Busan Opera House by Kubota & Bachmann Architects

Project: Busan Opera House
Designed by Kubota & Bachmann Architects
Architect: Ikbal Bouaita
Designer: Toshihiro Kubota, Yves Bachmann
Artist Collaboration: Clement Valla, Kubota & Bachmann Architects
Landscape Architect: Bassinet Turquin Paysage
Client: The Busan International Architectural Culture Festival Organizing Committee
Location: Busan, South Korea
Scope: 35.000 sqm
GFA: 60.000 sqm
Website: www.kubotabachmann.com
Another outstanding project shows up in the competition for the design of Opera House in South Korean city of Busan, this one is work of Kubota & Bachmann Architects. For more images and architects description continue after the jump:

From the Architects:

Busan is the fifth largest port of the world.

The Busan Opera House (BOH) is located in the Busan North Port development area. This zone is home to a cultural complex department, museums, a maritime culture center, a cruise center, waterfront causeway, public parks, an opera, a theater and a business district. It is crucial that the BOH program and its architectural form integrate into the existing master plan, and express the new and unique creative character of the Busan North Port.

The BOH is situated at the southern end of a new artificial island. The form of the proposed project is a direct result of the site conditions: on the one hand, the plan is a response to the island’s outline, and on the other hand, the form of the BOH recalls the silhouette of the mountains surrounding the city. The circular form is also designed to allude to the Taegeuk and the traditional ceramic base. The smooth shape is meant to be a contemporary interpretation of these elements of traditional Korean culture. As a result, the BOH is designed to provide harmony and balance to the Busan North Port Development.

A particularly key and innovative feature of the proposed design for the BOH is its patio formed by a void in the center of the new Opera House. This void is at the center of the site, and is also at the heart of the project. As Anish Kapoor said, “Emptiness does lead to emptiness”. Everything is organized around this central void: a circular foyer makes a loop and connects the Opera, the Multipurpose Theater and the Multipurpose Hall. This emptiness (which is actually a major space that gives this project an innovative identity) shrouds an exterior bench surrounding a water pond that is directly connected to the sea. This void provides an exceptional location for theatrical events – an extension of the shows occurring inside the BOH- this creating an animated and exceptional space in the Busan North Port. 

The BOH is in harmony with the spirit of Busan Port like a beat flowing with music. The chorus lies in the heart of the busan north port: a multitude of impressions coming from multiple sources blend naturally to form a harmonious whole, creating a dramatic and emotional space.