migliore + servetto redevelops abandoned railway into themed waterfront park in busan

migliore + servetto has completed the plans for blue line park, a redevelopment project that spans along five km of an abandoned railway in a waterfront area of busan. with construction set to begin in 2019, the themed park offers visitors of different ages and interests a diverse range of activities, transforming the site into a sort of filter between the bay and the surrounding urban fabric. acting as the place where the city is reconciled with the natural landscape, the project employs targeted use of technology and sound design, as well as a new and fascinating cultural hub for events, concerts, and collective activities.

in migliore + servetto‘s layout, the theme of re-appraising disused spaces is interwoven with that of landscape architecture and technology, resulting into a multilayered meeting point between past and future. the linear park features two main entrances, that emerge from two new urban squares: on one side, narrow side streets flow into the mipo square; while on the other side, a multifunctional space emerges near the old terminal of the songjeong railway station. in both access points thin blades of bright yellow and green grass reach up to 10 meters high, as if creating an oversized artificial version of nature.

the entrance structure marks the transition from the urban to the natural environment and introduces visitors to a path punctuated by thematic areas, named islands of listening, knowledge and encounter and designed to offer different experiences. the islands of listening include sound installations aimed at connecting people with the nature that surrounds them: the wind installation entrusts light bamboo rods with the task of restoring the voice of the wind to visitors; listen to the sea places them in dialogue with the marine environment through large ear drums that act as a sounding board for the echo of the sea; play the symphony encourages active participation through the creative use of an element from korean tradition, the typical metal bowls transformed into percussion instruments that can play the entire musical scale. the protagonist is listen to the nature, wide corten steel arches that invite visitors to stop and listen to all the sounds of the fauna of the wooded area behind it.

in the islands of knowledge, technology becomes a means of creating awareness of the geographical qualities of the area. migliore+servetto create moments of rest and knowledge here, including the florarium, a sort of digital library dedicated to local flora and characterized by long corten steel and wood benches. the algae pavilion in the heart of the park is an exhibition space but also an iconic structure that strongly refers to local tradition. its external covering changes in appearance as the atmospheric conditions change, making a real landmark within the park.

the islands of encounter are places designed to accommodate extended moments in which people come together and interact, serving as hubs for activating park life. the rainbow tunnel is an area of transit that can turn into an evocative location for concerts and events, with colored windows that act as a filter for the external landscape, offering a new way of seeing the surrounding nature. the view of the bay of busan acts as a backdrop to the boat theater, an open-air theater situated halfway along the route, whose shape enchantingly evokes the hull of a boat. offering an additional opportunity for interaction and entertainment, at the end of the pathway there is an extremely permeable scenographic element: the large 9-meter setting of the cinema paradiso, which frames the old railway and the landscape and can be transformed into a cinema screen or backdrop for theatrical performances.