Busan Opera House Proposal in South Korea by solus4

Solus4 of Kittery Maine and Jamestown Rhode Island proposed a design solution for the Busan Opera House that flows with the elements of culture and history of Korea.

Alfonso Lopez, lead designer for Solus4 describes the origins of their design: “A very special characteristic of Korean heritage is the linked uniformity of the art, history, culture and language. Much of this is based on the beauty and the pleasure that each element of culture gives to the individual and the community”.

Dusk View

Architect: solus4

Name of Project: Busan Opera House Proposal

Location: Busan, South Korea

Software used: Designed using Rhino & ACAD and used 3dsMax for all cg renderings

The team chose to incorporate the grace and elegance of the brush and ink paintings of the Fourth Era of the Joseon Period. In these paintings the Korean artists chose elements according to an aesthetic sensibility. Integral with this experience is the concept of sohwa when painting and calligraphy are joined. Emerging from these concepts comes a simple expression of nature and peacefulness. The conceptualization of the opera house forms as can be seen in the following illustration.

Aerial Night View

The free flowing lines that characterize the paintings of this type take on a very lyrical almost musical quality in the abstraction of the images above. We took the two dimensional basis and can expand upon this into the third dimension of building volume without a loss of the original element. Lopez goes on: “This to us was the emerging of the sohwa principle that we wanted to express in this building.”

Aerial Day View

“Our early concepts then worked to tie the sohwa of these shapes and elements into volumes that would not detract from the original intent and allow the incorporation of a state of the art voice performance facility coupled with the ancillary uses proscribed in the program. To accomplish this we proceeded through these conceptual diagrams, always staying close to the overall symbolic integration or sohwa. Staying within the traditional parameters, we first placed the conceptual diagram on the site. Then, we diagramed the graphic element of the building shapes and its essential volumes.

East Day View

We used the original ink brush strokes to freely become building elements. By varying the connections to the earth and varying the edges and heights of roof shapes we found that we are able to provide strong volumetric edges that reinforce the strokes of the original art.

Interior View of Auditorium

It is also important to note the integration of sustainable systems for this project. We have integrated technology into this building which includes roof based solar collectors, sea water temperature differential cooling, tidal current generators and geothermal mass storage.

Interior View of Small Auditorium

As one of the “gracious plants,” the orchid represents “refinement” in Confucian philosophy. As one of the symbols of the four seasons the orchid represents summer and the dissemination of its fragrance far and wide. The Busan City Opera House then symbolizes the hospitality and welcoming of the peoples who extend the unique flower in greeting. The preceding conversation has described the project and its conceptual base in the cultural symbology of Korean history – in this case most specifically music, voice performance and art.

North Day View

Pedestrian Bridge View

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