Our site, the Seoul International District, was formerly a collection of islands at the intersection of the meandering Han River and Tancheon Stream. Drawing from this historical landscape and the current urban setting, our design is envisioned as an urban riparian ecosystem and archipelago.
Emulating the riparian topographic zones of upland, floodplain, and wetland, the landscape is designed as a series of terraces where the landscape typology, vegetation density, and program are determined by the terrace levels and subsequent probability of flooding.
The archipelago is composed of stream habitat islands and inland “islands” of wetlands, meadows, forests, and park program such as playgrounds, skateparks, amphitheatres, and cafes. Through the substitution of the existing weir and the introduction of a groyne system, stream renaturalisation is encouraged through meandering and sedimentation to create pools and shallow beaches. The legible landscape vegetation zones and development of the river system will reveal the unfolding of riparian ecosystem dynamics – merging the built form with ecological processes and experiences for visitors.
