Reconnecting North and South Korea a Win For Foster+Partners
The south of the island will be mixed-use, combining community, cultural and residential buildings with green tech industry. The island of OnJin-gun will become a sustainable resort.
The firm wants to keep the natural topology of rolling hills there now. The “rolling hills” roofing they envision for this development might look somewhat like the undulating roof of their previous design in tropical Mauritius.
Except it would be covered in green roofing. If you can imagine a green roof on this.
Nearly all of the buildings are to be green roofed. In fact from above it will still look very much the same as now.
The existing island is predominately agricultural. That won’t change.
The design will use existing irrigation channels, green spaces and roads, and even keep the green landscape as it is now. That is to be achieved by tucking the buildings for the most part under the natural undulating topology of the site.
That farmland will simply move up; creating a 21st century version of terraced farming on the new roof area. Foster+Partners envisage simply moving the agriculture displaced by the development up onto new rolling hills; right on top of the huge interconnected single-story industrial buildings.
Via Foster+Partners
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August 29th, 2009 at 5:52 am
I applaud and congratulate Foster+Partners for landing this most auspicious and symbolic of projects for this part of the world and the planet itself. My father is Korean and lived through the break up of this country into North and South. He will be elated to live to see the construction of this project. Please try to complete it sooner rather than later. Thanks for contributing to the long awaited progress toward reunification for Korea.
Thank you.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
It is encouraging, isn’t it Peter? I worked in Seoul (fashion industry) for a few months in my youth and was saddened by the separation and feeling of danger and disruption the situation created. The government of South Korea must be extending a hand by offering a free trade connection like this.
August 30th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I think you guys are misunderstanding the North and it’s intentions.
South Korea has attempted all sorts of feel good projects with joint business ventures and such.
In the end, nothing changes and the North ends up being a pain in the a$$, and the project falls apart, or loses any significance.
Until the North changes, nothing will.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:29 am
Co-operation will always pay more than conflict, the north may not change overnight but I doubt if they will walk away so fast from this project.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Sadly, you are incorrect.
As far as the project itself, it sounds interesting, but frankly from all I have seen regarding business “partnerships” with North Korea, it will be a huge headache with no benifit.
It’s similar to planning a nice ecological boat, and tying an anchor to it and expecting it to move wonderfully through the waters.
There are good ways of being green, and good ways of promoting change in an enslaved country, but I have yet to see any evidence that the two can co-exist when massive amounts of money and politics are involved, despite all your feel good daydreams.
I would encourage you to actually research the history as well as current events regarding Korea, but I realize that not everyone has either interest or time.
September 12th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
simply “name” is right, please people, it looks promising, but seriously like “name” said, study the history and the present circumstances of each country. North Korea will bail, they have far less capital (devoted to things besides warfare) than S. Korea; and will only proceed if it leads to a strategical advantage over the south(they have threatened to invade with full scale warfare since the Korean war many many times so this is probable).