The assignment for the Gadeokdo in Busan called for the Island’s development with maritime and touristic programs. Opposed to its Urbanization – the endless urban growth over territories- we propose its Deurbanization: a process in which the development of the city would rely on predefined boundaries, to respect nature, and to create a manageable urban mass.

If Manhattan is the epitome of densification over an island, Gadeokdo Busan has the potential to become the inverse urban model, where the central urban ‘park’ accommodates the city, keeping the rest untouched. A paradigm of coexistence between preservation and development, this developed bar of 5.3 x 0.8 km contains all the used land within the existing geography. Considering that a new airport is planned to the south of Gadeokdo island, both the Resort and the City Airport dialectally coexist, keeping an appropriate distant from each other. What remains is a natural green ‘void’.
 

Type: International Competition, Honorable Mention
Client: Busan International Architectural Culture Festival Organizing Committee
Size: 22.5 km2 island
Program: Maritime and Resort facilities (4km2 land development)