and interaction design, many projects leverage technologies like emotional AI and advanced robotics, reflecting Hongik’s commitment to nurturing designers who understand the evolving relationship between humans, technology, and society with both analytical thinking and creative sensitivity. Below, we dive into some of the standout concepts that showcase the creativity and technical expertise of the next generation of industrial designers.

Hongik University’s annual Industrial Design Degree Show 2025 | all images courtesy of Hongik University

EDEN BY DOHYUN PARK AND SEOKHYUN AHN

EDEN is an AI home ecosystem that moves beyond the functional convenience of standard smart homes to offer true comfort. Inspired by nature, EDEN creates an environment precisely tailored to the user’s emotions and lifestyle through personalized light and scent. By naturally harmonizing technology, EDEN creates a personal ‘Eden’ within the home, offering a next-generation experience where technology supports emotional well-being rather than just functional needs.

EDEN by Dohyun Park and Seokhyun Ahn

HALE BY HYUNBIN SEO

HALE explores how future technologies could shape the next generation of extreme sports by proposing personal flight as a new athletic domain. Beginning with the idea that people continually seek stronger, more immersive forms of thrill, HALE enables users to move freely in three-dimensional space through body-driven control. The project envisions a future where flight becomes an accessible, skill-based activity, dramatically expanding how intensity, challenge, and physical performance are experienced.

HALE by Hyunbin Seo

AETHER BY HWIGU YU

Project ‘AETHER’ is a next-generation Urban Aerial Care System designed to redefine city infrastructure. The system is anchored by a central Mothership, a floating hub buoyed by a lighter-than-air gas envelope, which drifts effortlessly above the urban canopy. Rather than just monitoring, AETHER actively interacts with the city environment through three specialized drone units dedicated to real-time data analysis, rapid emergency response, and logistics support, ensuring the safety and prosperity of its citizens.

AETHER by Hwigu Yu

SHERPA BY JAEHWAN PARK ANDJEON JAEHO

Designed for the physically and mentally demanding environment of modern cultural complex malls, Sherpa is a smart, cart-type companion. It reduces physical burden and provides timely, relevant information, adapting to varied spaces through a contextual automation system. This system shifts between autonomous and manual modes with a simple handle-tilt action, aligning the device’s functions smoothly with the user’s pace and optimizing the overall shopping experience.

Sherpa by Jaehwan Park andJeon Jaeho

ROOT BY EL JYIDI CHAIMAE, WONJEONG PARK AND SI ON LEE 

ROOT imagines a future where technology becomes the only bridge back to nearly disappeared natural environments. Redefining camping, the project features three speculative products: an AI companion robot that guides and supports emotional comfort; an AI-responsive tent that adapts to climate and mood; and an XR nature system that overlays reconstructed ecosystems onto artificial terrains. ROOT invites viewers to reconsider the bond between humanity and nature when reality and simulation converge.

ROOT by El Jyidi Chaimae, Wonjeong Park And Si On Lee

OASIS BY SIHEON SONG

OASIS is an urban green robotics platform that reimagines parks and forests in the city, overcoming their limitations to provide people with refreshing, nature-friendly moments of rest. As robots become everyday companions, spaces must adapt to coexist, transforming into unique robotics platforms that bring not only convenience but also new, restorative experiences to urban life.

OASIS by Siheon Song

HUSH BY SANGEUN PARK

HUSH is a quiet, proactive home AI designed for true rest, exploring how spatial AI can approach people gently. The system offers subtle, emotional suggestions for well-being. For example, ‘The Window’ projects its proactive AI interface like sunlight, ‘The Kettle’ uses steam mist as an AI screen to notify you as if breathing, and ‘The Light’ senses context, breathing together with the user. The space becomes a living, breathing ecosystem that nurtures rest.

HUSH by Sangeun Park

BUBBLIN BY HYUNMIN KIM

Bubblin’ is an AR-glasses service that allows people to explore Seoul instantly, guided by AI and intuitive bubble UI interactions. Designed for efficient leisure, the service eliminates the interruptions of navigation and planning. The AI surfaces highly recommended spots visited by friends or celebrities and naturally guides the user through the city, allowing them to simply move through places they feel drawn to at the moment.

Bubblin by Hyunmin Kim

SOUZ BY JAGYEONG KIM AND HANBOM JANG

SOUZ is a premium retreat brand that merges Korea’s traditional healing principles with a modern lifestyle. Rooted in the medical philosophy of So-uju (the ‘human microcosm’), SOUZ reinterprets Korea’s healing culture. The personalized retreat program focuses on three dimensions — Body, Mind, and Soul — using traditional Korean constitutional diagnosis, bathing culture, and sound therapy inspired by Pungnyu music to help every visitor rediscover their complete self.

SOUZ by Jagyeong Kim and Hanbom Jang

CASA BOTÁNICA BY  JIWOON KIM

Casa Botánica is a lifestyle flagship that translates the natural inspiration and craftsmanship of LOEWE Perfumes and the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize into a continuous sensory experience. Its core concept, Raw Botanica, explores the tension between elegance and rawness. A spatial sequence inspired by the growth cycle of plants guides visitors along a linear path through scent exploration, craft displays, and F&B, inviting them to dwell in the resonance of fragrance, craft, and nature.

CASA BOTÁNICA by Jiwoon Kim

PNEUMA PROTOCOL BY JIWOO LEE AND SEONGHOON AHN

Pneuma Protocol presents a blueprint for extending human perception through the convergence of neural interfaces and robotic bodies. Facilitated by conductive-ink BCI tattoos and a crown-type device, the project envisions a future where humans and robots operate as a single Sensory–Cognitive System. This symbiotic relationship, establishing a new paradigm of co-existence, allows future human personas to act independently and explore a larger world, freed from limited physical environments.

Pneuma Protocol by Jiwoo Lee and Seonghoon Ahn

HERIT BY NAKYEONG LEE AND SEA SONG

HERIT is a discreet stay that preserves the emotional lineage between mothers and daughters. Rooted in GUCCI’s heritage, it transforms shared memories into a quiet language of style. Hidden in Florence, HERIT reveals itself through a ‘secret code’ guiding the pair into a private, timeless refuge. During their stay, the mother’s cherished pieces are reinterpreted and reborn for the daughter, reinforcing the emotional bond and carrying their meaning forward.

HERIT by Nakyeong Lee and Sea Song

PORSCHE MUTANT BY TAERIN KIM

‘MUTANT’ is a car concept designed for enthusiasts in an era when full autonomous driving is the norm, preserving the pure joy of driving. It transforms like a living organism to adapt to any terrain. Normally blending in with other autonomous vehicles, MUTANT allows the user to take control and venture off-road the moment they feel the urge, providing a thrilling, self-driven experience on demand.

Porsche MUTANT by Taerin Kim

NEURAUX BY EUICHAN JEONG

NEURAUX is a fashion item that allows multi-persona users to easily transform and express their diverse selves and personalities according to circumstances. By modifying its appearance structure to suit specific conditions and situations, this single item can create a variety of ‘auras.’ NEURAUX empowers self-expression and self-realization by making fashion dynamic and responsive to the user’s inner state.

NEURAUX by Euichan Jeong

VISION NEURO BY HAESOL MA

Mercedes Vision Neuro utilizes BCI technology to dismantle and reconstruct the traditional mobility framework known as the H-point. Inspired by submarines, the design applies a cylindrical language and a low silhouette. The interior focuses on a seat system that synchronizes with the user’s posture, enabling long-distance touring while keeping the user completely secluded from the outside environment, much like a personal submarine.

Vision Neuro by Haesol Ma

HUDDLE BY HYEOKGYU JANG 

HUDDLE is an inclusive AR platform that transforms live sports into a fully accessible, multi-sensory experience for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing fans. Through real-time visuals, haptics, and gesture-based communication, it brings whistles, chants, and crowd energy to life without relying on sound. More than accessibility, HUDDLE turns every moment into shared emotion, helping every fan feel in sync, connected, and part of the arena.

Huddle by Hyeokgyu Jang

X.RT MACHINA BY JIHOON SEO

X.rt Machina is an off-roader concept that combines robotics and physical AI. The user extends their abilities and senses through the vehicle, using its robotic systems to reach places that are normally inaccessible. The concept focuses on how the machine becomes a true partner in exploration, building personal stories and experiences during the journey.

X.rt Machina by Jihoon Seo

PLOT 12: FROM MUSE TO MAKER BY HYERYEON RHA AND GYEONGSEO CHO

Plot 12 reimagines the influence of the Met Gala by relocating it to Red Hook, a once-industrial neighborhood, and shifting the focus back to creation. Instead of celebrating spectacle, the project highlights designers as makers. Through exhibition and a reinterpreted backstage-inspired environment, Plot 12 proposes a new cultural ecosystem where fashion’s power is used not for display but for community-driven revitalization, sparking long-term change for a city’s creative future.

Plot 12: From Muse To Maker by Hyeryeon Rha and Gyeongseo Cho

project info: 

event: Hongik Industrial Design Degree Show 2025 | @hongik.id.degreeshow 

school: Hongik University | @hongik_university

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HO-UN is a private lakeside residence designed by Seoul-based practice IROJE KHM Architects in Jeonju, South Korea. Located along a lakeside park within a newly developed residential district, the house occupies a prominent site in a city known for its strong association with traditional Korean history and culture. Positioned at the center of the neighborhood, the site benefits from direct visual access to the lake while remaining embedded in an urban context.

The project was conceived as a residential retreat situated between city and nature. The architectural strategy responds to this condition by creating a spatial environment that balances inward-focused living with controlled visual connections to the surrounding landscape. The house is designed to function as both a place of privacy and a structure that maintains dialogue with its immediate context. IROJE KHM Architects reference elements of traditional Korean architecture and reinterpret them through a contemporary architectural language. Rather than reproducing historical forms, the project translates spatial principles and formal characteristics into a modern residential typology. This approach reflects the cultural context of Jeonju while addressing current residential needs.

all images by Sergio Pirrone

IROJE KHM Architects designs Courtyard-Centered Living space

The primary architectural concept is the ‘Gate of Life,’ derived from the traditional Korean element known as Numaru. This feature functions as a framed opening that mediates between interior and exterior conditions. Acting simultaneously as a boundary, a screen, and a visual device, the gate frames views toward the lake and city while regulating exposure and privacy. It operates as a spatial threshold that connects the inward-oriented courtyard with the broader landscape beyond. Outdoor space is organized around a central courtyard based on the traditional Madang. Enclosed on three sides, the courtyard functions as an intermediate space between interior rooms and the surrounding environment. This open void introduces light, air, and visual relief into the house, serving as a spatial buffer and a focal point within the overall layout.

The building’s roof form references the sense of upward movement commonly found in traditional Korean architecture. A simplified, curved A-type eave roof is reinterpreted in a contemporary manner, contributing to the building’s overall silhouette and reinforcing its cultural lineage through form rather than ornament. For the name of the house, studio IROJE KHM Architects selects HO-UN, meaning ‘cloud over the lake,’ which is reflected in the interior spatial arrangement. A family room is positioned above the living room and articulated as a cloud-like volume, creating a vertical spatial relationship between communal areas and reinforcing the project’s connection to its lakeside setting.

HO-UN is a private lakeside residence designed by IROJE KHM Architects in Jeonju, South Korea

the roof form references upward movement found in traditional Korean architecture

the site occupies a central position in the neighborhood with direct views toward the lake

the project is situated at the intersection of urban fabric and natural landscape

the courtyard is enclosed on three sides, creating an intermediate spatial condition

the design balances inward-focused living with controlled visual connections outward

architecture is used to mediate privacy while maintaining dialogue with the surroundings

a cloud-like family room volume is positioned above the living space

traditional Korean architectural principles inform the project’s contemporary language

historical references are translated through spatial strategies rather than direct replication

white airy interiors highlight the ‘cloud over the lake,’ HO-UN, design concept

outdoor space is organized around a central courtyard based on the Madang typology

a curved A-type eave roof defines the building’s contemporary silhouette

the house is conceived as a quiet residential retreat between city and nature

project info:

name: HO-UN

architect: IROJE KHM Architects | @irojekhm_architects

lead architect: HyoMan KIM
location: Jeonju, South Korea

photography: Sergio Pirrone | @sergiopirrone

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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ITM Yooehwa Architects completes this ‘Heaven’s Voice’ prayer room at South Korea‘s Handong University, bringing a compact place for reflection shaped by its hillside site and minimalistic concrete expression. The project occupies a small rise at the center of campus, a location the architect immediately recognized for its symbolic nature.

The commission emerged from a donation by an elder of a local church, and the brief invited a chapel that was both modest and purposeful. ‘The site revealed itself,’ lead architect Yoo Ehwa shares. She describes perceiving the contours of the campus as resembling a sheep, with the chosen hill forming its heart. This elevated position allows the subterranean structure to be read from surrounding buildings, with the form of its rooftop cross visible only from the sky and the interior.

images © Yongkwan Kim

meditative interiors by ITM Yooehwa Architects

A very limited budget guided the earliest decisions, leading ITM Yooehwa Architects to eliminate applied finishes and instead focus on the power of form, volume, and light. ‘We had to let meaning come from structure,’ the architect explains. This approach sharpened the emphasis on the building’s core purpose as a prayer room and allowed the design to evolve with a directness that suits the quiet atmosphere the project seeks to create.

The entrance begins at the base of the hill along a sweeping footpath. The sequence rises slowly toward the chapel, with ramps tracing the exterior to maintain a continuous connection between inner and outer experience. These circulatory elements draw from the site’s topography and shape an intentional transition from campus life into a more meditative space.

ITM Yooehwa’s prayer room is compact place for reflection shaped by its hillside site

the symbolic structure and skylight

The prayer room’s entrance maintains the dimensions of a corridor, a deliberate gesture which ITM Yooehwa employs to encourage individuals to enter in solitude. Yoo Ehwa goes on: ‘I wanted people to arrive one by one, as if preparing their hearts.‘ This scale sets the tone for the interior, where simplicity guides the spatial character.

Inside, the room stands free of columns. A cantilevered structural strategy supports the roof and reinforces the symbolic weight of the cross, which anchors the central axis. Seating is arranged to encourage horizontal awareness of the landscape beyond the long window, while a skylight above the cross introduces a vertical beam of daylight.

the prayer room’s entrance maintains the dimensions of a corridor

a prayer room sliced with sunlight

The interplay of horizontal and vertical light creates a shifting atmosphere across the prayer room’s surfaces. Sunlight entering from above draws attention to the cross throughout the day, shaping an experience that evolves with changing conditions. ‘The light gathers and traces the passage of time,’ she continues, describing an intentional engagement with daily rhythms.

This luminous register gives the space a sense of presence despite its compact footprint. ITM Yooehwa’s design frames light as a core architectural element, allowing it to express both orientation and spiritual focus. The simplicity of the envelope heightens this reading, as the absence of finishes foregrounds texture, shadow, and structure.

the rooftop is sliced with a narrow skylight in the form of a cross

the symbolic skylight emphasizes the building’s core purpose as a prayer room

the project occupies a small rise at the center of campus

seating is arranged to exaggerate the landscape’s horizonality

sweeping footpaths shape an intentional transition from campus life into a more meditative space

project info:

name: Handong University Prayer Room ‘Heaven’s Voice’

architect: architect | @ehwayoo

location: Pohang, South Korea

area: 190 square meters
completion: 2023
photography: © Yongkwan Kim

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H&M opens its three-level Seongsu store in Seoul, conceived with SKYnoa as a hyper-transformative cultural stage that unfolds through a sequence of ‘theatrical acts’ shaped by styling, self-expression, and Seoul-specific references. Industrial textures, sculptural installations, and wardrobe-inspired scenography fill the translucent presence of the building, wrapped in a veil-like facade. The milky, backlit skin filters silhouettes and movement, creating a sense of anticipation before entry. At night, the building glows across the narrow alleyways, turning the corner site into a landmark amid Seongsu’s mix of garages, cafés, and workshops.

all images courtesy of H&M

hidden garden hosts blue can installation

On the ground floor, the Shanghai-based designers at SKYnoa establish the first act, where everyday infrastructure is repurposed as sculptural elements, including highway guardrails that appear as display fixtures, while a windshield-wiper installation animates a mirrored wall. Both gesture toward Seongsu’s industrial past. Outside, a hidden garden hosts a blue car installation, a nod to the neighborhood’s automotive history and its once-ubiquitous repair garages. The exposed ceiling extends the raw, workshop-like atmosphere.

A sculptural staircase dipped in H&M red marks the transition between acts. SKYnoa frames it as an intermission, a pause in the narrative where visitors linger, photograph, and reorient themselves. Its bold color punctuates the otherwise muted palette, connecting the raw ground floor with the softer, more intimate upper levels.

H&M opens its three-level Seongsu store in Seoul

From Curated Wardrobes to a Fashion Playground

Moving up, the second floor interprets the building as a walk-through wardrobe. Modular wooden container displays carve the space into a series of closets, each grouping products through a curatorial logic. A walk-in closet inspired by traditional Hanbok fabric introduces a moment of lightness, culminating in a large fabric installation whose airy folds soften the industrial frame and introduce a local cultural reference point.

The top level shifts the emphasis toward personalization and creator-led styling. Under the theme ‘For You, By Me,’ SKYnoa transforms the floor into a content-ready environment where outfits selected by KOLs and local creators are displayed. A runway-like fitting room becomes the spatial anchor, its mirrored surfaces intensifying the sense of immersion and self-observation. Each area can be reconfigured for different creators or events, allowing the store to function as an ongoing content engine rather than a static retail layout.

wrapped in a veil-like facade

the milky, backlit skin filters silhouettes and movement

a hidden garden hosts a blue car installation

unfolding through a sequence of ‘theatrical acts’

industrial textures, sculptural installations, and wardrobe-inspired scenography fill the space

the second floor interprets the building as a walk-through wardrobe

the top level shifts the emphasis toward personalization and creator-led styling

SKYnoa transforms the floor into a content-ready environment

a runway-like fitting room becomes the spatial anchor

a pause in the narrative where visitors linger, photograph, and reorient themselves

a sculptural staircase dipped in H&M red marks the transition between acts

at night, the building glows across the narrow alleyways

turning the corner site into a quiet landmark

the store functions as an ongoing content engine

project info:

name: H&M Seongsu

architect: SKYnoa | @_skynoa
location: Seongsu-dong, Seoul, South Korea
client: H&M | @hm

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Installed on the shoreline of Dadaepo Beach for the Sea Art Festival 2025 in Busan, Korea, POLYMETER by Plastique Fantastique examines the relationship between material permanence and natural decay through a dual-layered inflatable installation.

The work consists of two membranes made from materials with distinct temporal properties. The outer shell is constructed from fossil-based polyurethane, representing industrial material durability. Inside, a handcrafted membrane of locally harvested kelp introduces an organic, time-sensitive counterpart. Exposed to environmental conditions, the kelp layer gradually reacts to heat and humidity, and may eventually disintegrate, revealing the vulnerability and transience of organic matter within a synthetic enclosure.

all images by Changsu Yoon unless stated otherwise, Ⓒ Busan Biennale Organizing Committee

POLYMETER reflects on industrial permanence and natural decay

Through the two layers’ material contrast, the installation reflects on the coexistence of two temporalities: the enduring and the ephemeral. The work by creative studio Plastique Fantastique frames a dialogue between fossil-derived longevity and biological impermanence, acknowledging the tension between industrial production and ecological regeneration.

Positioned at the interface of land and sea, POLYMETER engages directly with its coastal setting. The structure operates as both a sculptural form and an environmental marker, prompting reflection on the entanglement of natural and artificial systems in a changing climate.

POLYMETER by Plastique Fantastique stands along the shoreline of Dadaepo Beach in Busan

the installation was created for the Sea Art Festival 2025

the work consists of two layered membranes with contrasting lifespans | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

the installation contrasts fossil longevity with biological impermanence | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

POLYMETER visualizes the coexistence of human-made and natural systems

the polyurethane layer symbolizes industrial durability and fossil-based production | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

an outer shell of fossil-based polyurethane forms the project’s structural surface | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

the inner membrane is crafted from locally harvested kelp | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

the kelp membrane introduces an organic, biodegradable counterpart to polyurethane | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

each material represents a different temporality—synthetic endurance and organic fragility | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

exposed to heat and humidity, the kelp reacts visibly to environmental change | image Ⓒ Plastique Fantastique

POLYMETER explores the intersection between material permanence and natural decay

over time, the organic layer may dissolve, exposing the synthetic structure beneath

project info:

name: POLYMETER – Sea Art Festival 2025, Busan, Korea

designer: Plastique Fantastique | @plastique.fantastique

location: Dadaepo Beach, Busan, South Korea

lead designers: Yena Young, Marco Canevacci

curator: Keumhwa Kim, Bernard Vienat

design team: Sebastian Podesta, Valeria Landete, Maria Eleonora Ledesmam, Sarah Müller, Eunsoo Ko

special thanks to: Busan Biennale, The Busan Biennale Team, and Mina Choi

dimensions: 6m diameter, 4m height

photographer: Changsu Yoon, Plastique Fantastique

videographer: Marco Canevacci, Yena Young, Busan Biennale Organizing Committee, Lee TaeHoon

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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In South Korea‘s coastal city of Busan, Kengo Kuma and Associates have completed the Busan Lotte Tower, a fluid glass skyscraper rising from the former City Hall site. The project stands at the meeting point of land and sea, its form shaped by the surrounding harbor and the patterns of movement that define the port. The tower’s facade captures the rhythm of waves drawn by passing ships, and expresses the city’s maritime identity through its texture and fluid, reflective surfaces.

Horizontal bands ripple across the exterior, tracing a continuous line around the building. These curved bands blur the distinction between spandrel and vision glass, softening the vertical rise into a fluid gesture that reflects the changing surface of the sea. The glass shifts from transparent to gently tinted to mirror the light and color of Busan’s coastal sky.

visualization courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

Rhythm and Material of lotte tower

The Busan Lotte Tower is shaped by Kengo Kuma and Associates as a stack of curved transparent volumes. This vertical stack is reflected through the internal program, each layer subtly offset to suggest motion. This composition produces an interplay of concave and convex surfaces, echoing the undulation of waves. The materials — glass, aluminum, and finely detailed louvers — allow light to shimmer across the facade while maintaining a calm rhythm that tempers the building’s scale.

At the upper levels, the horizontal lines of the façade dissolve into slender fins. These become louvers that filter sunlight and wind, creating a transitional space at the rooftop observatory. Here, the city, sea, and sky meet in a single panoramic field. The observatory appears to float above the harbor, its light structure open to the shifting air and the horizon beyond.

visualization courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

Integration with Context of busan, korea

The Busan Lotte Tower extends the city’s dialogue with the sea. Kengo Kuma’s approach avoids monumentality, favoring continuity with the surrounding landscape. The tower reflects its context rather than asserting contrast, allowing the movement of light and water to animate its surface throughout the day. Seen from the port, the building reads as a vertical extension of the shoreline — its shimmering facade absorbing the hues of sunrise and dusk.

In the evening, soft interior light brings the horizontal lines into subtle relief, giving the impression of an illuminated current rising through the tower. From street level, the curved glass volumes frame glimpses of activity inside, linking the rhythm of urban life with the broader cadence of the harbor.

visualization courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

visualization courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

visualization courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

project info:

name: Busan Lotte Tower

architect: Kengo Kuma & Associates | @kkaa_official

location: Busan, South Korea

status: ongoing

visualizations: © Kengo Kuma and Associates

team: Seungjun Lee, Doyup Lee, Daihoon Kim, Cheuk Lam Chan, Rikuro Sakaushi, Edward WooHyun Chung, Fumitake Suzuki (CG)
construction: Lotte Construction
structure: ARUP, CNP
facility: Samoo Architects & Engineers
exterior: LHYn
illumination: EONSLD

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The Dokkaebi Market Customer Support Center, designed by YZA, is a public complex supporting the traditional Dokkaebi (Goblin) Market in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Positioned at the entrance to the market, the building occupies a transitional site, where a quiet residential alley to the south meets the dense commercial activity of the market to the north. Within this dual context, the project was developed as an architectural gateway connecting two distinct urban conditions.

The program integrates several public functions, including a parking tower for market visitors, a customer support office, public restrooms, a community space, and a neighborhood café. These functions are organized along the site’s length: the parking structure to the south, market-related facilities to the north, and a vertical circulation core positioned centrally as a mediator between them. The design also utilizes the site’s east–west elevation change to create a pilotis space on the ground floor, enhancing permeability and pedestrian access. Above, a series of stepped terraces offers views toward the marketplace and provides outdoor rest areas for visitors. The building’s facade employs a multicolored steel screen that references the symbolic palette of the Dokkaebi Market. Acting both as a visual marker and a privacy filter, the screen softens views from surrounding residential streets while projecting a shifting play of color and light. 

all images by Kyungsub Shin

Colorful facade symbolizes transformation and playfulness

The facade unifies the different programmatic elements, like parking, public facilities, and circulation, into a cohesive volume. Fabricated from PosMAC® steel louver panels, the facade system was developed through digital manufacturing processes that eliminate the need for welding. Techniques such as precision bending, automated folding, and full-scale mock-up testing informed the design’s structural performance and finish quality. This approach reflects design studio YZA’s interest in material experimentation and the potential of industrial fabrication in public architecture.

The project draws conceptual inspiration from the dokkaebi, a figure from Korean folklore associated with transformation and playfulness. Through its translucent facade, adaptable spatial layout, and integration of public amenities, the building translates this spirit into a contemporary architectural form. Situated at the intersection of city and market, it functions as both infrastructure and urban landmark, reinterpreting the identity of the Goblin Market within Seoul’s evolving neighborhood landscape.

Dokkaebi Market Customer Support Center by YZA stands at the entrance to Seoul’s traditional Goblin Market

the project occupies a transitional site between a quiet residential alley and the bustling market streets

a multicolored steel facade references the symbolic hues of the Dokkaebi Market

shifting tones of color and light animate the facade throughout the day

steel louver panels form the building’s distinctive outer skin

the screen provides privacy from nearby residences while filtering light into the interior

the facade unites parking, public, and circulation zones within a continuous volume

the elevated terraces above offer outdoor seating and views toward the marketplace

the project draws inspiration from the dokkaebi, a Korean folklore figure symbolizing transformation

the translucent facade and adaptable layout translate the goblin’s playful spirit into spatial form

positioned between city and market, the building acts as both infrastructure and urban landmark

project info:

name: Along the Market
architect: YZA | @yza_official_

location: Seoul, Korea

photographer: Kyungsub Shin

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post translucent facade of multicolored steel louvers unfolds along seoul’s dokkaebi market appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Heatherwick Studio has won a global competition to transform the uninhabited Nodeul island on the Han River in the center of Seoul into a new public park. Dubbed Soundscape, the proposal creates a trail of dramatic spaces on different levels that can host musical performances and artistic interventions in a biodiverse landscape. The design draws inspiration from Seoul’s mountainous terrain and the patterns created by soundwaves and was selected following a year-long series of exhibitions, consultations, and a public vote. ‘In this hyper-digital age, we’ve had so many amazing innovations in the way people live but there has also been an increasing sense of loneliness and isolation.  We want to make a hyper-physical place that reconnects Seoulites with nature, culture and, most importantly, with each other,’ comments studio founder Thomas Heatherwick. 

UPDATE October 21st, 2025: The transformation of Nodeul Island officially begins, following a groundbreaking ceremony on October 21st, 2025, attended by citizens and officials. The event featured live music, augmented reality experiences, and interactive displays revealing new details of Heatherwick Studio’s Soundscape design. Commissioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the project envisions a new topography dedicated to South Korean music and public recreation. Alongside the arts center and public beach, the development will introduce recording studios, small concert halls, a waterfront amphitheater, a K-pop experience center, a music café, an anechoic chamber, and a karaoke bar. At its heart, a 1.25-kilometer elevated trail, shaped by the patterns of soundwaves and Seoul’s mountain contours, will loop in a figure-of-eight, offering floating rest points and panoramic views of the Han River. ‘Soundscape will be somewhere you can breathe and feel alive. An invitation to listen, discover, and connect with your fellow Seoulites,’ shares Thomas Heatherwick. Construction will unfold in phases to maintain public access, with completion now slated for 2028.

rendering by Devisual

turning nodeul island into public park inspired by soundwaves

Bending and folding like soundwaves, the Soundscape public park will offer residents respite from the bustling city through a nature-infused waterfront at Nodeul Island. Stepping onto the island, visitors will move through a landscape that evolves as the tides and seasons change, met by an arts center and a public beach at ground level. Rather than demolishing the existing artificial landscape, Heatherwick Studio (see more here) seeks to strengthen the riverbanks with soft, naturalistic planting. The landscape will then rise to an event podium, which connects to a dramatic 1.25-kilometer skywalk. This trail will be formed of a series of small, floating islets held in the air, providing resting spaces with spectacular views across the island and the river back to Seoul.  

‘We’ve been really intrigued by how new interventions can really bring Nodeul Island to life.  Its not just about an exciting new aerial canopy, but developing a whole creative ecosystem, where spaces above and below the floating landscape are buzzing with activity,’ reflects Neil Hubbard, group leader and partner at Heatherwick Studio. Nodeul Island will be Heatherwick Studio’s first project in South Korea to go into construction. The studio will now start work with the Metropolitan Government on the following stages of design, and visitors should be able to enjoy the new Nodeul Island in 2027. In 2023, the studio curated a retrospective exhibition called Building Soulfulness at the Culture Station Seoul 284, attracting almost 60,000 visitors in just 60 days. 

the transformation of Nodeul Island officially begins, with the groundbreaking of Soundscape | rendering by NOD

the project envisions a new topography dedicated to South Korean music and public recreation | rendering by Devisual

alongside the arts center and public beach, the development will introduce various uses | rendering by NOD

offering floating rest points and panoramic views of the Han River | rendering by NOD

the proposal creates a trail of dramatic spaces on different levels | rendering by NOD

construction will unfold in phases to maintain public access | rendering by NOD

completion is slated for 2028 | rendering by Devisual

project info:

name: Soundscape

architect: Heatherwick Studio | @officialheatherwickstudio

location: Nodeul Island, Seoul

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